Vol 12, Num 8 :: 2013.04.12 — 2013.04.25
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Oil, blood and tears soak the top of this hermitage landscape painting, dripping down through the visual story of the Enbridge Pipeline. Blood and tears are part of the narrative surrounding the pipeline that is going into our Earth on the property of the Hermitage Community, a retreat center in Three Rivers, Michigan. Using obtrusive colors, such as black and red, this painting creates a pointed message of lament. One young viewer astutely remarked, “This painting is not beautiful, it’s sad. Why did you paint something sad, Elizabeth?” The Enbridge Pipeline is only the tip of the iceberg of our society’s demand for oil.
This painting is large to call attention to the magnitude of the problem we are participating in. The pipeline is featured as the backbone of our current culture and way of life. In creating this piece, I had to examine my own culpability, my own apathy in the destruction of the environment and the violation of human rights. It is difficult, to realize our own activities which contribute to the use of oil: heating the house, driving the car…even the computer I’m writing on. We all stand, in part, convicted and culpable of our consumer-driven lifestyle that values more and faster, no matter the cost.
While the painting started out as a whole 8’ x 8’ canvas, cutting up the art piece reminded me that this project was intended to be shared with others. Collaboratively wrapping the strips of the painting around the condemned trees provided a moment of solace and honor for the trees and land that will be flattened. What a remarkable sight, to see respect paid to the land and to its Creator.
The setting sun in the painting is also a rising sun. This was a service of lament, but also a service of hope. We might not be able to solve the problem of peak oil and our reliance on flawed systems, but there are small steps we have a choice to make which can propel us in the right direction. We can carpool, shop locally, unplug things when not using them and be conscious of the environment as we decide which businesses and companies to support. We may not see the full sunrise during our days, but let’s do our part so that our children and their children are able to enjoy clean air, clean water and a vision for a more sustainable lifestyle.
A special thanks to Jay Howard, for his contribution in the landscape painting. Also a big, huge thanks to my housemates Emily Ulmer and Deborah Haak and the *cino gang, for allowing me to make our front room into a wild studio space for this project. You are all stellar. Thank you for your support in making this project possible.
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