“Gusher” by Tanya Brown

“Gusher” by Tanya Brown

This is one in a series of posts featuring an artist whose work is included in the Threads of Resistance exhibition. 

Artist’s Statement:

With the appointment of a secretary of state from Exxon/Mobil and an EPA head with close ties to the fossil fuel industry, the Trump administration is in the process of shaping America’s foreign and domestic policies for the benefit of the oil industry.

Trump has further shown his support for this group by signing an order to dismantle environmental regulations, claiming this will trigger a new energy boom. As The Washington Post put it, “the order (sends) an unmistakable message about the direction in which Trump wants to take the country – toward unfettered oil and gas production, with an apathetic eye to worries over global warming.”

Trump has expressed outright contempt for clean energy and those who value it, saying, “There has been a big push to develop alternative forms of energy – so-called green energy – from renewable sources. That’s a big mistake. To begin with, the whole push for renewable energy is being driven by the wrong motivation, the mistaken belief that global climate change is being caused by carbon emissions. If you don’t buy that – and I don’t – then what we have is really just an expensive way of making the tree-huggers feel good about themselves.”

“Gusher” represents the damage and waste caused by the unfettered use of oil and fossil fuels for supporting our consumer lifestyle. The backdrop of “Gusher” is a wasteland of parched soil and trash-strewn hovels. Humanity has been reduced to an automaton that excretes a never-ending diarrhea of red, white, and blue plastic crap. “Gusher’s” unsustainable, greed-driven economy has resulted in a world comprising waste and pollution.

 Hear a message from Tanya about her piece below: