Sunday, October 21, 2007

Crude Awakening





This was the most ambitious art installation I have ever witnessed. The first part was the statues... each one intricately pieced together and porprtionately beautiful. The second part of this installation was the flame throwing aspect of the statues. The tall standing woman shot flames from her hands... the kneeling woman had flames which would consume her whole body etc... And the third part was the oil derrick itself. Built on site throughout the week it reached 9 stories high, and had an inner staircase spiraling up the inside of the tower. For one 24 hour period people were able to walk the staircase to the top platform, for a more interactive experience. Once a night this piece would give it's performance... the statues would all fire up and you could walk around amongst them as they shot flames and burned. Amazing. The oil derrick was set to burn Friday night, and we were all eagerly anticipating that show!! The name of the whole installation was "Crude Awakening" and the obvious metaphors and symbology need little explanation. As a people we worship oil, and this lust is literally burning us alive. Anyone have any furthur insights to share?

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