Deepwater Horizon: Suppartion
Deepwater Horizon: Suppartion
Reclaimed clothing, Dawn dish soap, netting, thread
Approx 17’ x 12’ x4ft
2010/2023
$6,600
My installation Deepwater Horizon; Suppuration, is a distressing commentary concerning the Gulf of Mexico oil rig explosion which occurred on Tuesday April 20th, 2010. This catastrophic event resulted in the largest U.S. marine oil spill to date. Due to my overpowering “weight of the world” anxiety, I produced an oversized wall installation motivated by this inexcusable ecological disaster.
Through my studio process of reclaiming & upcycling materials, I reconstructed this work from previously thrifted articles of clothing. This installation was originally created for the group exhibition S.O.S, at the Bridgeport At Center in 2010. Over the past year, I expanded Deepwater Horizon; Suppuration’s discourse, palette, materials and scale for the current exhibition: Environment/s/tallation. The only new material purchased for this work was Dawn dish soap that I used to scent and tint white button down, collared & cuffed shirts to a pale blue hue. I chose the Dawn dish soap as a liquid material element for the installation because it was the soap used to clean the oil soaked animals who suffered from this disaster. Needless to say, I am still conflicted about purchasing a plastic bottle for this project.
The Center for Biological Diversity reported in 2011:
The BP Deepwater Horizon rig explosion and spill lasted an unimaginable 87 days:
30,000 responders worked to clean up the oil spill
16,000 miles of coastline was affected
11 people died
17 injured
205.8 million gallons of oil &
225,000 tons of methane spilled into the Gulf of Mexico
25% of the oil: recovered
154 million gallons of oil: at sea
Harmed or killed:
82,000+ birds;
6,175+ sea turtles;
25,900+ marine mammals;
A vast (unknown) number of:
Fish
Oysters
Crabs
Corals