Beunos Aires-based Venezuelan visual artist Pich Urdaneta recently shot a series of experimental photographs, titled ‘Lagimas negras,’ that depict various objects engulfed by thick swaths of crude oil.
Urdaneta describes his work as an effort to convey the "fight between ancestral and current nature." This is a poignant theme, as it relates to so much of modern life. Almost every object that one comes into contact with, however trivial, is in some way connected to the fossil fuel.
Obviously, plastics are made from oil. Yet, even products that are not directly made from hydrocarbons are manufactured by machines that use them or transported by vehicles that run on diesel or petroleum. Taken in this light, the photographs featured here are less metaphorical than they are literal.
As this series eludes to, progress is often not without cost -- there are choices to be made.
Oil-Splotched Object Shoots
Pich Urdaneta Conveys the Cost of Progress
Trend Themes
1. Dependency Dilemma - The growing awareness of our dependence on fossil fuels raises the need for alternative energy options and sustainable practices.
2. Environmental Art - The use of art to create awareness about environmental issues such as climate change and the cost of progress becomes more prominent.
3. Conscious Consumerism - Consumers demand sustainable and eco-friendly products in their daily lives as a response to the devastating impact of fossil fuels on the environment.
Industry Implications
1. Renewable Energy - Opportunities abound for companies to develop and promote renewable energy sources as a replacement to fossil fuels.
2. Sustainable Products - The use of sustainable materials and practices in the manufacturing of products becomes more crucial in addressing environmental challenges.
3. Art and Design - Companies can collaborate with artists to explore creative ways to raise awareness and promote sustainable practices through art and design.