Created a hexagonal pattern for inserting photos of my artwork, and a central space for a portion of the wasps’ nest

PRODUCTIVITY – A hive of cultural activity, with all its colour and diversity

ABANDONED  -   Where art recedes into the past, into the unknown

DECLINE – Devolution into a totally utilitarian world, devoid of artistic endeavours

© 2010 ArtConverge (ISSN 1918-9273‏)

Click on image above to see and download desktop image. “Beyond Petroleum” – Fin De Siecle 2012 Series, 2010, mixed media on canvas 8″ x 8″, $110.40 – by Liza J. Lee

Beyond Petroleum**– Artist Statement

For a sustainable community, we need to get “Beyond Petroleum” and implement more alternative “green” energies, such as solar, wind, hydrogen and nuclear. This would help alleviate petroleum dependencies, tensions in the mid-east and provide opportunities to contribute towards sustainable growth. To support my hypothesis, here is research where I shall leave to the audience to interpret.

The US allocated one trillion dollars in costs to the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. Iraq has the second largest oil reserve in the world, with known reserves of 43 billion barrels of crude oil, as well as large quantities of natural gas. The US is the world’s largest oil consumer and the second-largest energy user after China.

About 31 percent of US oil output comes from the Gulf of Mexico. The area is home to 43 percent of operable refining capacity and seven of the country’s 10 busiest ports.

On April 10, 2010, BP’s exploratory offshore drilling rig exploded after a blowout, killing 11 people. 4.9 million barrels of crude oil gushed into the Gulf of Mexico, making it the biggest off-shore oil spill in US history. BP had changed its name from British Petroleum and added the tagline, “Beyond Petroleum” in 2000 to highlight the company’s interest in alternative and environmentally-friendly fuels.

However, petroleum continues to receive enormous subsidies, which includes consumer tax levies at the pump, while renewable energies receive a tiny fraction of that amount from governments around the world.

Alternative energy is unlikely to meet more than 10% of the world’s energy needs for decades to come. Windmills work only when the wind blows. And each windmill needs two tons of rare earth metals for its construction. Windmills are primarily built in China. The country has recently slashed its exports of rare earths metals, as they will require them for their own windmills.

China is also buying unprecedented amounts of uranium for nuclear energy. Each new reactor requires about 400 tons of uranium to get started. The nation may purchase about 5,000 metric tons in 2010, more than twice as much as it consumes, building stockpiles for future nuclear reactors.

Meanwhile, the US has injected one trillion dollars in stimulus packages in 2010. The budget deficit for 2010 alone is $1.5 trillion. The stimulus funds have made virtually no dent in the US unemployment rate. Subsequently, consumer spending, which includes petroleum makes up 70 percent of the economy, is being held back by the highest unemployment rate since 1984. A sluggish US economy reduces crude oil demands from Canada, the largest exporter of total petroleum to the United States.

** This artist statement is an opinion by the writer-artist, with research from Bloomberg.com and Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge. For more information about craftivism, visit the Gallery on Artistrun.org (TheArtParty.org).

© 2010 ArtConverge (ISSN 1918-9273‏)

What do I want to see? I can be anything.  So what’s in the heart of me?  What is true for me?  I have a choice, the freedom to plot my own destiny and design what is around me.  Beautiful or ugly; it is up to me.  Alter my perspective; creative or destructive.  Negative or positive.  I often feel confused, enmeshed in the collective.  Pushed and pulled and inside out.  Spinning around and upside down. What really matters anyway?  What do I want to achieve today?  I want to share a good belly laugh, smiles and love in just the eyes, intense joy and connection.   No struggle.

Tingles on the flesh from deep within like fizz from God knows where arising from the bottom of a glass of cold pop on a hot day.  Do some painting, see some nature, smile again.  Breathe deeply, relax and share all this with someone very dear to me.

Name: Email:

Founded in Vancouver in 1992, Gallery Gachet is a unique collaborative gallery that strives to provide a focal point for dialogue amongst artists.  Located at 88 East Cordova Street, Vancouver’s infamous East Side provided an eclectic backdrop for this event.

The SKin is IN exhibit was a dynamic collection of local artists painting on both human skin and canvas.  The artists showcased their pieces for purchase and graced the guests with personalized, complementary art pieces, on their skin!  Sponsored by Gallery Gachet, Kevan Seng of Capulet Art participated making the art showcased accessible to everyone in the form of posters and art cards.  This was an amazing night where the public was given the opportunity to meet with the artists and witness the creative processes of each.

As the DJ began spinning and the drinks began flowing, the space transformed into a living, breathing hub of creativity.  In center stage stood Amy Louise.  Donning nothing but a painted black bikini, her alabaster skin became the canvas for the creative collective that began with a few mere strokes.  By the end of the evening, Amy was a veritable mélange of colors courtesy of Monika Bilchar, J Peachy and Sarazen Brooks.

Special thanks to Monika Bilchar of MAB Ventures Inc. and J Peachy, without whom, the event wouldn’t have happened.  It was a truly revealing evening.

- Jessica Archibald

jessica.a.archibald@gmail.com

© 2010 ArtConverge (ISSN 1918-9273‏)