Installation view
Installation detail
Mixed media installation
During «Operation Desert Storm,” oil fields in southern Iraq were set on fire causing an intense, dark, smoky cloud, which covered the sky of Baghdad, hundreds of kilometers away. Black rain poured over Baghdad, and all the houses were covered in a layer of black oil.
This work explores the discovery of oil and its effect on the natural environment of the city. The foundation of the painting is an image of a painting by Abdir Al-Kader Al-Rassam, produced in 1912 before the discovery of oil in Iraq. A window into the dark future of Iraq, the image illustrates the Tigress River in Baghdad. The painting’s layers, past and present, invites the viewers to physically interact with the work, adding their own layer of discovery and understanding.
Details:
Two large scale printed images on two wooden panels, large scale Plexiglas, grease oil and black pigment
Dimensions: 205 x 273cm