So. This may the fastest that I’ve ever turned out images. It’s kinda weird, and I don’t know how to talk about them at all, mostly because they have only existed, even in my brain for less than 24 hours. Having a beer last night with the husband and friend, we ended up talking about the situation down in the Gulf of Mexico with BP and Deepwater Horizon. I realized that I had been ignoring the news regarding this horrific event because I knew how angry it was making me, even subconsciously. There is a very large part of me that believes that as a civilization, we will not change our ways until the damage we do is beyond repair, and this will forever change how human beings live on this planet. I guess I’m feeling a bit glass-half-empty.
As we were talking though, ideas for images started to creep in. I wanted some way to engage with my despair, but also to somehow work in that I was disconnected, distanced from reality with regards to this situation. I’m not down there. I haven’t seen anything first hand. I have roots in FL, and it terrifies me to think that one of my favorite places on earth could be damaged by this stupid accident. There are a lot of conflicting emotions. So I sat down today at the computer, and these started to come out.
More than anything, I think is my way of coping with my own perception of what is going on. Filtered and distorted through distance, emotion and a failing idealism (I used to be so naive!). Anyway, enough rambling. At this point, I think the images make more sense than the words….
Deepwater Horizon
as always, thanks for looking. comments are awesome, and welcome.
AnArtGeek 
Beautifully said, and beautiful art!
How do you make those? They’re beautiful in a twisted, horrifying way; I can feel your anger. I want to be able to express so much emotion in my art.
Your art is more REAL to me… I identify with it not only in my moments of anger but in my moments of triumph as well. it is in these two emotions that we explode deep within! Continue your art because somehow this has inspired people Seldom do we peer into ourselves and understand how feelings when transformed into an art piece gives us inner peace. Take care.
The photos are “amazing”! I guess this is the first time in my life saying the word amazing in quotations!
I am speechless, and I think this is going to be hard to solve, I just hope that this earth will continue to live longer. I just don’t understand this accident could happen.
interesting. they really do seem far away to reflect on that distance you’re creating and also anger as you said is reflecting in how difficult it is to see the nature behind those oil textures.
I love it! It is absolutely beautiful. I love the feelings behind it….I feel the same way, and it’s depicted perfectly.
Very mysterious images…Remind me of the Rorschach test…I see a butterfly 🙂 Great pics!!
http://www.wutevs.wordpress.com
Phwoar….Wow.
I must say I especially liked the one that appeared to be fiery rocks falling from a wall…It made my imagination race….
The second last two made me think of the aftermath of the spills….
The second from the top was beautiful, yet ugly. Made me think of oil distilling the top layer of water on an ocean. Which I suppose was your intention? It worked beautifully if this was the case- you do exceptionally good work considering there appears to be no “subject” on the canvas, just emotion.
http://zenanarchyfoundry.wordpress.com/
http://welcomehomecreator.wordpress.com/
I agree with your perception of the second one. I almost didn’t have to read the initial description to know that it was about the BP oil spill.
I have been feeling the same way without knowing how to express those feelings captured in your words and your work. The weight of it all. The hopelessness of human stupidity born out of greed. Thank you for releasing your work and holding this creative space. Terrill Welch
Bravo, bravo.. Beautiful art, that is. I’m impressed, really. Congrats on making Freshly Pressed!!
“I knew how angry it was making me, even subconsciously. There is a very large part of me that believes that as a civilization, we will not change our ways until the damage we do is beyond repair, and this will forever change how human beings live on this planet. I guess I’m feeling a bit glass-half-empty.”
Highly agreed. AT one time I had stopped reading the newspapers !!!
Awesome! Dude(ette).
beautiful. i particularly like DH02 and DH03. it is almost tangible, i can’t describe it. thank you.
Really cool. Awesome response to an awful situation.
You said these images came out of the computer ?
Correct me if I am wrong,and if right,I wonder how does one do this on a computer ?
Seriously,I want to know,because these images are just awesome,if you made them on your computer !
Pardon my ignorance.
Would really like to know and try some on my own too : )
These are amazing. The thumbs made me curious, your written account made me sit up and pay attention. But your pictures made it personal somehow. You know in that sense of suddenly finding a way to connect with something that had kind of seemed… detached … before. I don’t know if I’m talking about what happened in the Gulf or about art in general or simply about listening to an unfamiliar voice – but I do know I will be subscribing to this blog 🙂
Thank you for sharing, and for giving me something to think about. Your pictures are awesome!
– Rayn
http://www.scatteredrayn.wordpress.com
Striking. These paintings represent to me the way very many people feel inside when they come to me for help. A slighly abstract, non-descript, suppressed fuzzyness weighing them down. Very moving, and a credit to your ability
aloha Amy – beautiful images from a horrific human made disaster.
over time i’ve thought a lot about problems in the world that artists bring up in their work and the roll of an artist relative to the problem.
in short, i think there is a place for artists to draw attention to situations that are simply not right that humans have created. there is a point however where simply pointing out the problem isnt enough. when the issue is over pointed out i think humans can become accustomed to it and it simply becomes part of the scenery. at that point i think the next step is solution through art – or possible solutions. we are creative creatures, artists can visualize solutions and possibilities.
at this point the gulf oil issue hasnt reached over saturation other than may be in news media. it still needs attention drawn to it across the planet (imo). which i think your work is doing.
solutions and possible solutions are always welcome tho.
there is another roll where i think artists can be of value, regarding this problem/exposure/solution cycle. that is the area of hope. if the issue has been shown to the point of awareness where human beings are willing to act, then the next area artists can contribute to is hope. hope can be a part of a body of work at any stage of course.
working toward awareness, solution and contributing to hope – i see that as a valid area for an artist to be engaged in with their work. what happens to the planet happens to all of us. that’s an aspect of the human condition and a valid subject for art. there are of course many other valid areas as well.
beautiful images from unprecedented human made oil devastation – i think awareness is becoming strong, i hope sustainable healthy solutions come soon from that awareness. that people across the planet become very aware of this need for solution gives me hope. thanks for blogging these… aloha – Wrick
my perceptions: the second pic looks like an upcoming storm while the fourth one is like an explosion… the art works maybe out of anger, but are awesome…
Love them! Ironic 🙂
Beautiful post for an tragically beautiful disaster! It truly breaks my heart to see what they have done to the Earth. And its saddening even more to consider the long term effects this will have.
Stunning! absolutely stunning! =D
I really like this =) It’s very original.
Wow! It might have been born of anger, but the pictures are wonderful. Thanks for sharing them.
Thanks for sharing these pictures with us. They are awesome to me.
Like the swoops and the dark colors. Always wished I could do something like this.
Hi Amy, your post is on the home page of WordPress, in case no one has told you yet. Your images are stunning, though I don’t know the medium. I live here and am affected daily by this spill and would welcome a visit to my blog from you. I think you would particularly enjoy a post form last week called “Three Little Reasons”. I, too, chose to keep my head in the sand and limit my exposure to the bad news until it was in my front yard and I could ignore it no longer. As a business owner suffering cancellations daily, I’ve a bone or two to pick with BP about how much they owe the people who live in and off of the Louisiana wetlands. Beautiful work.
Bayou Woman
These are really cool, how did you make them?
I really like this post. I, too, am angered by this stupid accident and am upset that greed has once again ruled over. Nice photos too. Keep them up!
Very Beautiful. 🙂
Nice pictures, especially the second one and the two at the end. I know that feeling you described. Maybe it would do me good to draw or paint something when I’m angry, too. Seems a nice way to get rid of this inner pressure.
very nice images….what is the medium? As artists are obligation is to create what is around us in the world, make statements raise awareness by what we create and produce. We indeed are the visual voice when issues like the Gulf exist we have to translate that into a visual apparatus that maybe the public views as art yet the intention screams injustice…… Thanks for the images…
I likey. View mine.
Thanks for posting this… I’ve been feeling much the same way. We do not live anywhere near the ocean, but every time someone brings up the spill I just get so mad and despaired about it. But at the same time it’s so far away that it almost doesn’t seem real, but at any rate the images are really well done.
“I’ll receive bright glittery things from the dark” – laura veirs
this lyric remind me of your art…beautiful things coming from a dark tragedy. great work!
I agree with what you have said here – the anger also comes from knowing that these things just keep on happening & you feel powerless.
Beautiful images – the 2nd & 5th ones remind me of marbling – in fact when i have taught that technique to school children I’ve ended up explaining how it’s like an oil disaster- ie. oil & water don’t mix.
Oh. My. Goodness.
This is amazing. I’m a bit overwhelmed. So cool that so many people took the time to come here and look at my work. And thank you everyone for your comments and feedback. It’s almost surreal for me to realize that possibly the most visceral, un-thought-out work I’ve ever made actually translated to others. I can’t even begin to express how cool this is.
Thank you.
Being from louisiana, I appreciate this and am grateful that someone can show it. My whole life has existed fishing recreationally in Fourchon and camping along the beach. It kills me it will never be the same. As Amy Giese said, thank you. It means a lot that someone can put this into art.
Emotions Captured! You’re an artist in more ways than one. I love art, but only true artists can capture emotions. Todd Gray, a professor of art and photography at Cal State University, Long Beach, is top of the line in my eyes. I need him to take pictures of me–he captures the emotions of human beings. I ask, “Can you take pictures of me too?” Your art speaks to my soul.
Excellent. We need this kind of a response. It’s been very difficult and all over the net people are saying they have been avoiding this story. Well, it is a big one and goes straight to the heart of the matter of humans being responsible tenants on this planet. This will help. Thanks!
Really dig the hues in this. I know how you feel about the anger in this. I’m a illustrator based out of the Tampa area and I grew up on the gulf and in the water. The idea that this will impact us even though it hasen’t hit our shores is disgusting. I’ve been working on something of my own as well to express my frustration over this whole incident. Let’s hope this Top Kill thing works so it can help them focus on cleaning it up. I have friends in Louisiana that have been talking about how bad it’s been there. Makes you feel kinda lucky it hasn’t hit Florida’s shores yet.
Great job.
Ian
Sometimes we artists are hard-pressed to put our feelings into words. This post is really SO well expressed, and also so close to my own feelings, I have to say “thank you.” Oh, and congrats on the front-page feature. I was just on the front page a few days ago, and it’s a great feeling, isn’t it? Especially for you, I imagine, for being able to get your anger and frustration out there.
Am totally digging the 3rd an 4th ones. Amazing.
Beautiful pictures, Amy. I am an amateur artist, in other words, I would never post my art, but these are stunning. They almost look like photos of that unspeakable accident. Keep up the good work.
simply put, thank you.
It’s interesting how something so beautiful can be so destructive at the same time. The most recent news is that they’ve finally killed the leak, so hopefully these beautiful pictures can stop being taken (strange sentence, I know).
Wow…. Very interesting post and pictures. It’s so sad that an event so destructive had to happen. But in an odd twist… Photos like the ones posted would have never been taken and seen.
I too, avoid looking at this horrific situation except in very small, general doses.
Thank you for creating this work of art, it wasnt as hard to look at but got the point across.
Wow. Just, wow. I found this blog through the “Freshly Pressed” from the WordPress homepage. Excellent images…they express the scope and extent, and just the horror of this tragedy very well. Thank you for sharing.
-Nicole
So are these photos or paintings in Photoshop? I’d love to see your starting point or process for creating images like this. (Idea for your next post?;)
Glad to see someohne else as pissed off and worried as I am.
-Erin
Thanks so much for sharing your images. I think that art in whatever form — painting, photography, music, written word, etc. — is a powerful way of responding to powerful events. For me, your images portray the muck that is interrupting the natural beauty of water. Thanks again, and keep up the great work.
So you made those images, they’re not actual photos?
Pretty cool, you can definitely see the emotions you described in them.
Great artworks
🙂
The anger must be used in a positiv way 😉
Take care!!!
I set one of your photos as my desktop on my machine. Living in South Louisiana, this really matters more than anyone is willing to admit – even me.
Well put I must say!
I was watching a documentary on Saturn last night and one of the scientists said that maybe one day we would be able to mine the resources on Titan as it is full of fossil fuel and gases that we use today. That just made me feel sick. Not only will we completely ruin the world we have but the powers that be will allow themselves the right to travel for seven years to rape another planetary body of its resources!
Nice!
It may not seem like much to you at this point in time but what you are doing is helping bring this to the attention of so many people who are willing to shelve it in the back of their mind.
Beautiful work and thank you for reaching so many people!
That’s really cool. And somewhat awesome!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
this post is briliant , sad that had to be briliant with a subject like this .
The first is my favorite image. I love the red, in its contrast to the green. It depicts an emotion of anger that strikes throught the perception of the natural world. It makes you think. Is the natural world only bombarted by humans and their habitual actions on it? It makes me wonder, are we the problem, are we the red, and is the green the natural balance of the world. Well done.
Yikes. If I wouldn’t know what it was, I would call them extremely beautiful. Amazing how photography can show beauty even in those kinds of subjects.
THE AGE DEMANDED
The age demanded that we sing
And cut away our tongue.
The age demanded that we flow
And hammered in the bung.
The age demanded that we dance
And jammed us into iron pants.
And in the end the age was handed
The sort of shit that it demanded.
Ernest Hemmingway (1922)
If you have an idea on stopping the leak BP. is open for it. I’ve sent my idea on how we might stop this leaking well-head. As noted on the lastest news reporting it’s a containment dome that in-case’s the entire tree or BOP. I’ve posted my idea along with the form required explaing it’s fuction. http://www.futurequest.wordpress.com
If only those that “THINK” they control the world would find such a place for their ‘anger’.
Wouldn’t it be remarkably wonderous to have a “view before the ‘kill’ (?)”… To have that “kill” be
a strike of color for the rage?
I see the oil spills too, along with the destruction created by them. Very powerful!!
http://etcher101.wordpress.com/2010/05/
Awesome expression. Love them colors. Only… I wonder if you are that passionate about every bit of shit that happens in this world, or don’t have anything [really serious] to worry about.
Your work is beautiful and thought provoking. I love it when things such as art or music express what words can’t. Thanks for sharing.
wow, this is amazing! I’m going to get artsy when I get angry now! What media are you using for these?
U got talent buddy, use it well !
Wow,
One can easily perceive the anger in the artist responsible for the images.
How did you do this. You have a way with colours – I must say.
One must be naturally gifted to create something like this. Way to go….
Thanks for sharing.
Sad and beautiful! Beautiful and sad!
Thank you for sharing!
I just happened-into this, this morning, and I’m obviously not the first, and so I’ll just quickly say that I like your work so far…
It’s so cool how you vent your anger through art, a very nicely done too! I write to release steam, I used to to oil painting, but after nearly choking with the smell of turpentine, I took a break. Check out my blog at http://thereislifeinmantin.wordpress.com/
Let the creative juices flow!
Have a nice day.
nice images.
I love the oozing and drippy orange and browns in the 4th picture – embodies the slimy oil. How did you create these?
Kudos. Really.
Surely the world’s most expensive collection of oil paintings?
what a great picture you have..thumbs up for you and your article
A picture is worth a thousand words. I loathe the situation from which they were born, but really like the colours and movements.
amazing!
Especially this one…
The images, even though born out of a huge tragedy, are beautiful.
The second image looks like tornado engulfing a state from a satellites point of view… in my opinion anyway. Great renditions!
Hello there– Just a quick comment. I am equally effected by the oil seeping into our oceans. It’s devastating. I have been wondering what the hell I could do? I feel hopeless. Until I spoke with my father to get some ideas. What if we hold an Art Show fundraiser. We could give all the proceeds to the clean up effort. am an artist– I have also responded artistically.
Just this morning I was thinking art was a hopeless way to make change–but only hours later my mind has changed. My new painting is huge–9×10 feet and speaks volumes about what is happening–(different from what is on my website) and I am confident that as artists we can bring something to help.
WB
Marissa
really artistic… This is a true art..
Beautiful work! I especially like the second one down from the top!
Thanks!