ChevronToxico

ChevronToxico Stephanie Wirt, 2012

(Acrylic, wax, wire, sticks on wood panel)

      


     Patty Bode wrote in 

 The circulatory system of oil contamination, visual culture, and Amazon indigenous life. In E. M. Delacruz, A. Arnold, M. Parsons, and A. Kuo, (Eds.), Globalization, art, and education (pp. 269-277). Reston, VA: National Art Education Association.

 about her art educational experience with the indigenous Secoyan people of the Amazon.  While she discussed how she was inspired by her students to take action, I was inspired by the plite of the Amazonian people.  Essentially - "In an Ecuadorian court Chevron was found guilty of environmental harm due to their dumping of billions of gallons of toxic waste into the Amazon rainforest and water supply creating lethal consequences for the indigenous people and their environment.  While this is the first time ever Indigenous people have won a court case over an international company, Chevron contends that the ruling is illegitimate and vow not to pay their penalty." (Wirt, 2012)


     Reading Bode's article instigated my search for more information about the devastation caused by Texaco's (later acquired by Chevron) oil drilling there and resulted in the creation of a new artwork called ChevronToxico.  (24"x30" Acrylic, wax, wire, sticks on wood panel) I have uploaded an anotated bibliography to my professional website that includes more information about the oil contamination in the Amazon and contemporary artists working with environmental issues.  Here's a link to it. wirtartalk  Ill write more later about the artwork shown above.

Needing More Experimentation Time

November 7, 2011

When the expected skill level of the students is not the reality what do you do? You extend the media experimentation time.

Students need time to experiment with various media before they can choose which to use to express their idea.  My Advanced Art class continued their paint media exploration today.  I’m working the curriculum I wrote last year, but that curriculum was written for the advanced art student.  I have a split class this year.  The students who had me for Art III are prepared for the level of instruction and art creation expected from an advanced student.  But a have at least 1/3^rd of the class that does not have either the artistic skill or the creative skills that they should have in this type of course.  So I am having to rethink my expectations and approach to instruction.  I had not planned on spending 2 weeks in exploring watercolor, acrylic and oil.  Rather, the plan was to go straight to oil.  I have too many students in this class that don’t understand paint enough to begin a painting in oil.  What I’ve decided to do is allow time for experimentation in the three painting media and then allow students to choose which one they are most comfortable with to create their final artwork.