Artist: John Gerrard

John Gerrard is an amazing artist I came across a few months ago who's work strongly advocates conservation in one of the most unique and awe-inspiring ways I've ever seen. His work is entirely digital, but uses the medium to its fullest potential in depicting photo-realistic, virtual environments that live, playing before you in real time. The description quoted from his website of the piece titled "Oil Stick Work" (first image) really puts this ambitious method in perspective.

"'Oil Stick Work (Angelo Martinez / Richfield, Kansas) 2008' is a virtual sculpture that depicts a solitary aluminum corn silo on the austere landscape of the American Great Plains. At daybreak, in real time, Angelo Martinez, a Mexican-American builder, arrives at the silo and carefully creates a black square on the exterior of the structure with an oil stick crayon. Within thirty years, working a six-day week from dawn to dusk, the building will be entirely coated, transformed into a dark object on the landscape. In 2038 the Martinez character will complete his task and leave the scene."

The piece relay's the concept of the passage of time astoundingly, and brings to light how deeply rooted oil has become in all aspects of our society, namely in food production. This problem is further emphasized in "Grow Finish Unit," (below) a similar piece that portrays a fully automated pig production plant in detail that is both striking and horrific. It reminds the viewer of the sinister process behind such factories, machines which essentially breed pigs from oil, pumping the waste into the surrounding environment.

Gerrard's use of time sends tingles down my spine, and I think every time I've read about his work I've honestly become one step closer to becoming vegetarian, and it's this type of influence that I want my work to have. Gerrard has an opening at the Hirshhorn on Nov 5th, can't wait!

http://www.johngerrard.net/index.php?Homepage