The Oil Celebration Chandelier is inspired by the economic sprawl and impact that the oil and fossil fuel industries have on Houston Texas and across the midwest of the US. In a land where everything is spread out and far apart and driving is the only way to get anywhere, the dependency on these fuels is essential. Working in the oil fields or trucking are two of the easiest ways to make a good living in Texas. These occupations are also good ways to suck up all your time, adversely affect your health as well as the health of the planet.

While living in Dallas, my studio landlord worked in the oil fields. As with anyone I knew that worked in that industry, he worked continuously for weeks at a time before having a few weeks off. During the time off, he had money to spend and would party around the clock. This life of excess is shared among not just the workers, but with the executives such as Aubrey McClendon, former owner of Chesapeake Energy. Known as one of America’s most reckless Billionaires, McClendon died in a high speed accident with his gas guzzling SUV.

This life of excess isn’t totally unwarranted. We are addicted to fossil fuels. The petrochemical industry seen around the sprawl of Houston is evidence of that. Some of the largest steel structures ever built are made to extract oil from the ocean as floating cities. The energy brings power, excess, and wealth sucked directly from the earth itself. Fracked out of the ground, its extraction becomes increasingly detrimental to the planet as this limited resource is depleted from a culture that has grown to depend on it.

With every day we are living off the remains of the dinosaurs, using the energy locked within them to propel ourselves forward. An unsustainable celebration that has moved us forward and defined our time.