Why the fuss? Well, Drury named the installation ‘Carbon Sink’, which is not only clever name but also a direct smack against the face of Wyoming and how it earns its keep. The art piece represents how the burning of coal is changing the climate which is making the beetle population overgrow which is making them kill trees which leaves dead trees all around. You follow? Mining coal = killing trees. Clever, Drury.
But with Wyoming being one of the biggest coal mining states in the United States, the state’s politicians and mining industry are accusing the University of Wyoming of “ingratitude toward one of its main benefactors”, which some see as a veiled threat at killing funding. As of now, there aren’t any plans to uninstall the art piece and though the state Reps aren’t happy, they’ve said they would “never tinker with the University of Wyoming’s budget”.
So I guess, Carbon Sink is doing what art is supposed to do. Raise discussion! Make people mad! Look great! [Chris Drury via NY Times, This Is Colossal]
Mark
Tuesday, July 26, 2011 at 3:50 PMLove it
Terry
Tuesday, July 26, 2011 at 3:59 PMhmmm.
I suspect some in Wyoming may have had a sensitive nerve touched upon.
Brilliant piece of artwork.
Franz
Tuesday, July 26, 2011 at 4:27 PMIn Australia we call this sort of thing rubbish.
Scott
Tuesday, July 26, 2011 at 5:34 PMCare to elaborate?
jjase
Tuesday, July 26, 2011 at 6:32 PMspeak for your self. mate.
Scoon
Tuesday, July 26, 2011 at 6:32 PMThat’s why people think we’re a bunch of bogans
Nort
Tuesday, July 26, 2011 at 7:35 PMOh Franz, you sound like Pat.
Doug Orchard
Tuesday, July 26, 2011 at 10:06 PMI’m Australian and I classify that art. Personally having a background in visual communication I might see this different then most however your comment is a rather uneducated and racist point. Australians other then yourself have an education and admire the human ability to push ones thought process by the means of expression. I just released that you wouldn’t be able to understand that so, your comment is stupid and you need to go back to school.
Steve
Tuesday, July 26, 2011 at 6:24 PMHurray for lobbyists and special interest groups.
Coal Miner
Tuesday, July 26, 2011 at 8:47 PMhaha.. I wonder how those logs were made? With the aid of some sort of coal generated electricity? and look at those clothes, they were probably made on a machine made of steel (coal) using electricity (coal)… and i’ll bet he used an excavator to dig that hole, thats a shit load of steel (coal)..
That’s 4 parts coal to 1 part hypocrite.
Shane Kerr
Wednesday, July 27, 2011 at 12:28 PM100% agree!
SpazM0id
Wednesday, July 27, 2011 at 1:48 PMHere is the justification to Frantz’s comment. I’m all for self-expression, but Why-T-F is something like this coming out of a University’s budget??
Instead of getting shit done, we’re throwing money elsewhere, and saying we’re ‘making a difference’.
Yeah, I’m mad, bro.
Scott
Thursday, July 28, 2011 at 1:30 PMActually No. Coal Miner an Shane, the fact that coal does contribute in some way to all the the things that you list is not a justification for blindly continuing to use it without reviewing the validity if its continued use every now and then. There are many educated voices stating the need to look for replacements. I am not saying they are right. I am saying your argument is invalid. Using such justification doesn’t further your cause in the eyes of those looking at the big picture. Its like saying we’ve always done it this way so we should continue to do so.
And SpazMOid, Your ranting. If you are all for self expression then this should not upset you. It is a clever piece of work that is actually pleasing to look at, does not portray anything that is offensive and has a genuine degree of social conscience behind the artists actions. “Instead of getting shit done bla bla bla.” – you could say that of any artist’s efforts. And universities are the very place you would hope and expect to see things like this. In fact as far as public art work goes this looks like it would have been relatively in expensive.