DEATH SPIRAL-- The Price of Energy Dominance
Stephen McDonnell (Waverly, PA)
Silica sand from Wisconsin and dirt from Vermont,
48” H x 48” W x 2” D
Artwork:
McDonnell’s current artivism uses natural materials that broaden the understanding of the existential consequences of resource extraction. His painting, DEATH SPIRAL—THE PRICE OF ENERGY DOMINANCE, layers silica frac sand sourced from ≈ Wisconsin and dirt sourced from a Vermont homestead. DEATH SPIRAL—THE PRICE OF ENERGY DOMINANCE contrasts the purity of earth materials with the destructive processes of industrial extraction. The surfaces and tactile materials evoke both the geological beauty of natural processes and the violent distortions imposed by human intervention. The piece underscores the paradox of energy dominance in the era of climate crisis. His work seeks to deepen personal engagement by providing a platform for reflection and discourse. The work offers a visual critique of industrial practices and a call for greater environmental action. The accompanying FRAC FACTS detail fracking's carbon and water pollution.
Artist Statement:
Stephen McDonnell's eco-artivism uses natural materials that broaden the understanding of the environmental and socio-economic consequences of resource extraction, in particular, fracking. His tactile work layers frac sand, dirt and black shale, contrasting the purity of earth materials with the destructive processes of industrial ecocide. The work seeks to make visible the often-overlooked damages inflicted on landscapes and lives from such processes while honoring the fragile resilience embedded in natural systems. McDonnell currently lives in the heart of the shale gas Marcellus formation and witnesses the massive infrastructure that makes fracking so dangerous, through extraction, transportation and transmission, and the down-stream industries fracking supports, specifically data centers. The work includes an accompanying FRAC FACTS that detail the massive concealed carbon footprint from fracking, to deepen personal engagement by providing a platform for reflection and discourse.