Artists respond to the oil boom

Arts | January 21st, 2015

Michael Conlan, Bounty, 2013, Backlit photograph, wheat, wood, and gold leaf, 144 x 96 x 96 in. Courtesy of the artist.

By Austin Marts

Oil, roughnecks and … art? Oh my! The oil industry and art community collide as the Plains Art Museum teams up with 22 nationally, regionally and locally known artists, including three artistic collaborations, to interpret the oil rush that has put western North Dakota on the map as second in the nation in oil production. This show, opening Jan. 29, invites you to take into consideration the impact that the recent oil boom has had on the lives and land of western North Dakota.

In explaining the relevance of having artists respond to an industry like oil, Curator Becky Dunham referred to a quote from an instructor she had in college simply defining art as “man made, original and indicative of the time, place and people in which it was made.” This isn’t just an exhibition about an oil boom; this is a current and globally recognized topic, visually encapsulated through the eyes and experiences of artists.

Molly McLain, Gold Boom/Critical Habitat, 2014, Mixed media on canvas. 8 x 10 in. Courtesy of the artist.

The theme for this show derives from an article from the New York Times covering the boom in early 2013. Accompanying the article was a series of photographs taken by nationally established Minneapolis-based photographer Alec Soth. When Dunham contacted Soth in regards to bringing his work to the Plains, he made it clear that he did not want it to be a one-man show. She then had to face the challenge of finding artists with work relevant to the boom.

“I was surprised at how many artists said yes,” Dunham said. “They all seemed to be very interested in responding to this issue.”

Some artists she had reached out to not only said yes, but referred her to others who may have been interested in getting involved as well. Soon she had 22 artists and three collaborations willing to exhibit their work alongside the museum’s permanent collection “Oil and Water.” Some have been working on projects related to this theme in the past, and some have even created new work specifically for the show.

Along with Soth, artists such as Elise Forer, Wayne Gudmundson, Kent Kapplinger, Molly McLain, J Earl Miller, Susan Williams and many others will show their work. “Bakken Boom!” will also feature some short documentaries by Minneapolis and Williston-based Cheddar Factory, as well as the site-specific installation “Road to Williston.”

Alec Soth, North Dakota Went Boom series, 2013, printed 2014, Pigment print, 20 x 15 in. Courtesy of the artist.

“The artists didn’t feel like they were in competition with other artists,” Dunham said. “I have never experienced that before.”

Every artist involved has their own views, experiences and opinions when it comes to fracking and oil production, but in that, they all share the same passion for this topic.

Every month, along with the initial exhibition, the Plains will host “community conversations” that will help to get the community talking about the various issues that go along with the oil production in western North Dakota. She said this groundbreaking exhibition is a first, and it will open up the topic through art in a whole new way.

“This is my first project that I have worked on from beginning to end ... I want to get people talking,” Dunham said.