Carolyn Oberst

on

Save The Earth

Artists respond to the climate crisis



Carolyn Oberst


Endangered Birds, oil on shaped canvas, 44" x  32", 1995


Endangered Sunflower, oil on shaped canvas, 22" x 20", 1995


    "For many, the wakeup call came in 1989, when the Exxon Valdez spilled 10.8 million gallons of crude oil into the pristine Prince William Sound in Alaska, killing at least 140 bald eagles, 302 harbor seals, 2800 sea otters and 250,000 seabirds within a few days. It decimated the commercial fishing industry and Alaskan Native Americans lost their source of food.     After collecting information about the onslaught of endangered species, I created a series of paintings to call attention to these devastating environmental issues. The canvases are cross shaped in order to amplify the message. For me, the cross shape is a signifier of seriousness and urgency.     Resistance to the work then was due to the subject and the cross shape, so these works have not been shown that often. Some were included in a show curated by Paul Bridgewater, “Consumption of Paradise”, 1992, shows in the 90’s in Vermont and Maine, and most recently, in 2016, “In Harm’s Way”, at Central Booking Gallery, NY, NY.     Given that Art at First has no objection to the cross shape and is aligned with the on-going message, I’m especially pleased to have two of my “Endangered Species” paintings included in this show."


Carolyn Oberst
Website: https://www.carolynoberst.com/

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