Bristol-based artist Luke Jerram has announced his latest large art installation which will be on display in Bristol next year. The sculptor, who brought Museum of the Moon to Bristol and then the rest of the UK, this morning will unveil Oil Fountain.
The giant fountain sculpture which flows with engine oil instead of water, is intended to highlight how contemporary society is reliant on oil and the need to move away from this dependency. It is designed to stimulate debate and discussion about the topic and the need for action.
Not only visually striking, visitors will be met with the smell and sound of the oil falling into mirror-like pools. As well as looking different based on the lighting, surrounding architecture and visitors will be reflect in the mirrored surface of the oil.
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The sculpture has been created from used engine oil and recycled acrylic, with details of plants and animals made extinct as a consequence of the industrial revolution and humanity’s impact on nature, laser-cut into the surface. Oil Fountain will first be presented for the general public to see in Bristol in February 2023 at a date and location soon to be announced. After this, the intention is to tour the artwork to museums, city festivals and art galleries worldwide
The Stroud-born artist has been inspired by how towns and cities have traditionally been built around the presence of clean water. Water fountains were a source of safe drinking water and a meeting place for the community. Over time, they have become symbols of life, health, and also used to communicate prosperity and power.
Contemporary society is now built around the use of oil. Oil in the form of petrol and diesel is the main source of fuel for transport. People wear oil in the form of polyester and nylon fabrics in our clothing, and we even wrap our food in oil, in the form of plastic.
Just as water fountains are meeting places within a town, Oil Fountain will become a place for organisations and individuals fighting climate change to meet and discuss their work. The artist is seeking individuals to come forward and visit his artwork in Bristol before it is revealed to the public, where they will be interviewed about their views on camera, with films broadcast over the coming months.
Luke said: “We all need to do what we can to reduce our dependency on oil, help fight climate change and steer society towards a net zero future. With a climate crisis underway, I hope this artwork will act as a focal point for conversations and help stimulate debate about this vital issue.”
Professor Daniela Schmidt, an earth and climate scientist at the University of Bristol Cabot Institute for the Environment and a lead author on the recent Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report on adaptation to climate change, said: “This week, many leaders are gathering for COP27. Large promises were made in Glasgow at COP26 to end deforestation and strongly reduce emissions. Not much progress was made.
“If we do not halt climate change, biodiversity loss and address inequity, summers like the one we had in the UK with droughts and record heatwaves, resulting in deaths, crop failure, challenges to transport and energy production will become the norm.
“Imagine a world, where energy, water and food is guaranteed for all, air quality is better, and where active travel is supported. Let’s work towards this world.”
Chloe Naldrett, a supporter of Just Stop Oil, who is a theatre producer and mother of two from Bristol added: “Luke Jerram’s beautiful and horrifying new installation reveals the sickness at the heart of our society: oil flows through our lives like a river of death. We know that our dependence on it is causing both the climate crisis and the cost of living crisis, and yet, like a smoker dying of cancer, our Governments refuse to give up on the addiction which is killing us.
“My hope is that the sinister, visual impact of Oil Fountain will make it clear just how urgently we need force the transition into a world where our children have a future. Our Government needs to find the courage to immediately halt all future licensing and consents for the exploration, development and production of fossil fuels in the UK.”
Individuals and organisations with an interest in fighting climate change who want to visit Oil Fountain to be interviewed about their response to the sculpture should contact Luke at studio@lukejerram.com
All materials for the Oil Fountain artwork will be recycled again at the end of the project.
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