Art captures global issues

“6 Billion Perps Held Hostage” Artists Address Global Warming Various artists The Andy Warhol… “6 Billion Perps Held Hostage” Artists Address Global Warming Various artists The Andy Warhol Museum 117 Sandusky St. North Shore (412) 237-8300

Something is occurring on a global level. Although we are aware of the change, we are not aware of the change. Sound paradoxical? It’s called global warming, and it’s the biggest transformation that’s occurred since human civilization. It’s here and there, and maybe because it’s everywhere, global warming has just slipped into the background.

“6 Billion Perps Held Hostage! Artists Address Global Warming” will be on exhibit at the Andy Warhol Museum through June 17. The exhibit addresses several factors that contribute to global warming – U.S. policy, carbon production in the food industry and power-hungry corporations -explored through textiles, videos, paintings, drawings, inflatables, photography and music.

Works by Andy Warhol, The Yes Men, Preemptive Media, Jay Critchley, The Institute For Figuring, Hugo Kobayashi, Trevor Paglen, Marjetica Potrc, Cai Guo-Qiang, Greg Kwiatek, Bobby Pickett and Horseback Salad, Steffi Domike-Suzy Meyer, Ann Rosenthal and Bob Bingham are included in the feature.

Andy Warhol’s “Death and Disaster” paintings and “Endangered Species” prints are displayed along with the works created by the contemporary artists, juxtaposing the effects of disaster in the media in the 1950s and 1960s to the effects of media today. Warhol’s “Seismograph,” on view for the very first time, was inspired after a major earthquake struck Italy. The piece shows how Warhol reacted to a natural disaster several decades ago and links his reaction to the reactions of artists today against natural disasters spawned by global warming.

The Yes Men present inflatable orbs with an absurd appearance in “SurvivaBalls.” The “SurvivaBalls” are defense mechanisms of Mother Nature intended to ensure the safety of corporate managers through built-in communication systems and nutrient-gathering capacities. The Yes Men are known for exposing large corporations and leaders who put profits ahead of everything else by impersonating executives at conferences.

Activist Jay Critchley also makes a statement in response to Cape Cod’s unrestrained development, traffic congestion, water degradation and air pollution with his project, “Martucket Eyeland Resort and Theme Park.” Critcley’s plan includes wind and solar energy and an advanced power plant. His “eyeland” also includes Traffic Jam Carbon Club, Chapel of Our Lady of Nuclear Options, the Vanishing Oyster Bar and Grill, and the Climate Change Casino ‘ Sweat Lounge.

Bright coral reefs are exhibited in display cases next to Critchley’s project. On closer inspection, the viewer finds that the coral reef is actually crocheted. “Crochet Coral and Anemome Garden,” created by Margaret Werthelm, Christine Werthelm, Barbara Werthelm and Sarah Simons, is a crocheted coral reef mirroring the Great Barrier Reef. Human activities – including development in coastal areas, pollution and over-fishing – have caused these delicate coral reef ecosystems to degrade.

In a room by themselves are Cai Guo-Qiang’s video documentations and gunpowder drawings. “Black Rainbow: Explosion Project for Valencia” and “Clear Sky Black Cloud” may seem out of place at first because the primary medium used in both works is gunpowder. Guo-Qiang documents explosions in the sky, producing black clouds of charcoal. The black clouds suggest heat-inversions occurring in cities such as Los Angeles and Donora, Pa.

With the visual and physical evidence of global warming confronting us daily, the “6 Billion Perps Held Hostage!” exhibit captures the epidemic from an engaging and unique perspective.