Oil/Blood Spill

At Rockefeller Center

  or

White Man's Unburdening

 

I see oppressive Power as a monstrous beast, fostered by a consumerist economy, devouring the resources of the world through it's obscenely abusive consumption.

Since last fall, I have had a vision of a black mass of crude oil tainted with blood clots.

It is being spilled in a big splash right in front of the "Atlas" statue at Rockefeller Center.

Ideally I would do a live performance at Rockefeller Center, using my manufactured fake oil and blood. But in the current political climate, it may be a problem to get the permit for this from NYPD.

On May 15, 2004 I staged a live performance (see title above) in my studio in Red Hook, Brooklyn: An oil barrel was lowered from the ceiling by roper on a pulley system, to coincide with the "burden" of the Atlas, which was projected from a beamer. A mime performer was also coinciding with the body of the Atlas statue. I executed the spill myself by ripping open the lid of the barrel.

This was accompanied by music performed by 3 rock musicians on a podium, and strobe lights flickering over the "studio stage", The whole thing took about 10 minutes. On the studio wall, I had pasted a long list of corporate war profiteers.

Madeleine Hatz

The title White Man's Unburdening is referencing Kipling's poem White Man's Burden.

Studies for "Oil Spill".

Snapshots of Rockefeller Center with drawing.(October 2003 Hatz)

White Man's Unburdening "Oil Spilling at Rockefeller Center".

(Photos May 2004 A. Miranda)

Aftermath of "Oil Spill" performance. (May 17, 2004 Hatz)