Once Upon a Time There Was Oil (Beach) 1981

Curator: Terry Setch's mixed media work, Once Upon a Time There Was Oil (Beach), evokes a sense of dread, doesn't it? Like a landscape drowning in its own sorrow. Editor: Absolutely. The muted colors and chaotic composition speak to a history of environmental degradation, almost as if the beach itself is weeping black tears of oil. Curator: I find a strange beauty in the texture, though. The way the paint is layered, almost sculptural, gives a sense of the relentless forces at play. A destructive sublime, perhaps? Editor: More like a sublime warning. Setch isn't just capturing a scene; he's indicting a system that values profit over planetary health. The title drips with a sad irony. Curator: It’s a requiem for a paradise lost, a melancholic reflection on what we've squandered. Editor: Right, and it calls us to critically examine our relationship to the environment, demanding accountability for the damage already done. Curator: It leaves you feeling… heavy. Editor: Intentionally so. The weight of responsibility, maybe?