Danger, no exit: Relationships to ‘remains’ and ‘petromelancholia’ on the landscape of the oil sands

Abstract

The article relates taxidermy to oil in the subculture associated with the oil sands in the Canadian West. Kitsch as it relates to postmodernism, and postmodernism to oil, share a sense of melancholy; an affect which is explored through the author's own practice as a visual artist and in the work of Claire Morgan, an artist from the UK. The affect of oil, and its implications as to mortality on the landscape are examined through an engagement with objects considered as ‘remains’ sourced from the local area, generally in or near the town of Fort McMurray. The author, expanding on past work, proposes a mode by which the subculture of oil workers might be engaged in environmental narratives, necessitating attentiveness to issues of class. The author's artwork describes her own personal experiences in the region and the experiences of members of her community. This article is an attempt to contextualize and elaborate on specific experiences of oil culture; the 2016 Horse River (Fort McMurray) wildfire is a focal point.