Kathleen Thum
In my drawings, paintings, and wall installations, I obsessively
render a continuous line to create intertwined, tubular forms. As
I draw, I consider the effect of how the transmission of fluids and
gases, along with pressure and gravity, would influence these
imagined forms. The forms are layered, and they loosely follow
aspects of linear perspective to become networks that reference
the vast and intricate transportation, processing, and refining
systems of oil, natural gas, and water as seen in our industrial
landscape.
In 2010, I followed the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico through
live video streaming. The video image of the pipeline seeping oil
presented the earth to me as an organism suffering from a faulty
and altered system. I have since referenced the pipeline in my work
as a living, breathing entity, pulsing and growing with energy. My
interest lies in capturing the ongoing shifting of power between
mankind and the earth, as well as presenting the intermingling of
manufactured systems and biomorphic configurations.