An artist has transformed a reclaimed oil truck into a stunning green sculpture – which represents nature taking back control in a world without humans.
Sculptor Dan Rawlings, 41, has spent four months working on the intricate piece, which is now on display at the Visual Arts Centre in Scunthorpe, Lincs, in a 19th-century church. The tanker’s steel body was transformed by the artist’s freehand drawing of foliage motifs – brought to life using a plasma cutter – and is surrounded by nine tons of earth It shows a dystopian, distant-future ‘truck in the wilderness’ landscape, creating a vision of a world where man’s impact is being slowly reclaimed by nature.
Dan, from Stroud, Gloucestershire, said: “A lot of the work I do is centred around oil companies because they represent a lot of damage that’s been done to the world. “It’s not necessarily a post-apocalyptic thing but I like to think that my sculptures exist in a time after people. “The oil tanker truck represents relics that have been left behind and now nature is taking back control again, consuming it to become a natural object. “I like people to think about the future and the fact that we shouldn’t be doing a ‘buy now, pay later’ kind of thing with the environment. “We should be putting more thought into what’s going to be left in the future, if anything. “Whatever we take from nature, it always finds a way to take it back.”
The reclaimed vehicle is internally lit and surrounded by mounds of earth, oil barrels and dark mirror-like pools that reflect the church’s vaulted roof, directing one’s attention to spilt oil pools. The exhibition, called ‘Future Returns’ explores man’s manipulation and commercialisation of nature’s resources and nature’s ability to respond.
Dan added: “The plants in the sculptures are an acknowledgement that heavy industry is the root of so much in our lives. “Most of what we know and rely on grows out of it, yet so much of it remains unseen. “Despite their awe-inspiring scale, and the many lives dedicated to working in them, many people have never seen steelworks, factories or coal yards – and yet our whole way of life stems from them. “I like to bring people’s attention to that. “I’ve spent lots of time working on the reclaimed truck isolated in my studio so I’m looking forward to when people can come and see it. “I’ve been creating plasma cut pieces for around 10 years but this has been my most ambitious piece.”
The art installation can be seen from 19 June at 20-21 Visual Arts Centre in Scunthorpe. For more details, visit: https://eur01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.2021visualartscentre.co.uk%2F&data=04%7C01%7Ckachinagosling%40catersnews.com%7C94b3fee379a84dc6795508d931627727%7Cb9545708a99c44f9abe85c8d9343a12a%7C0%7C0%7C637595121249752366%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C1000&sdata=aJvgAfezljy0YLgBICP9GrG9XA6A6ZXmiXO3GQsPXqY%3D&reserved=0
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