Drum Roll
A computer-generated animation depicting a totemic structure composed of numerous mass-produced, rusty, and faded orange, yellow, and blue steel drums, endlessly rotating and oscillating on its axis, alluding to a multiplicity of cultural connotations, ranging from oil politics and environmental concerns to global economics and its reliance on oil.
The dawn of the modern petroleum industry traces its origins back to the mid-19th century when Jan Józef Ignacy Lukasiewicz, a Polish pharmacist, revolutionized the field by discovering how to distill kerosene from crude oil. This invention led to the creation of a novel industry that replaced whale oil with kerosene as a source of lamp oil. The resulting demand for kerosene prompted Edwin Drake, an American businessman, to pioneer a new drilling method and commence oil production in Titusville, Pennsylvania in 1858. Drake's success resulted in the establishment of several oil boom towns along Oil Creek, and within a few years, the entire region was producing large quantities of oil daily.
With the abundance of refined oil being produced, an efficient means of storage and transport was required. Initially, a variety of containers of varying sizes were used, leading to unregulated dealings between buyers and sellers. Eventually, the wooden barrel, commonly used for whiskey, proved to be the most suitable option due to its large size and tightness. However, these barrels varied in size, leading to the adoption of the forty-two-gallon barrel as the standard unit of volume for oil sales in the 1860s. Currently, the numerical measurement of oil production is still based on the barrel, typically composed of steel or plastic, highlighting its significance as more than just a container.
Year: 2018
Medium: Computer-generated animation, color, sound
Resolution: 4k, 3840 x 2160 px
Duration: 00:00:60, 30 fps
Direction: Jason Mena
Animation: Jason Mena
3D Design: Jason Mena
Dimensions: Variable
Editions: 3 + A/P