#western flag

[julianajohnsonphoto]

Western Flag, John Gerrard – Desert X

March 2019

instagram: @juliana_johnson

[arsgratiaartist]

John Gerrard

«Western Flag» 2017

[modernrecollections]

“Western Flag” (Spindletop, Texas) 2017 by John Gerrard depicts the site of the 'Lucas Gusher' - the world's first major oil find - in Spindletop, Texas in 1901, now barren and exhausted. The site is recreated as a digital simulation and placed at its centre a flagpole bearing a flag of perpetually-renewing pressurised black smoke.

[santome]

John Gerrard's "Western Flag"

[minowly]

John Gerrard,

Western Flag

[kropotkindersurprise]

John Gerrard - Western Flag

[thisobscuredesireforbeauty]

[aperion]

Western Flag (Spindletop, Texas) 2017 depicts the site of the 'Lucas Gusher' - the world's first major oil find - in Spindletop, Texas in 1901, now barren and exhausted. Gerrard has recreated the site as a digital simulation and placed at its centre a flagpole bearing a flag of perpetually-renewing pressurised black smoke. The computer generated Spindletop runs in exact parallel with the real site in Texas throughout the year: the sun rising at the appropriate times and the days getting longer and shorter according to the seasons. The simulation is non-durational (having no beginning or end) and is run live by software that is calculating each frame of the animation in real time as it is needed.Commissioned by Channel 4 for broadcast April 22nd 2017, Earth Day and presented in partnership with Somerset House. Live presentation at Somerset House, Edmond J. Safra Fountain Court, WC2R 1LA London.