Abstract
This artwork relates to the territory because it directly addresses a specific region’s environmental and ecological concerns, likely the Amazon rainforest. It uses the oil medium, which is strongly associated with the exploitation and environmental impact of the oil industry in the Amazon. The title, “When the River Ceased to Be a River and Became Something Else,” suggests a transformation or degradation of the natural environment, which is often a result of activities related to territory and resource extraction, such as oil drilling. The imagery of humans on the river and one figure seemingly drowning highlights the impact of these activities on the local communities and the environment, emphasizing the interconnectedness of the artwork with the Amazonian territory.
The woodcut titled “When the River Ceased to Be a River and Became Something Else” is a work created with oil on llanchama. This piece conveys a sense of an Amazon river’s depths and surface. The texture and density of the oil used in the image add an element of ecological reflection. Upon observing it, one can identify human figures lying on the river, while another figure appears submerging, evoking a feeling of suffocation. The image calls attention to the importance of preserving rivers and, more specifically, the detrimental effects of oil exploitation in this region.
