"Worth the Price?" Fluid Acrylic Triptych 2' X 6'

Worth the Price? (Mississippi River) by April M Rimpo (Click on the image to see it larger)

Worth the Price? (Mississippi River)
Fluid Acrylic Triptych
24" X 72"

$3800

On exhibit at the Pocono Arts Center April 6 - 28, 2018

Recipient of the
"Ka6 & Girard Lichty Climate Crisis Award"

I remember as a young teen being aware of how badly our environment was suffering from various pollutants: in the water, on the ground, in the air. Our family had a small power boat and would occasionally go on the Connecticut River and my father would pull my brother and I with the boat, while standing on a wide board designed for "surfing". It was great fun, but I remember how badly the water smelled and how I couldn't wait to get home to shower afterwards. 

It was not many years later when new laws required major cleanup of our waterways and reductions of the pollutants spewed into the air. When I was in my late teens the problem of DDT impacting the strength of eagle eggs was in the news along with worries about the fate of our National Bird. DDT was a commonly-used pesticide for insect control in the United States until it was banned in 1972 by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Now we see so many EPA regulations being canceled and I worry about the fate of our planet.

A recent trip to New Orleans was a subject of great inspiration. The music, the food, the art were all so beautiful and such a joy to experience. However, we also took a ferry boat cruise on the Mississippi and when it neared the delta we began to see huge refineries along the river. The shift in sceneries from the beauty of the region to these refineries was startling. I had been thinking about doing a painting about protecting our environment for an upcoming juried exhibit, titled Art of Engagement. 

When I saw the refineries I knew what I wanted to paint. For me it brought to mind the question of whether our country was abandoning alternate fuel initiatives and ignoring the problems of too much carbon monoxide emissions. How much will the corporations and states decide to honor our planet and do their best to continue to reduce emissions? So far many States have stood up for the Paris Agreement, so time will tell. 

I found this quote by Edward Abbey and decided it was time for me to create this painting. These words may have been written about 50 years ago, but maybe even more true today.

“It is no longer sufficient to describe the world of nature. The point is to defend it.”  

See more about the creation of this painting here.

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