Kenneth and Irene

Oklahoma's early inhabitants lived surrounded by a mix of plains, rolling hills, forests, and rugged terrain. Life was all about the land back then—farming, hunting, and living off nature. But when oil was discovered, everything shifted. Oil derricks started popping up everywhere, and farmland began to disappear. With the oil boom came a sharp divide between wealth and poverty, a division that has left its mark on the people and the state even to this day.

Steampunk sculpture with gears and metal elements on a white background

Abstract sculpture composed of stones, metal rods, and wire.

Cubes with vintage black and white photographs of children printed on them.

Abstract sculptural artwork with a mechanical structure featuring gears, a blue sphere, cubes with human faces, organic elements, and a dark circular base.

Black and white photo cubes with vintage images of children.

This project began with two metal structures resembling oil derricks. Inspired by the idea of objects at unusual angles, I connected them using springs and copper wire. The structure became a display for a photograph of relatives who grew up in a rural area impacted by the oil boom. To add dimension, I mounted the photo on blocks linked by wire. Within the derricks, I showcased the transformation of the landscape from natural to industrial. A heavy metal base provided stability for the entire piece. 16Hx5Wx11D