Opening Reception and Artist Talk – Charlie Milgrim: Crude Futures

Image: Charlie Milgrim, “Crude Futures #1”, 2026, used motor oil on paper, photo Bri Cheng

Twenty-five years ago, in the shadow of the September 11 attacks, Charlie Milgrim searched for a way to confront the deeper forces fueling global conflict. She turned to the very substance that was a catalyst in those struggles: oil. With a bowling ball as her brush, she rolled long lines across thick paper with used motor oil, setting the “landscapes” in motion. Over the decades, the contaminants in the motor oil slowly seeped outwards, its unpredictable spread mirroring the drifting, uncontrollable nature of an oil spill. Time became an important collaborator in the piece, shaping its quiet but constant transformation.
Now, after more than two decades, the oil has left an indelible stain—much like the omnipresent residue of oil spills that continue to haunt the environment. Despite the rise of renewable energy over these same years, the politics surrounding oil remain largely unchanged. The work stands as a reflection of that persistence: a grim reminder that the world still grapples with the long shadow of oil dependency, its consequences rippling through our present day wars.

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