Naked Science Forum
General Science => General Science => Topic started by: blacksquare on 13/07/2010 10:44:19
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hi all,
i'm a visual artist seeking to obtain a very small amount of crude oil (30 litres) for a project/exhibition in 2012.
so far i have been in contact with two refineries and have had no luck.
if you know of any means in which i could bypass the refineries/large mega distributors in Australia/Sydney please let me know.
i'd even opt for a back of the truck routine. send me a discreet email if need be. javascript:void(0);
there has to be a way!!!!
and chocolate syrup mimicries just won't do....
cheers,
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hi all,
i'm a visual artist seeking to obtain a very small amount of crude oil (30 litres) for a project/exhibition in 2012.
so far i have been in contact with two refineries and have had no luck.
if you know of any means in which i could bypass the refineries/large mega distributors in Australia/Sydney please let me know.
i'd even opt for a back of the truck routine. send me a discreet email if need be. javascript:void(0);
there has to be a way!!!!
and chocolate syrup mimicries just won't do....
cheers,
Would it work in your benefit to mix roofing, tar 10w 40, little other petrolium products and some mud and water and boil is all together? Or Help clean the southern coast in the Gulf in the USA.
.Just an Idea.
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If you do get your hands on 30 litres of crude, and it is in an open container the more volatile components will evaporate giving a strong petrol (gasoline) type odour (odor) which is toxic …
Robert Emery, vice president for safety, health, environment and risk management at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, concurred. “Certainly uncontrolled exposure to crude oil could be potentially hazardous,” he told Healthday.
Already, there has been an uptick in people along the Gulf Coast complaining of symptom like headaches, nausea, coughing and throat irritation. These symptoms are typical when oil vapors are inhaled.
According to the NRDC, inhaling various components of crude oil, such as benzene, toluene and polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons, presents risks. All are known carcinogens.
http://www.newsinferno.com/archives/20318
BTW Will the galleries’ fire insurance be adequate for your incendiary artwork ?.
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Someone has to say it.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deepwater_Horizon_oil_spill
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The tar, oil and such would be good, and then you can mix in some sulphur to make heavy non sweet crude. Just remember this is not going to be healthy stuff, and would probably be best kept in a sealed glass vessel, or vented to external atmosphere somehow.
Good luck on the project, post a link or photos of it here when complete.
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Apparently it's already been done : the oil is sealed in transparent plastic moulds ...
Russian artist Andrei Molodkin has explained how his latest exhibition uses crude oil to raise questions about cultural dominance and global communication.
Molodkin's latest exhibition, entitled Sweet Crude Eternity, is currently {2006} on display at the Kashya Hildebrand gallery in New York.
Many of the exhibits are created using plastic to create hollow moulds which are then filled with crude oil. They include sculptures of Jesus Christ and the Virgin Mary, internal human organs, and words such as "Democracy" all containing oil
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/4724810.stm
Hope he used the type of plastic which doesn't dissolve when exposed to hydrocarbons.
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Thanks for the responses.
Tommy - thanks, but a mock crude oil would really be the last resort.
RD - thanks for the warning. i am well aware of all the hazards associated with crude oil. i will be working in controlled environments to produce the work and i am factoring all safety requirements into the exhibition space as well. they will feature as part of the exhibition.
SeanB - thanks, but as i mentioned to Tommy, a mock crude oil is the last resort. And ye, caution is factored into the exhibition and production of the work
RD - I'm aware of Andrei's work. It's good stuff.
I take it no one knows where to get crude from though...?
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I take it no one knows where to get crude from though...?
source of crude oil samples ... http://www.onta.com/ (30 litres seems like a big "sample" but they may be able to oblige).
Richard Wilson* has filled an art gallery with (used sump) oil ...
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http://www.saatchi-gallery.co.uk/artists/artpages/richard_wilson_2050.htm
[No not Richard "I don't believe it !" Wilson (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Victor_Meldrew)].
Unlike crude there won't be much volatile stuff in used sump oil, so not so nauseatingly or carcinogenically smelly.
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Maybe you can search the internet for people selling Tar from places like the La Brea Tar pit or Pitch Lake in Trinidad. When I was at the La Brea tar pits, I remember I could have bought some, but only a small amount, not 30 litres :)
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Can't you find a crude oil salesman?
Pssst! Anyone want to buy some "oil" then, eh? Know what I mean? Wink wink, nudge nudge.
Sorry - Could not resist it!
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I agree with SeanB - get some bitumen, some diesel oil, some alcohol, a hand full of sand,bubble some gas through, and then mix and serve. Crude oil is a very flexible term btw, the variation in colour, viscosity, composition, smell etc is huge. They pump stuff out of the ground in Algeria that is almost clear and flows like water, whereas in some wells in the USG/GoM you can cut the crude with a knife.
Unless your installation is a commentary on the destructive nature of crude oil exploitation I would be very surprised if a series of begging letters to Oil Co.s wouldn't do the trick. All the large Oil Co.s love any publicity that isn't sea-bird related (BP are majors sponsors of the Tate in UK).
My experiences of BHP have always been good - I would recommend contacting head-office pub-rel rather than refineries. Most of the Oz crudes are quite light and sweet (ie lower density and less sulphur) and flow easily.
You could also pretend to be a science teacher - try and blag a litre here and there for demonstrations in class. Matthew