British-Trinidadian writer-artist team unveil Iconic COP image slamming Big Oil
On 27th October the acclaimed British-Trinidadian visual artist Zak Ové and the Costa award-winning Caribbean-born novelist Monique Roffey released a scorching poster evoking the return of paradise after the collapse of “Babylon”, represented as the oil industry and the powers that stoke it. Created by XR Writers Rebel, the image forms part of their street presence during the COP summit in Glasgow, and will appear on posters around the UK and on social media.
Writers Rebel is a group of writers allied with Extinction Rebellion with the aim of putting literature in the service of the environment. www.writersrebel.com
Liz Jensen from XR Writers Rebel says: “At Writers Rebel we believe that culture can be a dynamic force for change. This project embodies that belief. We hope that this will become one of the iconic images at COP26 and beyond, and serve as a reminder that we can only be good ancestors if those in power act now, decisively, to keep oil where it belongs: in the ground.”
The poster was launched the day before the CEOs of ExxonMobil, BP, Chevron and Shell are questioned In the US Congress about what members call a “long-running, industry-wide campaign to spread disinformation about the role of fossil fuels in causing global warming”.
The latest WHO report warns starkly: "The burning of fossil fuels is killing us…causing millions of premature deaths every year through air pollutants, costing the global economy billions of dollars annually, and fueling the climate crisis."
Monique Roffey says: “Just 90 companies around the world are responsible for two thirds of our greenhouse gases. Coal, oil and natural gas are being produced by 83 of these companies. The oil industry has been destroying our planet since the late 19th century. We’re at Code Red for humanity. Big oil has to stop.”
Monique Roffey is the award-winning author of seven works of fiction and non-fiction. Her latest novel, The Mermaid of Black Conch, won the 2020 Costa Book of the Year. www.moniqueroffey.com
Zak Ové is a British-Trinidadian visual artist who works in sculpture, film and photography to reclaim old world mythologies in new world source materials and technologies. www.vigogallery.com
The poster was designed by Ebon Heath - an acclaimed graphic designer based in New York. www.Listeningwithmyeyes.com