‘Ghosts of the Gulf’: Art, ecology and the legacy of Deepwater Horizon highlighted at Moody event

At Rice University’s Moody Center for the Arts a live beekeeping demonstration, an Arctic soundscape performance and a hands-on drawing workshop invited visitors to explore environmental change through art March 8. The latest installment of the Dimensions Variable series, inspired by the exhibition “Breath(e): Toward Climate and Social Justice,” brought together artists and environmentalists responding to climate change in creative ways.

Among them was Louisiana-based artist, biologist and environmental educator Brandon Ballengée, whose series “Ghosts of the Gulf” reflects on species lost to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. Now on view as part of “Breath(e),” the haunting fish portraits painted with crude oil sourced from the Gulf highlight the upcoming anniversary of the disaster.

“Ghosts of the Gulf” reflects on species lost to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. (Photos by Brandi Smith)

“Even 15 years later, we’re still trying to understand those impacts,” Ballengée said. “We’ve still seen populations of fishes and other wildlife in the Gulf impacted as well as human communities that continue to be affected.”

Considered the largest oil spill in human history, the Deepwater Horizon accident released an estimated 210 million gallons of oil into the Gulf of Mexico over 87 days. While the most visible damage has faded, much of the oil remains beneath the water’s surface.

“An estimated 100 million gallons is still in the Gulf of Mexico from that one spill,” Ballengée said. “People are still recovering from health impacts or unfortunately haven’t recovered at all.”

As the spill’s anniversary approaches, Ballengée’s work urges viewers to consider what still lingers — not just in the Gulf but in the lives of those who depend on it.

“A lot of folks lost their family businesses of shrimping,” he said. “That’s a multigenerational change. Ecosystems changed and so did people’s livelihoods.”

Louisiana-based artist, biologist and environmental educator Brandon Ballengée created “Ghosts” using oil collected from the Deepwater Horizon spill itself.

Ballengée has spent years tracking endemic Gulf Coast fish species that have seemingly vanished since 2010. Working with fisherfolk and shrimpers, he has conducted citizen science efforts to locate these species. When they failed to reappear, he turned to his art, creating “Ghosts” using oil collected from the Deepwater Horizon spill itself.

“I mixed it with Corexit, the dispersant used during the spill to literally sink the oil,” Ballengée said. “What Corexit does is dissolve the oil’s fatty molecules, breaking them up, so they sink rather than float, which is not great for trying to get the oil out of the Gulf of Mexico.”

The same chemical process that kept the spill largely out of sight also shaped Ballengée’s materials. He blended the Corexit-treated oil with ethanol, transforming it into a watercolor-like medium, which he used to paint the missing fish.

At the Dimensions Variable event, Ballengée led visitors through a fish-drawing workshop using preserved Gulf specimens to teach about adaptation. Attendees sketched fish with large eyes, sharp teeth and varying fin shapes, noting how each species evolved to fit its environment. Ballengée encouraged them to apply that same thinking to human communities facing climate-related changes.

At the Dimensions Variable event, Ballengée led visitors through a fish-drawing workshop using preserved Gulf specimens to teach about adaptation.

Guests were also treated to a beekeeping demonstration led by the Houston Beekeepers Association. This component was inspired by the work of artist and fourth-generation beekeeper Garnett Pruett, also on view in “Breath(e).” His “apisculptures” are made in collaboration with bees that build honeycombs on the metal armature he creates.

Adding to the artistic offerings, the Moody hosted a screening of music videos by Matthew Burtner, an Alaskan sound artist who records the melting Arctic ice fields and turns them into compositions.

“Burtner’s images are both musically compelling and a reminder of the themes of our current exhibition around climate change and social justice,” said Alison Weaver, the Suzanne Deal Booth Executive Director of the Moody. “I hope visitors enjoyed a day of education, painting, inspiration, beekeeping and music as a means of thinking about these themes.”

“Breath(e)” will be on view until May 10. Learn about upcoming events inspired by the exhibition at the Moody here.