The Skeeter Daddle Diaries

This past week eco-activists protested the fossil fuel industry by lobbing tomato soup at Van Gogh’s ‘Sunfowers’ in England’s National Gallery.  Their purported goal was to demand a halt to all new oil and gas projects so when they finished glopping Vincent’s iconic painting then they superglued their hands to the museum’s walls.  The tomato soup was Heinz brand, which was too bad when they could just as easily have splashed Campbell’s, channeling the Warhol silk screens, possibly giving credence to some smattering of legitimate art criticism along with their environmental concerns.  The Van Gogh was protected by glass so no real damage was done to the painting.  Heinz got some free advertising and the protestors were hopefully hauled off to remedial art classes.

“Are you more concerned about the protection of a painting or the protection of our planet and people?” one of the protesters asked.  Well, as a so-called artist myself and a lover of tomatoes too, I can try to speak for my fellow planet killers to say, gee, I don’t really know.  If the choice is between Vincent and the death of the earth, I might go with Vincent.  If it’s between Warhol and a can of soup, I’m with the soup.  So … kind of a hard call if you’re lumping all art against the extinction of life as we know it.  At least for me.

Now maybe if the eco-activists had superglued themselves to a gas pump and asked which I preferred, driving my old pick-up vs. the slow broil of the planet, now, that would give me some pause.  I suppose I could hitchhike into town for my supplies.  You know, if it would save the Earth.  I’m selfish, I realize, but not that selfish.  Although, don’t ask me to move into town.  Stanwoodopolis is not my idea of life worth living.

What does seem certain is that sooner, not later, the generations following ours are going to demand some real action on our part, not lame excuses.  Maybe the painters can use water based paints, not oil, and okay, it’s not a great leap forward for mankind, but hey, we could show we care.  Somehow, though, attacking art seems a bit misdirected, kidz.  Just saying, even if I am prejudiced.  Next time trash a guitar.  Or burn books.  But don’t use gasoline.  We got enough hypocrites in my generation, we don’t need more from yours….

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