Boley Blog

Boley Blog: Artist Meghan Kirkwood's Photos at Boley- Video Recording of Artist Talk Now Available

Explore Orphan Wells of Caddo County, Lousiana, with artist Meghan L. E. Kirkwood. Her photos look at the aftermath of oil and gas development in America and the environmental impact wells have on the surrounding areas.

Kirkwood is a photographer who researches ways landscape imagery can inform and support public conversations around land use, infrastructure, and values towards the natural environment. Kirkwood has a BFA in photography from RISD, an MFA in studio art from Tulane, and a PhD from the University of Florida. She is currently an Assistant Professor of Visual Arts at Sam Fox School of Visual Arts and Design at Washington University in St. Louis.

Orphan Wells, Caddo County, is a 24 photo exhibition spread throughout Boley Law Library and Wood Hall. It explores abandoned or "orphan" wells in the oil rich area around Oil City, Louisiana. The series looks at the ways these orphan wells interface against the verdant, rural landscape of small communities and natural areas in northwestern Louisiana. The area contains large swaths of pine forests and Caddo Lake, a 25,400-acre water body, and bayou on the border between Texas and Louisiana. These photographs explore the range of wells abandoned within Caddo County: some display a characteristic pumpjack beneath tangled vegetation while others contain only a small wellhead visible in a backyard or downtown area.

This exhibition considers the complex relationship rural areas have with natural resource extraction industries. Many residents value a history of oil and gas development as part of their heritage and identity, while others worry about the environmental impact. Their feelings are not uniform and Kirkwood seeks to honor these contradictions with her work.

The exhibition will be on display through December. Dr Kirkwood joined us on November 16th via Zoom to discuss her influences and her work in Caddo Parish. Please feel free to watch the Zoom video recording of the discussion. For more information on the artist and her other projects, see her website.