Oil Riggers Shack
Oil Riggers Shack
Signed Print
Bob Dylan
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59 x 76cm, Edition of 295, Screenprint
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Meaning & Analysis
Based on a frame from the Orson Welles film Touch Of Evil, this print shows oil derricks rising like metallic sentinels against a fiery sunset sky, their industrial silhouettes in direct contrast with the small shack and vast open natural space below them. Created in 2017 as a signed screenprint from an edition of 295, this work finds poetry in America's relationship with its industry, technology, and energy infrastructure.
Oil Riggers Shack tells a story about America’s industrial identity - specifically, how it integrates with daily domestic life in a way that is simultaneously unexpected and in total balance. The composition's strong perspective lines guide viewers along the road into the scene, establishing a sense of journey and discovery that aligns with The Beaten Path collection's exploration of movement through American landscapes. The smaller shack and cars, and the detail of the “Royal Crown Cola” advertisement, seem to mirror the tall, narrow, almost scratchy lines of the rigs above them.
Dylan's choice to paint this scene at sunset adds a poetic dimension, suggesting perhaps the twilight of the old industrial era, in favour of more modern technological advancements and consumer culture, while also highlighting its unexpected beauty. The work speaks to oil production's profound impact on both America's landscape and economic development, representing both progress and tradition. Although not set in a specific location, every detail in this piece, from the age of the visible cars and the architecture of the shack to the setting sun, suggests a distinct and unique moment in time that will, eventually, be lost.