John Tweddle’s Vision from Oklahoma more forcibly expresses ecological concern. The border that conforms strictly to the rhomboid format of his painting should be closely examined. Its symmetry is crowded with incident, and each symbol of corruption is painted, and overpainted, with evident relish. At the top, the eagle, a national bird, is flanked by bombs, and in both corners are military aircrafts. On the sides, a pair of derricks pump oil. At the bottom the exhausts of a car, a truck, and chimneys belch dollar signs. Tweddle’s unhappy allegory is painted with good humor. But even his cartoon imagery cannot dispel the narrative’s apocalyptic import.
William S. Lieberman
The Metropolitan Museum of Art
mid-1980s
