This past summer while studying abroad in London, I took a day trip to the infamous Stonehenge, a structure that was built and has remained since the BC times. I was excited to see this marvelous creation but my plan was hindered when I heard that Just Stop Oil protesters had sprayed orange paint all over the landmark in a fight against new oil and gas licensing. The stones no longer looked as they do in all of the glorious and beautiful pictures online, but are now orange and destroyed. This begged the question of whether these protestors were brave and making a strong case or going way too far by temporarily destroying and shutting down a historical landmark that thousands of people visit every day. Is it necessary to go as far as this? Why aren’t these protestors simply just making flashy posters and taking to the streets? In a PBS interview titled, “Why activists are targeting famous art to protest climate change,” an oil protester named Emma Brown explained that signs and posters no longer grab the attention of individuals and they needed to do something shocking to the public to raise awareness of their concerns.
Other artworks these protestors have targeted are the Mona Lisa, Van Gogh’s Sunflowers, and Monet’s Haystacks. The activists of Just Stop Oil have been targeting artwork for several years now in an attempt to get us to listen. The cause that they stand for is to fight against climate change and their concern is that it is not anyone’s, including politicians, top priority. By attacking infamous artwork all around the world, Just Stop Oil activists are begging people to ask themselves whether the lifestyle that we currently all live is worth harming the Earth for. By attacking items that are viewed as historical treasures, climate activists are forcing viewers to think about how important climate change is to them. These attacks on art are not permanent and no artwork has been destroyed, instead, the artwork is temporarily detourned for the sake of protesting.
Experts and reporters have been questioning whether these attacks on artworks actually do anything. Evidence shows that viewers are actually angry about the extent that these protesters are going and in turn are not supporting their cause. The message is not being received and instead is being taken a completely different way.
Lastly, I want to question whether these protesters are creating art themselves. Throwing orange paint onto a giant stone sculpture is using detournement and therefore is art in itself. This activist artwork is grabbing the attention of people whether it is positive or negative attention. Viewers are forced to stop and look and ask themselves questions about what the artwork means. In this case, the orange paint expresses the use of oil and how that is further causing climate change and needs to stop.
