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Biography

Brook Reynolds is a fine art photographer based in Charlotte, NC. She has a Master of Fine Arts degree in photography from the University of Georgia. Light, Sweet, Crude is an ongoing project that began in the spring of 2007.

Artist Statement

I photograph abandoned gas stations to express my belief in the unavoidable end to our consumption of fossil fuels. These images were taken in the Southeast and document real places that are representations of the future. During this time of global instability, the price of oil fluctuates in response to changes in supply and demand. Fossil fuels are not a renewable resource, so the supply will not be able to keep up with demand forever. This will have a direct economic impact on those who are most dependent on this valuable commodity, but eventually everyone will be a victim of this addiction. Emissions from fossil fuel consumption contribute to global warming, which endangers the entire planet.

These desolate structures are evidence of the environmental impact that already exists in our communities. Once viewed as familiar places that served a vital function, they are now toxic sites that remain vacant because it is so difficult to clean them up. Photography’s realism is used to depict abandoned gas stations’ dilapidation and emptiness, emphasizing the inevitable failure of the current system and raising awareness that we are in urgent need of change. We are all dependent on each other and our individual actions do affect the future of our world. Nature will renew itself as long as we give it a chance to heal, and we can be a part of that healing process by searching for ways to live in harmony with the environment.