The Black Gold Tapestry is a visual telling of the history of oil. (Photo Courtesy Ross Lavigne)

By Chris Brown

In the art gallery

Esplanade’s Black Gold Tapestry visually tells the history of oil

Jun 25, 2021 | 3:09 PM

MEDICINE HAT, Alta., – Medicine Hat’s history with oil is well-documented, but how much do you know about the world’s history with oil?

Currently exhibiting at the Esplanade, The Black Gold Tapestry is a 60-metre or 220-foot hand-embroidered work that tells visually the history of oil.

Artist Sandra Sawatzky says she’s long been intrigued by the story of oil.

“We’re living in a time where everybody has opinions and it’s a very divided story. And I thought ‘what are the facts around this story? Where did this story begin?’ And we don’t know where it’s going to end but it’s an odyssey and it’s part of our world,” she said.

She says until the Industrial Revolution, the history of oil was a slow-moving one. It took off when coal needed to be replaced.

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“Oil came along it became this huge juggernaut. And with energy, you can do almost anything; you become very powerful,” she says.

The tapestry begins with the dinosaurs and ends with wind turbines, which require oil for their materials and construction.

“I think you have to come down here to the Esplanade and take a look at this tapestry because it’s a fun way to look at how the world has changed,” Sawatzky says. “It’s a world history, it’s a history of fashion, it’s a history of machines, it’s a history of ingenuity, it’s a history of war. All these are factors that, energy, oil, coal, gas, have all had impact on how we conduct our human lives.”

Sawatzky says she worked on The Black Gold Tapestry for nine years and somewhere between 16-17,000 hours, or about 65 hours a week.

The piece is comprised of eight panels and totals about 60-metres or 220-feet in length.

Esplanade staff will lead public presentations on the tapestry Saturdays between 1-3 p.m. beginning on July 3. If you’d prefer to check it out yourself, the Esplanade is open Tuesday to Saturday from noon to 5 p.m.

You can take a 3D virtual tour on Esplanade’s revamped website.

The Black Gold Tapestry will be at the Esplanade until Sept. 4.