Artwork copyright Sal Guastella. Photo courtesy of Washington State Arts Commission, 2016.

Artwork copyright Sal Guastella. Photo courtesy of Washington State Arts Commission, 2020.

Valdez Tragedy, 1989

Sal Guastella
(American, born 1950)

Location: Shoreline School District, Shoreline

ABOUT THE ARTWORK

Artist Sal Guastella created Valdez Tragedy in response to the 1989 Exxon-Valdez oil spill disaster on the southern Alaska coast. It is one of the worst oil spills in U.S. history and an estimated 11 million gallons of oil eventually spilled into the ocean. Valdez Tragedy portrays the oil spill's impact on the natural environment.

Choosing to document feelings of outrage and helplessness through this artwork, Guastella notes "I think it is great to paint things that are beautiful but as an artist I also think I have the responsibility to document, in a creative way, the sad part of life." The artwork is a layered construction of cardboard, wood, paint, and other materials that repeat a scene with an animal standing in the middle. It is also heavily patterned and dotted with small, threatening symbols such as skulls and crossbones. Oil drips like rain on each scene, and progressively becomes thicker and more conspicuous until the scene, the animal, and the colors are reduced to shades of brown.

This artwork was acquired for the State Art Collection in partnership with Shoreline School District.

ABOUT THE ARTIST

Florida-based artist Sal Guastella creates three-dimensional constructions out of cardboard, wood, paint, and other materials. He uses a colorful and cartoonish style, and often includes animals in his artworks.
Guastella was born in Havana, Cuba, and came to the U.S. at age nine. In 1978, he received a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from Florida International University and went on to work in advertising, illustration, and sign painting. Through his art, he fulfills “a need to express my feelings, either in a positive or negative visual manner.”