Sprays, Dusts & Aerosols: A Chemical Revolution

Between 2011 and 2014, artists Henrik Sundqvist and David D'Orio created several pieces inspired by the world of pesticides and industrial food cycles.

Three hand blown glass bottles , titled Spray, with printed labels and cast aluminum sprayer nozzles.

Spray
2011-13, 4'' x 4'' x 12'' (w/h/d) per bottle.; edition 3.
Cast aluminum, engraved hand blown glass, paper, etching, wire

Three cast glass bottles , titled Spray Morped, with printed labels and cast aluminum sprayer nozzles.

Spray Morphed
2011-13, 4'' x 4'' x 12'' (w/h/d) per bottle; edition 3.
Cast aluminum, engraved hand blown glass, paper, silkscreen

Secen aluminum casted spray cans with white hand blown glass bottles depicting engraved molecular patterns of pesticides in silver leaf.

Cloud, Cloud, Cloud
2013, 6'' x 15'' x 15'' (w/h/d) per bottle and sprayer; size varies slightly; edition 7.
Cast aluminum, engraved hand blown glass, silver foil

Installation of 12 silvered and engraved vessels with large red sprayer.

Green Revolution
2013, 2ft x 3 ft x 2 ft per vessel with sprayer; edition 12
Silvered bottles, engraved, metal, wood, paint

controloutofcontrol 1

Control — Out of Control
2012-13, 2 x 4 x 12 inches, per bottle, edition 140
Beeswax, paper, silkscreen
Size of installation varies.

About the Project

Herbicides, insecticides, neonicotinoids, fungicides and the list goes on. Has the use of chemicals helped modern society increase productivity? Has it helped protect crops, pollinators and livestock? Have they helped protect human health and the environment? Or have these creations had unintended consequences?

These artworks explore an alternative version of the world of chemicals, industrial food cycles and the effects of their usage on our surroundings. Combining printmaking, mixed media sculpture, metaphors, and narratives, the work explores ideas around protecting, destroying, and controlling nature and examines the world of corruptive forces such as market economies, politics and greed. Who profits from these chemical applications and who bears the burdens of their unintended impacts?

About the Collaboration

Printmaker Henrik Sundqvist and sculptor David D'Orio collaborated between 2011 and 2018 under the alias Sam Arbete — a fictitious character derived from the word ‘samarbete’ in Swedish, which means collaboration. Sam enables D’Orio and Sundqvist, who work in different media, to explore ideas together, merging their distinct styles into thought-provoking installations, prints and sculptures which blend both 2D and 3D elements into a seamless experience.

Better living through chemistry
The idea of “better living through modern chemistry” has made its way into popular culture primarily because we are made believe that science and scientists can find the answers to all the problems that confront us.
The artwork alludes to themes of trust, control and the meaning of truth.