This Earth Day — which is Saturday — Metro Art reflects on the photographs of artist David Emitt Adams that is part of the Metro Art Photo Lightbox Series, a temporary exhibition program.  

A series of large-scale photographs printed on discarded 55- gallon oil drum lids contemplates the social, political and environmental landscape of the American oil industry.

The creation of this series comes at a time when global energy consumption has reached a critical mass and the foreseeable impacts of our changing climate are prevalent. The photographs reveal the industrial landscapes that have shaped our present way of thinking and living around these issues. 

Ride Metro’s buses, trains, bike share and Micro for FREE on Earth Day THIS SATURDAY and view this series of photographs at Wilshire/Normandie Station.

“Photographing the sublime landscape of the American oil industry results in objects that are transformed into meditations on the history of photography as well as the history of this industry–all in the context of the current climate that surrounds our energy consumption.” – David Emitt Adams 

About the Artist 

DAVID EMITT ADAMS (b.1980) obtained his Bachelor of Fine Art from Bowling Green State University and a Master of Fine Art from Arizona State University. David’s photographs have been exhibited nationally and internationally including Phoenix Art Museum, Roswell Museum and Arts Center, Chrysler Museum of Art, Museum of Fine Arts Boston, Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art and Portland Art Museum. He is a recipient of an Arizona Commission on the Arts Research and Development Grant, the Clarence John Laughlin Award and Puffin Foundation Grant. His work is in the permanent collection of the Center for Creative Photography, Santa Barbara Museum of Art, Museum of Photographic Arts San Diego, Ogden Museum of Southern Art, George Eastman Museum and Worcester Art Museum as well as numerous private collections. 

View more of Emitt’s photographs on the Metro Art website. 

About the Photo Lightbox Series 

Initiated in 2001, the Metro Art Photo Lightbox Series is a program that produces photography exhibits to engage a broad range of Metro riders on their daily commute. Lightbox displays are comprised of photographic transparencies sequentially arranged on internally illuminated boxes installed at the following Metro stations: 7th St/Metro Center Station, Hollywood/Highland Station, Universal/Studio City Station, Vermont/Beverly Station and Wilshire/Normandie Station. 

About Metro Art 

Metro Art enhances the customer experience with innovative, award-winning visual and performing arts programming that encourages ridership and connects people, sites and neighborhoods throughout LA County. A diverse range of site-specific artworks are integrated into the growing Metro system, improving the quality of transit environments and creating a sense of place.    

Follow Metro Art on Facebook and Instagram, and sign up for the Metro Art email list to learn about upcoming art opportunities, events, exhibitions and more!