Kula: Cuts

The title of this painting, “Kula,” is the ancient Germanic expression for coal. Coal is one of the fossil fuels that have been essential to the industrialization of the world. The energy that is created by the consumption of coal is a source of economic progress, but also of environmental decline. For this painting, Nadia Kaabi-Linke used coal grains to create a surface of random shapes that evoke a sense of energy and combustion. She then cut the large canvas into three disproportionate panels. This interrupts the flow of the image, creating a succession of units. Once the primary source of energy, coal is now widely regarded as a contributor to climate change and is increasingly replaced by other sources.