Wednesday, July 11, 2007

Bhopal Ink Wash Drawings.

This is a series of ink wash drawings I did for an Environmental Science class project on the 1984 MIC gas (methyl isocyanate) disaster that happened in Bhopal, India. A pesticides plant in the heart of the city (owned by Union Carbide and currently owned by Dow Chemical) malfunctioned and released approx. 40 metric tons of this gas into the city, killing 3,000 people and in the coming years, another estimated 15,000 to 20,000. Neither Union Carbide nor Dow Chemical have given proper compensation nor cleaned up the site. Although these images aren't necessarily accurate, I wanted to choose a sequence that would help sum up the event and its history. The third image shows Warren Anderson, the CEO of the old Union Carbide Corporation, who still has homicide charges against him from Bhopal.

10 comments:

Nancy Swan said...

It is encouraging someone remembered. U. S. school children have been injured by same chemical since 1985. The U. S. doesn't want you to know that.

Onsmith said...

Thanks for checking out my blog. I was unaware of the issue of MIC gas in the US. I'll look into it. Thanks again.

C. Cilla said...

Thank you for some of the most depressing comics panels I have seen.

Bob Flynn said...

nice series of illustrations...sad indeed. But thoughtful, and your brush work is really tight.

Mondgucker said...

A very good work!

Onsmith said...

Thanks guys! Yeah, it's a bit depressing and when I presented these drawings (along with slides and notes) to the class, there were several who thought the same thing. At least there was a sense of outrage amongst them as well, so it was nice to inform them of something they hadn't heard of before.

justin b. williams © 2008 said...

These are great.

Onsmith said...

Thanks very much Justin!

Anonymous said...

That’s a Very good illustration, Onsmith. I love you work you did on that story. What was happening there is so sad. It’s not understandable that in minutes 40 metric tons of the gas spread into the city, killing 3,000 people and then more 15,000 to 20,000 people estimated. It is a crime that neither Union Carbide nor Dow Chemical have given proper compensation nor cleaned up the site. What a scorn in human’s life. I’ve also heard about what happened in the U.S too. Another depressing story as well.

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