Rick Keen with Danos. His sculpture  "Top Hat".

 

I built this ceramic art piece in the first weeks of the spill. In the five years since it was fired, it has been in my attic and it was this morning that I brought it down to share with my ASSE safety professionals at today’s meeting. The Acadian ASSE President, Damian, took the pictures and wants to place them and a brief explanation on the Acadian ASSE website.  

 

I call it “Top Hat and To Do” (pronounced doe).  

 

As you may recall, in the early days of the spill, we heard the term “top hat” reported in the press as a means to control the flow of oil. This has been used in the Oil & Gas Industry as a spill control device and is represented in my art, the largest piece, a man’s top hat (blue).

 

The top of the hat, I have painted a green valve with a tip of black strips representing black rubber cleats to grip the valve face and adjust steam, and red handles. Behind the handle is what may be a (green) hose with spiral wire- reinforced to remove the hazardous/flammable oil to a tank.

 

Also, on the brim of the hat, I placed eleven (white) arrows which represent those killed during the explosion.   

 

I don’t feel the piece is complete. Perhaps eleven plates with personal symbols for each victim. Each plate may have a hole in the center and can be stacked under the top hat. Or, during static display, each plate may be placed on a wall around the center piece “Top Hat/To Do”.