Texas Southern University

          The Rape of Mother Nature was created by the artist Earl S. Jones during his time as an art student at Texas Southern University in 1978. This mural, situated within Hannah Hall, serves as a striking visual commentary on the environmental challenges facing society during that era. Jones' mural employs a unique blend of abstract and surrealist techniques to convey its message, using geometric shapes and an almost cubist composition. The backdrop of the mural features elements of industrialization, with an oil derrick to the left, and the unmistakable outline of power plant exhaust stacks emitting toxic fumes. At the center right of the mural is the figure of Mother Nature as a naked woman. She is ensnared by a twisted rope or pipe, which leaks sewage. Her expression evokes a sense of silent suffering in the face of environmental degradation. Behind her, or encircling her head, is a glimpse of a faded field of crops - perhaps a memory of the previously agricultural use of the land. Mother Nature’s figure on the right hand side is symbolically a tree with its branches sawn off - portraying the violence of industrialization. Yet, Jones also motions towards hope of nature returning: at the bottom of the mural, where Mother Nature’s feet would be, there is a small green growth of a plant, symbolizing new life. Additionally, a fetal figure nestled within her stomach represents the potential for regeneration and renewal.

          In 1973, Middle Eastern oil-producing countries imposed an embargo on the United States in response to its support for Israel during the Arab-Israeli conflict. In Houston in particular, private oil companies seized the opportunity to increase their investments, leading to a surge in oil production and exploration activities across Texas. Houston emerged as a central hub for the oil business, attracting a wave of new workers to meet the escalating demand for oil across the country. This influx of workers reshaped the city's population and communities, and, in the places where oil drilling took place, irrevocably altered the landscape. 

          Earl Jones's latest artistic endeavor involves crafting wooden sculptures in Galveston, Texas. Known for his environmentally conscious approach to art, Jones lent his expertise to the project of renewing Galveston neighborhoods following the destruction of Hurricane Ike in 2008, contributing his creative vision to the transformation of fallen trees in the East End Historic District into beautiful works of art.

Learn more:

GALVESTON.COM: Tree Sculpture: "In His Hand" - Galveston, TX

This program is made possible in part by a grant from Humanities Texas, the state affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities.