Fueled by fear

Original Art by Iker García Barrenetxea
2014
Ink on paper
30 × 42 cm
 
About this piece
 
Originally titled Global Financial Crisis, this piece has been retitled Fueled by Fear to reflect a more timeless perspective on cause and effect, and on how fear continues to influence behavior, conflict, and geopolitics.
 
This drawing depicts a figure refueling a car at a pump labeled “Fear.” The absence of eyes adds a subtle sense of unease, reinforcing the atmosphere of uncertainty. Nearby, road signs point in opposite directions—“everywhere” and “nowhere”—suggesting that when fear becomes the dominant fuel, direction loses meaning. Fear implies a cause—something or someone driving it—and, like gasoline, it powers behavior, conflict, and geopolitical maneuvers, making the piece strikingly relevant today.