A play on the concept of the Gold standard, Michael Mandiberg has created the Oil standard Firefox plug-in, skewing web pages by replacing dollars with their equivalent price in barrels of oil.

As Oil standard reveals, there is an alternate reality whereby oil replaces gold as the standard by which we trade goods and currencies. Ironically, a lightness of touch is added to the sinister realism of it all. Almost as if Oil standard serves to sugarcoat the subject in hand, yet at the same time it manages allow the issues that we usually ignore, to seep back into public consciousnesses.

Within the turbulent context of the war’s in the Middle East and the environmental damage of excessive oil consumption and production it’s refreshing to find a piece of work that can be read as both context and site specific. On the website, Mandiberg provides information about excessive oil consumption and its rapid depletion, which also indicates his motivation for creating the work. Though the plug-in does not literally reference the instability in the Middle East, in making no explicit connections to oil and war, it’s hard to read this work without referring to these 'real time' events, that are locally and globally effecting all of our lives, whether interests are related to political, humanist, monetary, ethical or environmental concerns.

The seamless integration of the plug-in not only acts as a visual aesthetic, but also retrieves oil related news from across the Internet. The prices are derived in real-time, rising and falling depending on the fluctuation of the commodities exchange. In a subtle way, there is a questioning or critical, creative observation and inquiry of the Internet, as clusters and networks of consumption, which reminds me of Mandiberg’s previous work such as Shop Mandiberg, an e-commerce site set up to market and sell all the belongings owned by the artist.

Though Mandiberg is now developing context specific versions, dealing with UK pounds and Japanese Yen, it can seem almost futile. The concept can be understood whatever the currency. Using dollars reflects the fact that all oil is traded in the currency, it’s also a significant symbol of the world's most influential and dominant superpower, highlighting its muscle and influence regarding economics and current affairs around the globe.

Despite Oil standard reaching audiences who may usually understand art as, a non contextual or social experience, it leaves me with mixed feelings. It’s a piece of work that can be read with multiple interpretations. On one level there is the educational aspect, which can be used as simple technical resource, as a tool. Yet it also acts as a social and political commentary at the same time. Mandiberg has purposefully left his true intention out of the equation and perhaps rightfully so, making a piece of work about oil is always going to draw attention to so many different, yet connected issues. Most people will include their own subjective perceptions whether it's war, environmental damage or money. However, its limitation is that it's too easy to forget. The double edged sword for this work is that, it may be too accessible and immediately realized, as well as being vague at the same time. So, for those who want something a that is a little bit more involved, there’s always the fact sheet.