Environmental Art

Humans are intrigued by complexity. We secretly like not knowing everything -- we like the fun in trying to figure things out. The more confusing, the better. And what is more complex than the entire world?

We try to understand the world. In my view, there are two ways people try to do this; through science and art. Yet, I also believe these two ways are intricately related.

Since the near beginnings of man, art has been a way of expressing knowledge, a way of coming to understand new places, new landscapes, new ideas, new concepts. Art is communication, appreciation, imagination...art is everywhere. Art has always been about the environment. Think about the ancient wall carvings and totem poles of the indigenous communities; how they were used to convey the feelings that group had towards the environment around them.
Art is how we express our feelings. It's everywhere; carvings, paintings, statues, graffiti, music, television, movies, architechture, stories, myths...


Humans try to emulate the beauty they see into something they can produce. Sometimes that's about domination, about taming the world in some small way -- whittling a piece of wood, making something raw into something new and pretty. But sometimes it's about appreciation, about looking at that raw piece of wood and painting it exactly as is, knowing that the complexity of it is the real beauty.

Many people see many different things. Any person in the world could look at a scene and see something different, have a different perception; but the unifying thing is that what they see is part of the world, part of the environment. We are transfixed, we are confused, we are challenged, we are terrified, we are consumed, we are inspired by the environment around us. It's all we know and it's all we don't know -- and that's the paradox we've been living with for centuries.

The concept of using then environment in our art isn't new; it's not a hippie thing, or a new, modern millenium thing. It's not brought on by war or global warming or technology (although these are things that influence our perception of the environment and art). Art, however is not simply a mirror in which we see the world. Art has always been used to put value upon the environment. But this value I speak of is not monetary or political -- it's an emotional and personal value. The artist chooses to make something and he or she puts a value on it; but the beauty of art is that each individual person gets to put their own value on what they see in that piece of art.












In today's society, where most people are knowledgeable about our actions and their global impact, it seems that more and more artforms are relating back to our primal views of the environment. Our most up-to-date paintings, movies, and music are carrying heavier themes of environmental appreciation, responsibility, and impact. I have a professor who likes to play one environmental song per lecture. He showed us this diagram. However, I feel that more and more 'envirotunes' are being made, and they're getting better! People are becoming more aware of the environment and are focusing on talking and communicating about that.


People are beginning to use art for communicating environmental issues. People have messages to convey; strong messages that urge us to once again put values on art, values on the world around us. Art can be a very powerful thing. It can start a spark of idea in our minds, help us to see things in new ways. It can be an important environmental tool. Art has been used for years as a way to influence the public. However, the emerging trend in art isn't simply environmental propaganda, in my view. A point needs to be made. And personally, I say rock on!

What's interesting is that now that art is back to focusing on the environment, it's also taking on a new edge; people are recognizing that art emulates the environment...but art is also part of the environment. People are actually using pieces of the world around them in sustainable ways to create art, such as this eco-friendly Gibson Les Paul!

So when you're looking around and living your life, be open to natural art; really think about the messages they're giving you. They can be quite powerful.

Here's your quote of the day;
"Good planets are hard to find;
Temperate zones and tropic climes;
True currents in thriving seas;
Winds blowin' through breathing trees;
Strong ozone and safe sunshine;
Good planets are hard to find..."
-- Good Planets Are Hard to Find, Steve Forbert