Can Art Save the Earth?
Both curators and art creators are re-examining the relationship between art and environmental protection. Perhaps the growing environmental problems are already being felt in an authentic way. By looking at art history and classic works from an environmental perspective, we can see that these paintings document the past, present, and future. The following are some of the paintings of land, disaster, and anthropology.
"The Crucified Land," by Alexander Hogue (1939), will be on display at the Peabody Essex Museum’s exhibition "Nature’s Nation: American Art and Environment."
Judy Chicago, Stranded, 2016, kiln-fired glass paint on black glass.
Her latest series, "The End: A Meditation on Death and Extinction," debuted at the National Museum of Women in the Arts in Washington, DC. As the climate warms, polar bears are having a hard time finding icebergs to survive. The painting symbolizes "climate change and the exploitation of the environment which is now greater than nature can withstand." Maybe one day, humans too will become thin and weak and lose their homes...
Reflection Questions
1. Choose an art form you like to create a poster for the protection of the Earth, such as painting, photography, sculpture, and performance art. Any form of creativity like surrealism, realism, or abstraction that makes a statement is welcome.
2. Find a piece of art and reinterpret it to reveal the truth of the natural world.