Health and Environmental Humanities Artistic Expression Portfolio

The Students of HUM2020

Health and Environmental Humanities Artistic Expression Portfolio by The Students of HUM2020 is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, except where otherwise noted.

This book was produced with Pressbooks.

Contents

- STUDENT EXAMPLE: Audre Lourde – Environmental Poetry

- STUDENT EXAMPLE: Land Art – "Our Place"

- STUDENT EXAMPLE: Native American environmental art, dance, and choreography

- Nicholas Giddings- The Environmental Humanities Artistic Expression of Pablo Amaringo

- Michelle Franco- perspective on environment

- Bruna Passanante - Environmental Impact Photography

- Jess Baker - Guerrilla gardening

- Alessandra Capasso- The Moss Lawn

- Kaitlyn Cirullo- Ocean Pollution

- Bradley Post - Landscape Photography

- Kayla Marcantonio - Pablo Amaringo: "Man and Earth through Visions"

- Stanislava Melnyk - Animal Rights Activism

- Kalin Glesner - Trash to Treasure

- Yahav Shany

- The Beauty of African Environmental Dance - Alyisia Spaulding

- Aleah Smith - Alexis Rockman: "Environmental Dystopia"

- Jean C. Corraliza, Urban Food Garden, Influence and Beauty

- Bradley Post - Landscape Photography

- Isabelle Geiger

- Hannah Green- Sculptures: Recycled Art

- Lauren Lehman

- Jenna Dempsey

- Reilly Turner- Architecture: Individualism and Collectivism

- Case Eastman - Environmental Sculptures and Paintings

- Jevonte Stewart- Chicana Art

- Kevin Milakovic

- Caleb Peterman- Ephemerality: The philosophy of Goldsworthy Land Art

- Fouad Braimoh

- The Living Pyramid- Social Ecology

1

STUDENT EXAMPLE: Audre Lourde – Environmental Poetry

“Audre Lorde Quote” by UNARMED CIVILIAN is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0

“Nine Creeks’s spring” by Benny Feng is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

“coal mine set” by foundin_a_attic is licensed under CC BY 2.0

Preface: Hi, my name is Alyssa Schroeder and my portfolio is on Audre Lorde’s environmental poetry and how it connects mere existence to actually living. The licensing I will be using is Attribution CC BY. [CC BY 4.0]

Introduction: In my portfolio I hope to shed light on Audre Lorde’s beautiful poetry and how her use of environmental perspectives mirrors the image of society. Lorde’s poetry and environmental poetry in general is important tool used to bring together the dirt of the Earth and all that resides on it. Such poems with the environment at the forefront tend to hold much deeper meanings, as in Lorde’s case, she utilizes her poems to speak on the civil and social injustices plaguing the society at the time.

Themes: There are two themes that take place within Lorde’s environmental poetry. First, the obvious use of Earth (and its flora and fauna) as a representation to tell of the injustices faced by minorities in America. She uses the changing of seasons as a showing of the demise of rights and equality in society. She never shies away from the fact that such cruel, tortures, lynchings took place amongst the trees and nature scenes. Second, the reclamation of nature to mirror the reclamation of equality. The danger posed to nature is the same that is posed to man. Lorde shows that nature is a source of inspiration and motivation and as that dwindles so does man.

Analysis: I chose three images to represent Audre Lorde’s environmental poetry, the first being a woman holding up a sign with a quote from one of Lorde’s poems as a form of peaceful protest at a rally. This image all in one shows the tenacity of Lorde’s words and how these poems that rang true some 50 years ago, still to this day hold even greater meaning. The second image is a photo of flowers blooming in the ripe of spring. This image is to hold a visual representation of the image Lorde painted with her poem “Second Spring”. In this poem Lorde talks about not ever being able to know another spring, almost saying that the “dark ages” are now upon us. The flowers in full bloom, the sun shining down showing the innocence and purity of the spring we used to know, as Lorde says. The third, and final image is a photo a coal mine, this images holds a visual representation of Lorde’s poem “Coal”. In this poem Lorde explores and exudes her identity as a black woman and she uses “Coal” to give a voice to all African Americans. The image seems as such a dull, bland scene, but it is only Lorde who would be able to make coal into a revelation for activism and self-acceptance.

Application: It is a complete understatement to just say Audre Lorde’s poetry is important. Audre Lorde’s poetry is, was, and will always be imperative to the understanding of social and civil injustices and how they have played a role in the destruction of man and the environment that surrounds. With her poetry Lorde is able to perfectly encapsulate the idea of nature intertwined with man and uses that to show how such injustices are universal. She uses her writing to convey the turmoil of the time through the expression of nature and the natural world. Lorde gets straight to the point of truth and fights for what she believes in, her poetry has told generations and generations to come a story of hardship that we can only overcome by coming together.

2

STUDENT EXAMPLE: Land Art – "Our Place"

Our Place

Spiral Jetty by Robert Smithson

Towards Nature by Nils Udo

Woodline by Andy Goldsworthy

Preface: My name is Javier Saumell and this portfolio is titled “Our Place”, I will be using a CC BY-NC-ND creative license in this portfolio.

This portfolio titled “Our place” is about Earth art (also referred to as land art in some instances) and the way it affects the audience allowing them to recognize their place on Earth. One way Earth art is especially important to me is through the fact that the medium used in this art is the land itself, giving the artwork a completely different feeling and sense of scale. Earth art is also typically done with an environmentally friendly approach so that after the installation is complete, nature may take over the work and restore the land to how it was before. The artists and works that I will be addressing in this portfolio are Robert Smithson, Andy Goldsworthy, and Nils Udo. These artists all have made earth works that allow the audience to realize their presence in nature and immerse themselves.

Two themes that my portfolio will be addressing are experiencing nature, as well as our place in nature. The first theme of experiencing nature is present in the land art of the artists that are represented in this portfolio. These works draw the viewer to the nature around them and fully immerse them in the experience. The second theme, the audience’s place in nature, is equally important since it allows the audience to reflect on the work and realize that they have a place in this world, that it is not just them on this earth and that they should respect it accordingly.

The first image is of Robert Smithson’s Spiral Jetty in Great Salt Lake, Utah. This work uses black basalt rocks and earth from the site to form this counterclockwise 1500 feet long spiral offshore into the water. This spiral resembles the space of a galaxy especially since space was one of Smithson’s inspirations at the time due to the moon landing having happened recently. This, in turn, contributed to the desire for the audience to experience a sense of smallness while walking through this spiral. The second image is of Nil Udo’s installation Towards Nature. This artwork uses 4 earth ramps going into a tree in the center to symbolize our unconscious link to nature. This artwork was meant to symbolize the gap between humanity and nature and attempt to bridge the two together, making humanity more conscious of their link to it. The third and final image is of Andy Goldsworthy’s Wood Line, this work is located in a large Eucalyptus grove in Presidio, San Francisco. This work fills a space in this grove with curving eucalyptus branches that were taken from projects where trees needed to be removed. This piece was created with the intent that it allows the audience to let these branches “draw” the flow through the space, as well as eventually the eucalyptus branches will go back into the ground and back to nature.

Earth art such as the works discussed in this portfolio are important because they give audiences a non-conventional way to connect with the environment through contemporary art. Unlike art forms that point out things wrong with the environment to acheive awarness, earth art does this through giving the audience connection with nature which leads to the realization that they are not alone on this planet. Which draws another reason of the importance of earth art, the fact that this is achieved through ecological means that do not harm the environment but rather are made with the intent of letting nature take over and allowing the piece to take back its place in nature. The earth art in this portfolio was made with the intention so that we as a society may understand our place in nature and respect it as so.

3

STUDENT EXAMPLE: Native American environmental art, dance, and choreography

The work of Rulan Tangen centers around using dance to express a Native worldview and to inspire younger generations. Tangen has gone to many colleges and Native communities to teach people the art of dance in a way that will allow them to experience Native culture. During her career, she created a group called Dancing Earth that aims to bring awareness to Native culture while inspiring young artists through their dance performances.

Rulan Tangen’s work mainly focuses on expressing Native culture and empowering the next generation. She has dedicated her life to teaching people how to dance in ways that mimic healing rituals of Native tribes. She values the way that movement can bring an energetic connection between people. Her Dancing Earth dance group is an inter-tribe group that enjoys displaying their Native culture to people through their performances.

From Ash Culture on Flickr

Rulan Tangen has a long career in dance. As a leader at a dance workshop on a reserve, she wanted to give the younger Native people hope for careers as aspiring artists. She gave them this hope and the opportunity to join her by creating the group Dancing Earth. Her career has also led her to do choreography and dance for TV specials. She has stated that her belief is “to dance is to live, to live is to dance.”

From Culver Center on Flickr

This picture was taken at UCR Culver Center of the Arts, where UCR hosts the Indigenous Choreographers Residency. This picture was taken at the program in 2012. At this program, Native choreographers, such as Rulan Tangen, came together to share and develop performances together. At the same time, they talked to Native high school students about pursuing Indigenous choreography as a career. Workshops and performances were a part of the program, all dedicated to teaching the students how to express their Native heritage through the art of dance.

From Ordway Center on Flickr

Rulan Tangen taught more students at Ordway and Rosy Simas Dance in 2016. At this residency, she taught three “Master Classes.” She based her lessons off of the wisdom of Native leaders and their culture. She used these lessons to let students at Ordway experience Native culture for themselves by not only teaching them how to dance, but leading them step by step through a journey into seeing a Native worldview. The dancing is not only a fun activity, but a way to experience a different culture.

Rulan Tangen’s work encourages people to experience a new and different culture by allowing them to not only see but participate in Native American dance. She has provided new opportunities to young Native artists by creating a dance group dedicated to them. Native Americans have faced many issues regarding their culture in the past. Colonialism was only the beginning, as throughout American history, Natives have been incentivized not only to leave their reserves but also their culture behind. Most of the modern world finds Native customs, such as the belief in the spirit of nature and healing rituals, to be unscientific and even silly. Rulan Tangen has shown the world that Native American culture has a role in the modern world. She has demonstrated that expressing Native culture can not only be fun, but meaningful through her dance lessons.

Her work has inspired young artists in that they can keep their cultural identity intact and use it as inspiration for their work. She has demonstrated that artists can create their own place in the world through her creation of Dancing Earth. Rulan Tangen has dedicated her life to dance. She wants to let others know that they can follow their dreams and express their cultural identity at the same time. Her work is proof of that. At the same time, her work has not finished as she still performs with the goal of inspiring even more of the new generation.

4

Nicholas Giddings- The Environmental Humanities Artistic Expression of Pablo Amaringo

Preface

My name is Nicholas Giddings my paper is titled “The Environmental Humanities Artistic Expression of Pablo Amaringo. The creative commons license that I am using is a CC BY 4.0.

Introduction

I am doing my paper on the artist, Pablo Amaringo who is a Peruvian environmental artist. Amaringo was able to connect humans with nature in his paintings, in a way no other artist has done before him. He mixed spirituality with his love for the environment and the product created beautiful imagery.

Theme

The main theme that spans through all of Amaringos work is the idea that humans are one with nature, almost as if everything in the natural world is apart of a family that is connected in some way. You are able to see this in the painting below where Amaringo paints in such a way that there is a flow between human and plant, where at some points they combine into one singular entity. Amaringo is trying to express to his audience that humans should let go of their feelings of superiority when it comes to nature because in his mind, they are one in the same. He expresses feelings of peace-fullness and connectivity, saying that once we are in the state of mind that he is, we will find peace within.

Another theme expressed by Amaringo is that everything on earth is being watched over and protected by a higher being. Through a drug called ayahuasca, Amaringo took “trips” into what he called the spirit realm. It is here where he began feeling a connection to higher beings that through the art work, he showed that they watch over Earth. His paintings that include these god like figures are calming and show the audience that no matter what hardship they are going through, there is always someone watching over them and protecting them. Amaringo wanted this “god” to connect people and unite them as he belived in humans rudimentary form they are already connected.

Analysis

In his younger years Pablo Amaringo had multiple heart conditions that left him exremely ill. Eventually he decided to go to a local Shaman for treatment, and Amaringo claimed that his new well being was due to the shaman. During this process he learned a lot of healing techniques himself, most coming from natural plant remedies in the area. In this time period Amaringo began painting, first with very rudementary items, then eventually with more advanced paints and oils. He also was practicing being a traditional healer in that time, he travelled around his region and began taking a substance called Ayahuasca in order to “find the answers to life and healing”. After about seven years he quit his attempt at being a shaman saying that “Ayahuasca is not something to play. It can even kill, not because it is toxic in itself, but because the body may not be able to withstand the spiritual realm, the vibrations of the spiritual world”

However, while he was taking this drug, he had extrodinary visions which he portrayed in his artwork. He took these elaborate visions and created an impactful display that the general audience could experience. This is why his paintings apear to be so other wordly, like something no person has seen before. This is represented in the picture below

Application

Pablo Armingo lives in an area that participates in the destruction and removal of nature. In that area of South America there is a large amount of deforestation and negative actions done onto the natural lands. This has reulted in a large amount of Armingos work. In his work he shows that in order for the world to be at the best state it can be humans need to be one with nature and treat it as though it is apart of their family. He believes that any destruction of nature is a destruction to Earths family. You can also tell by his work that Armingo beleives in a higher being and promotes others to find the enlightenment that he has found himself.

Michelle Franco- perspective on environment

1. My participant is a friend. I met with him over the phone to discuss this assignment.

2. I have asked him to take three images as he already provided me with them.

3. Yes, I asked my participant to write at least one paragraph per photo. He has already provided me with his statements. I also asked them to state their candid opinion as well, as well as stated to him that he is not required to reveal any personal information or discuss anything that might make him feel uncomfortable.

4. My participant has given me permission to use his first name for this project.

5. Yes I do have another person in mind in the event that my participant could not provide me with the images and statements as requested. However my participant has already shared his images and statements with me already.

6. My participant has agreed to write a statement that he freely consents to sharing his photos and written statements with me about his perspectives on the environment and/ or health. I have included this request in my communications with my participant.

Pic 1- Seeing the picture of sunset, I believe it’s so beautiful how natural it looks. The way the sky can make colors you never expect to see. Seeing sunset makes me feel peaceful in a way. Makes me feel extremely relaxed and be so thankful for the world I live in today. Being able to wake up and being able to be free without any restrictions. Seeing those beautiful colors makes me enjoy where I live and experience my everyday life.

Pic 2- The PPE masks make me feel not normal. Nobody was used to that lifestyle, it all changed one day to another. Due to the worldwide virus we are all still wearing masks. They make me feel not free, any place we go we have to wear a mask by law if not you are not allowed to enter that place. I understand the mask is to keep everybody safe, but they are getting very uncomfortable. Covid has changed not only my lifestyle, but everybodies also. Changed the way of working, we even got a curfew. At one point if you were not an essential worker you were not allowed to leave your own house.

Pic 3- Seeing almost the whole New York city boarding up including the Empire State Building is honestly scary. That our own state is boarding up in fear of protest and riots due to the election. I believe with how not only the state, but the country is handling everything looks very weak on their part. The government should be able to be tougher than most people with the amount of power they own. I do think they are taking safety precautions, but they should be able to do it in another way. In previous years the government did not have to board up the city to protect the people and themselves.

I freely give consent to sharing my photos and written statement with you about my perspective on the environment and health.- Alejandro

Bruna Passanante - Environmental Impact Photography

Bruna Passanante

Environmental Impact Photography

My name is Bruna Passanante and this portfolio is titled “Environmental Impact Photography” and is licensed under CC BY-NC.

This portfolio was written to showcase photographs that were shot with the purpose to bring attention to environmental issues. Specifically, I chose to showcase Benjamin Von Wong, an artist who has been known to creative surreal images to start important conversations around issues impacting our world. In the TED Talk below, Von Wong talks a little bit about how he got the idea to use photography as an approach to activism and the importance artists like himself have in our society today.

https://www.ted.com/talks/benjamin_von_wong_does_the_world_really_need_more_art

In his art, Von Wong brings light to several different issues regarding our environment in today’s world. Specifically, the main themes he covers revolve a lot around recycling and climate change. In his creations, Von Wong creates incredible, eye-catching images to bring attention to plastic use (including straws and bottles) and its effects on oceans and maritime life, waste coming from electronic materials and how they end up in landfills, endangered species, fast fashion and how it hurts the environment, climate change and pollution, between so many other causes. His major goal is to show the effects we suffer from climate change and how recycling can help our world.

Mermaids Swim in 10000 Plastic Bottles by ©Von Wong

“Feel free to quote and publish the photos on your online publication (please credit & link back to the original).”

https://blog.vonwong.com/mermaidplastic/

This campaign was focused on human plastic use, specifically bottles. Von Wong used his creativity and art here, with the help of other artists and volunteers, to bring the attention of viewers to the fact that plastic takes around 450 years to degrade, and with that, by 2050 there could be more plastic than fish in the sea. He uses the mermaids here to illustrate maritime life being affected by the sea of plastic we’re creating daily. His movement called for viewers to take the pledge to recycle and reduce their own plastic use.

Clothing the Loop by ©Von Wong

“Feel free to quote and publish the photos on your online publication (please credit & link back to the original).”

https://blog.vonwong.com/fastfashion/

This campaign was created with the intention of fighting fast fashion. Von Wong here wanted to bring attention to what really goes behind the clothes we constantly consume and dispose of. There is a huge environmental cost and number of natural resources that goes into producing a single piece of clothing, specifically fast fashion pieces. Moldy clothes from an abandoned factory were used to create these photographs and to bring attention to shoppers to be more ethical and do research next time they buy a new outfit.

Mad Max Meets Trump’s America by ©Von Wong

“Feel free to quote and publish the photos on your online publication (please credit & link back to the original).”

https://blog.vonwong.com/mad_max_trump/

This campaign was brought together with the help of volunteer models and other artists to bring attention to pollution and the tolls it takes on our planet and ourselves. Specifically, Von Wong wanted to start a conversation on the negative impacts on the use of coal and the importance of supporting renewable energy. These crazy photographs suggest that if we just simply do nothing, one day we will probably end up fighting for oxygen like the models are.

Benjamin Von Wong is a photographer with a background in art and engineering, which combined have helped him go viral in benefit of environmental causes. He has partnered with brands such as Nike, Starbucks, Dell, between many other, to promote change. With the help of these companies, coworkers, and even volunteers, Von Wong has created sculptures, exhibitions, and campaigns with his photographs, all of which have helped raise thousands of dollars to environmental causes, signatures for petitions that strive to enact change, and maybe most importantly, started the conversation between so many people on how these issues have such a great effect on the world and how it is up to us to do something about it. He has also inspired numerous artist’s around the world to use their own voices and creativity towards the cause. An example is seen below of a fellow photographer at one of Von Wong’s exhibitions.

CC BY-NC-ND 2.0 RICO Lee Plastikophobia https://flic.kr/p/2gWS8ve

Environmental photography is just one in many art expressions that have become more and more popular every day. Art as a method of activism is very engaging as it goes beyond an expression of creativity for entertainment, but it’s effective as a simple yet impactful way to deliver a message and educate viewers. Von Wong’s art is very distinctive and unconventional because of how shocking the images he creates are. Not only does he use the items related to the issue (such as the electronic waste or plastic bottles) to create greater than life images, but they also shock you in how they make you really think. You might not think that plastic straws are really that big of an issue until you see the waves he created with only a small percentage of what actually ends up in the oceans daily. You wouldn’t think that electronic waste is such a big deal until you see the sculptures he created with only a small amount of what ends up in landfill every day. It’s the shocking images of everyday activities being done in front of a hurricane that makes viewers stop and question themselves. It’s the group of humans, including a baby, in the toxic and polluted air, needing oxygen masks to breathe in the images he created that make you wonder how long before this is our reality. Recycling is a big factor that can help slow the speed of climate change, and artists like Von Wong are using their imagination to try and bring attention to these issues before it’s too late. We can’t ignore our world and the problems we created any longer. Visit Von Wong’s website for more information on his studies and accomplishments through art: https://www.vonwong.com

Jess Baker - Guerrilla gardening

Jess Baker

“Spaccanocelle-guerrilla gardening Avellino il 13/11/11” by Guerrilla Gardening is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0

My name is Jess Baker and my portfolio is titled: ‘Guerrilla gardening: the world in bloom’. The type of licence that I will be using is a CC BY-NC-SA licence.

Guerrilla gardening is described as ‘the act of gardening on land that the gardeners do not have the legal rights to cultivate such as abandoned sites, areas that are no longer cared for or private property.’ It has the aim of improving the environment or producing vegetables or flowers for people to use and enjoy. The art encourages a sense of community by providing food supplies to those that need it as well as celebrating the beautiful creations made by the gardeners. Other purposes of the art include political and social protest interest which provides a peaceful form of activism.

“Spaccanocelle-guerrilla gardening Avellino il 13/11/11” by Guerrilla Gardening is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0

The themes present in the art of guerrilla gardening are transforming natural resources and community. The first theme of transforming natural resources is present in the natural process of guerrilla gardening. As you can see in all the pictures, but particularly in the third picture, you can see the work put into transforming the wooden crates – it is likely that the crates will have gone on to be placed in and around the city in which the gardeners live. Also evident in all 3 pictures is the sense of community present. Teamwork is required to achieve the goal, for example the two people planting and digging in the first picture. Guerrilla gardening can therefore be seen as a bonding experience between communities and cultures by bringing people with the same passion together. This will have knock on effects for the community, such as an improvement in happiness and mental health.

“Spaccanocelle-guerrilla gardening Avellino il 13/11/11” by Guerrilla Gardening is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0

All three images are from the Italian Guerrilla Gardening community from 2011. This particular community began in 2006 thanks to a group of young people from Milan. They describe themselves as a group of green enthusiasts that decided to positively interact with the urban space through small demonstrative acts that they call ‘green attacks’. With this information, it provides valuable context to these images – we can see these ‘green attacks’ being demonstrated and the strength of community in Italian guerrilla gardeners.

Guerrilla gardening is important as a form of activism– as mentioned before, it is an example of political movement as well as having a purpose of connection within a community, without forgetting the imaginative and picturesque impact of the art. It represents an idea of bonding and using environmentally friendly ways of changing one’s community for the better. The simple act of planting flowers and working together is a prime example of how a community can have so many impacts on all counts and proves to be an aspiration as to what we can all do in improving our world.

Alessandra Capasso- The Moss Lawn

Alessandra Capasso

My name is Alessandra Capasso, and my portfolio is titled “The Moss Lawn”. This piece is licensed as CC BY-NC.

A Preface to Moss Lawns

The beauty and benefits of moss lawns are thought-inducing for surrounding communities. Those who witness it will likely consider the value of sustainability and ecological biodiversity in our environment. Moss lawns are simply lawns that use moss, a fitting alternative to grass used commonly in communities such as the United States. Grass requires an exhausting frequency of upkeep with the common results of an imperfect lawn. Moss, however, can maintain itself and use less of our resources providing a game-change to landscape architecture that will provide health to our environment. One country that could teach others about how moss can positively embellish lives is Japan.

Themes Connected to the Work of the Moss Lawn

Moss lawns encompass the theme of the significance of sustainability and the health of the environment as well as the theme of the beauty of our nature (which embraces artistic expression). Moss lawns fit the theme of sustainability and health for the environment since they require far less care than grass lawns in exchange for more benefits than grass lawns. For example, grass requires many more accommodations as it fits a specific type of environment, needs to be cut frequently, needs fertilizer (which is a pollutant), and needs a lot of patience. Moss could use some accommodations such as acidic and compound soil which can be solved with sulfur, but it needs much fewer resources than grass does as some additional rain will suffice for moss care. Moss is also supportive of biodiversity since it attracts many animals that could be considered visually pleasing including insects, reptiles, and birds to create a healthy food web and an appreciable biodiverse environment. The theme of the beauty of nature created by moss lawns is supported by the view of the moss lawn practice as an artistic expression because of their serene appearance and how they have the capabilities of attracting more beautiful life creating a feeling of unity and tranquility. Additionally, moss lawns can be personalized by any artist who wants to start one up in a unique way of expression.

Media Representation and Analysis of Moss Lawns

Japanese garden featuring the use of moss, likely in the Kansai region. This photo is by Chi King and licensed under CC BY 3.0.

This image showcases a moss garden as a product of typical Japanese Gardening. Japan is known for its work in Zen gardening for the public to enjoy. The origins of this image are not clear since all cities Kyoto, Fukui, and Tango are listed in the creator’s upload description, but the region Kansai could be denoting of where the image was taken. It was uploaded on January 1, 2014.

A moss planter created by Makoto Azuma displays that moss truly can be an art. This photo is by Inhabitat and is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0.

A moss carpet is displayed in Triennale, an art and design museum in Milan. The texture and life in the real moss carpet reveal the diversity and beauty of nature. According to Makoto Azuma, “my work for this exhibition shows the encounter and coexistence of two lifeforms with different origins. Living things connect strongly and straightforwardly, and conceal unlimited possibilities.” The Japanese artist Makoto Azuma additionally has an extensive history of botanical sculpting to show nature as an art form and will continue his work in the future. This image was uploaded on April 25, 2009.

Previously home to the famous actor Denjirō Ōkōchi in Kyoto, Okochi Sanso is now open through admission fees for public enjoyment featuring beloved moss lawns. This photo is by Geoff Whalan and is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0.

Although visitors may come to visit the Okochi Sanso Garden in respect of the actor Denjirō Ōkōchi who previously lived in the villa, visitors also enjoy the garden for the Zen feeling created by nature by Japanese cultural standards. This includes the simplicity of the soft and self-sustaining moss which compliments the architecture it surrounds. Amongst the garden and villa are a museum for the former owner and a temple to meditate at. It is a salient characteristic that the appreciation of nature and mediation go hand in hand in Japan. This image was uploaded on November 3, 2016.

Looking at further research at the images displaying moss, they all can be traced back to the same origin. All images display the long-lived gardening culture of Japan. Part of Japanese culture is the intimacy and respect of nature leading to higher incorporation and protection of nature. Japanese Zen gardening consistently uses moss and it is not solely because of its abundance in Japanese nature, but for its ideals of transience and imperfection, also known as wabi and sabi. The simplicity of moss is also tied to Buddhist nature-appreciating values finding a moss landscape perfect to mediate with. Moss is so embedded into the culture of Japan that it is even mentioned in its national anthem.

The images above are inspiring to both appreciate nature as an environmental gift and celebrate it as an art form. After all, moss is incredibly talented at sustaining both itself and life around it. The exponential potential of variety in the ecological environment it creates leads to the artful gift of unity in nature as well. Just after a sulfuric and dense base of soil, moss is self-sustaining and attracts a wide variety of insects, then a variety of reptiles and amphibians, then a variety of birds, then a variety of mammals, and more. One could potentially attract colorful beetles, fireflies, birds, and create breathtaking scenery. People outside of this community who depend on grass could learn from Japan’s use of moss since grass is not nearly as supportive of other lifeforms, is far more demanding of water, uses harmful pesticides and fertilizers, and needs constant upkeep all to result in the eventual dying grass patches and balding.

All practices used in the images above use a clearer answer to an insufficient practice of grass. A reliable base like moss can be used to improve and embellish human and environmental life.

Application of Moss to Society

The culture and use of moss in Japan are integral to understanding its community values. The close bonded relationship between nature and people is unique to Japan and moss is among the adored parts of nature for Japan. Moss is considered significant for its appreciable transient, imperfect, and subtle beauty and it is celebrated by displaying moss in many gardens all around. Japan’s relationship with moss is also indicative of support for a healthy environment and appreciation of the beauty of nature which could be helpful for other surrounding communities. People apart from Japan, especially those who use too much grass, could take a look at its practices related to moss and learn to consider practices that allow sustainability within an environment, promotion of ecological diversity, and a celebration of nature’s exquisite qualities that all lead to the strengthening of a happy human environment.

Sources

- “Azuma Makoto: Flower Art Installations, News and Projects.” Designboom, 31 Dec. 2019, www.designboom.com/tag/azuma-makoto/.

- Burk, Cathy. “The Benefits & Ecology of a Moss Lawn.” Habitat Network, 7 May 2018, content.yardmap.org/learn/benefits-ecology-moss-lawn/.

- Choi, Leeji. “Azuma Makoto: ‘Time of Moss’ for Tokyo Fiber Senseware at Milan Design Week 09.” Designboom, 21 July 2014, www.designboom.com/design/makoto-azuma-time-of-moss-for-tokyo-fiber-senseware-at-milan-design-week-09/.

- Grant, Bonnie L. “Moss As Lawn Substitute: How To Grow A Moss Lawn.” GardeningKnowHow, 18 Apr. 2020, www.gardeningknowhow.com/lawn-care/lawn-substitutes/moss-lawn/how-to-grow-a-moss-lawn.htm.

- Hammett, James. “Japan’s Intimate Relationship with Nature.” Masami, 14 Jan. 2020, www.lovemasami.com/blogs/our-blog/japan-s-intimate-relationship-with-nature.

- P, Miki. “Okochi-Sanso Villa – The Most Breathtaking Villa in Arashiyama Kyoto.” Tokyo Creative Travel, www.tokyocreative.com/articles/20560-okochi-sanso-villa-the-most-breathtaking-villa-in-arashiyama-kyoto.

- Triennale Milano, triennale.org/en/visit/plan-your-visit.

- Wong, James. “Blade Runners: the Joy of Moss Lawns.” The Guardian, Guardian News and Media, 3 June 2018, www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2018/jun/03/blade-runners-the-joy-of-moss-lawns.

- Yoshitaka, Oishi. “Japan’s Emerald Carpets: The Cultural Importance and Environmental Promise of Moss.” Nippon.com, 30 May 2020, www.nippon.com/en/japan-topics/b02350/japan%E2%80%99s-emerald-carpets-the-cultural-importance-and-environmental-promise-of-moss.html.

Kaitlyn Cirullo- Ocean Pollution

Kaitlyn Cirullo

Ocean Pollution

My name is Kaitlyn Cirullo and this portfolio is titled “Ocean Pollution” and is licensed under CC BY-NC

Introduction:

This portfolio was created to showcase artists who use their work to raise awareness to the pollution of plastic that has taken over our oceans. These artists include Chris Jordan, Brian Yurasits, and Angela Haseltine Pozzi. The first theme present in this portfolio is toxicity to nature. You will see how plastic pollution has caused harm to our oceans and the beautiful creatures that live there. The second theme present in this portfolio is inspiration and education. All of these artists use their work to educate the community and hopefully inspire them to cause less plastic waste.

Analysis:

“Raise your Voice (2010): Midway – Message from the Gyre (2009) / Chris Jordan” by Ars Electronica is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

This image was taken by the photographic artist Chris Jordan in his 2009 project called “Midway: Message from the Gyre.” On the island of Midway, thousands of albatross chicks die from starvation, toxicity, and chocking. In the image above, and all of the other images in “Midway,” not a single piece of plastic was moved or altered in any way. These images depict the actual stomach content of these albatross chicks. Midway is one of the world’s most remote marine sanctuaries and is more than two thousand miles from the nearest continent. The parents of these babies collect what looks to be like food, but instead they are confused and bring back plastic from the polluted ocean. Chris Jordan has done many other project related to mass consumption and the waste that us human’s create.

Follow on Instagram @wildlife_by_yuri, and find more free plastic pollution photos at: https://www.wildlifebyyuri.com/free-ocean-photography

This image was taken by photographer and marine biologist Brian Yurasits. He uses his platform and media following to spread awareness of the biggest threats to our oceans such as plastic pollution, overfishing, and climate change. Posting these images can open the minds of people who may not live near the beach and do not see all of the trash there is. On his website, Yurasits also provides links to education services and ways you can take action. In this image, we can see a more recently upcoming issue; littering PPE. Yurasits comments that he has noticed more and more masks and other PPE being left on beaches ever since the rise of the coronavirus. This image is powerful because it shows how something that was once used to protect us humans is now harming the creatures of our oceans.

“Smithsonian’s National Zoo presents “Washed Ashore: Art to Save the Sea”” by Smithsonian’s National Zoo is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

This image was taken at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo and is part of a project called “Washed Ashore: Art to Save the Sea.” Washed Ashore is a non-profit organization that uses art to educate its viewers about plastic pollution in the ocean and aim to spark positive changes in consumer habits. This organization was created by Angela Haseltine Pozzi. When Pozzi noticed all of the trash on the beaches of her home town in Oregon in 2010, she decided to do something about it. She gathered up a team of volunteers and they cleaned the beaches and used the debris to construct massive sculptures of the sea creatures most affected by the plastic pollution. These sculptures now tour as “Washed Ashore: Art to save the Sea” and travel to many different locations, educating and inspiring people all around the country.

Application:

I believe that all of the art in this portfolio is important because it raises awareness to an issue that has major impacts on nature and the world we live in today. Not only does this show the problems in the ocean, but also the issues with consumerism and the waste we create from man-made objects. Nowadays, almost everyone has social media. Artists such as Brian Yurasists take advantage of this to raise awareness of ocean pollution by posting the trash that can be found everyday on our beaches. Chris Jordan also uses his art to provide powerful images related to different problems with consumerism, such as the plastic pollution shown in his project “Midway.” Angela Haseltine Pozzi travels around the country with her art and team of volunteers to inspire people with beautiful sculptures while also talking about the problems with pollution and educating its victors. This is only three examples of people who use their art and platform to raise awareness to this issue. There are many other people and artists dedicated to bringing light to the pollution that has taken over our beautiful oceans and beaches, in hopes of changing the ways we dispose of waste and debris.

Bradley Post - Landscape Photography

Kayla Marcantonio - Pablo Amaringo: "Man and Earth through Visions"

Kayla Marcantonio

Preface: My name is Kayla Marcantonio and this portfolio is titled Pablo Amaringo: “Man and Earth through Visions”. I will be using a CC BY-NC-ND creative license in this portfolio.

The Art:

“Pablo Amaringo” by St. Lawrence University Art Gallery is licensed with CC BY-NC-ND 2.0. To view a copy of this license, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.0/ Untitled, (flower people with angels) 1987 Gouache on paper

“Pablo Amaringo” by St. Lawrence University Art Gallery is licensed with CC BY-NC-ND 2.0. To view a copy of this license, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.0/ Espíritus de los Renacos, September 2, 1996 Gouache on paper

“Pablo Amaringo” by St. Lawrence University Art Gallery is licensed with CC BY-NC-ND 2.0. To view a copy of this license, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.0/ Incorporation in a Patient, 1987 Gouache on paper

Introduction:

Pablo Amaringo: “Man and Earth through Visions” is about environmental art focused on the works of Pablo Amaringo through his visionary art and the messages they depict between the relationships of man and Earth. The work of Pablo Amaringo captures very beautifully the idea that man is and should be one with nature and the culture and worship of nature’s importance. Pablo Amaringo’s art is influenced by his visions obtained through drinking ayahuasca[1]. These visions are very colorful and very creatively show the relationship of man and nature with ethereal creature and depictions of humans interacting with nature. These depictions provide a much deeper meaning and understanding of the environment.

Themes:

The first theme in Pablo Amaringo’s work I would like to address is the representation of people as a part of nature. Amaringo incorporates people into nature-like beings, which can be seen above in Espíritus de los Renacos and Untitled, (flower people with angels). These two works represent humanly beings with a naturistic features. For example, in Espíritus de los Renacos Amaringo paints these humans as tree trunks and branches. Another example can be seen in Untitled, (flower people with angels) where Amaringo represents some humans as flowery bush people, a person with snake arms, branches growing out of a head. These representations and the theme of people as a part of nature show where man stands as a part of nature. Specifically in the idea that man is a part of nature and the environment. Or in other words, mans interactions with the environment and nature shows that man and nature are one.  The second theme I would like to address is the cultural belonging of humans in this nature. Amaringo portrays this nature-cultural importance and belonging in Incorporation in a Patient, Espíritus de los Renacos, and Untitled, (flower people with angels). In each Amaringo shows these “normal” human beings worshipping the land and nature around them. Each of the three works shows these humans worshipping the nature around them which shows the centrality of nature in culture.

Analysis:

All three works presented in this portfolio are by Pablo Amaringo. Pablo Amaringo is a Peruvian artist who came from an impoverished life as a little boy. He began working at an early age  to help support his big family which forced him to give up his education. Suddenly, Amaringo began suffering severe heart problems which led him to become very ill and eventually made him unable to continue working. Amaringo sought care from a local healer and while recovering Amaringo learned medicine using Amazonian plants, eventually becoming a healer. At the same time, he began to create art using what ever he could find around him since he could not afford supplies. Due to his knowledge in medicine with Amazonian plants he drank ayahuasca which gave him these visions that he would then depict in his art. These visions were centered around nature and man and the ethereal. These visions had an extremely high influence in his works. The first work, Untitled, (flower people with angels), was made in 1987 and thoroughly depicts these visions he had showing the interactions between the ethereal nature and man. The second work, Espíritus de los Renacos, was made on September 2nd, 1996. In this work, Amaringo can be seen employing the idea that man and the environment are one and the worship of the ethereal nature with the humans gathered worshipping in the bottom corner. The tree people are very indicative of the visionary presence of his works and show the influence of ayahuasca in his work. The third work, incorporation in a Patient, was made in 1987. This work shows these ethereal beings and and the use of ayahuasca. Additionally, it depicts the worshipping of the ethereal nature surrounding the worshippers. The heavenly fortresses above are decorated with flora further driving the idea of the importance of this nature and the worship of it.  All three works and their themes can together be understood today as a message about the importance of the environment and how we humans need to work with the environment and worship it because we are one with it. Without it we cannot exist.

Application:

Pablo Amaringo’s art is extremely important in understanding the Peruvian society in which it was created. Amaringo’s work accurately depicts the nature worship that the indigenous Peruvians took part in. This can be seen through the many depictions of anthropomorphized nature, including both animals and plants, even the Earth itself. The indigenous Peruvians depict their deities in this way. Amaringo’s inclusion and depictions of these deities center around the Peruvian influence and the indigenous people. Additionally, Amaringo’s art work can be seen as a very distinctive way to understand this since all of his work was produced when he was under the influence of ayahuasca. However, it still provides an interesting approach to dive into the Peruvian culture due to his vivid work.

1. A brew of South American plants that has hallucinogenic effects. ↵

Stanislava Melnyk - Animal Rights Activism

Kalin Glesner - Trash to Treasure

Trash: Natural Art, From Trash to Treasure

Preface:

This portfolio will focus on trash; Natural Art: From Trash to Treasure.

Introduction:

The focus of this portfolio is related to how environmental artists are turning trash into art that in some cases is not only being repurposed but also repurchased. For centuries, we have expressed our innermost thoughts through art. From the time man drew with rocks on the cave walls, to modern day when there are various ways of expression. As the twentieth century has crept into view, global concerns have become more prominent. Man has taken Mother Nature for granted and the environment has taken the backlash. Environmental artists are visionary’s and some find ways to take the human relationship with the environment and create ways to make the “ugly” more desirable.

Themes:

This portfolio will include two main themes. The first involves using art to raise awareness of environmental issues and enable a closer understanding of how excessive waste impacts our environment. The second theme is related to taking what was once a part of an environmental problem and using artistic ability to recycle for a new purpose.

Analysis:

The image depicted showcases different environmental issues through an artistic piece.

https://blog.vonwong.com/mermaidplastic/

Von Wong borrowed 10,000 plastic bottles from Tomra, a waste management center to create this piece of art. There was a full day of experimenting different ways of how to represent the bottles from the best artistic point of view. They had come to the conclusion that they would make the bottom look like a beach and lay the bottles to give the illusion of water. What the artist was trying to allude to was the idea that the plastic bottles are harming the sea life. Eight states so far have banned the use of plastic bottles.The artist hopes to spark a change in the people around us.

In the 1960’s and early 1970’s there was an environmental art movement which celebrated how artists were able to connect with their vision and work.

“Pandas On Tour”

Paulo Grangeon displayed 1,600 paper michaed pandas, which is about the number that is left in the world. He was making an attempt to show the need to protect the endangered species. In Pandas On Tour, Paul Grangeon was trying to make an environmental impact through a work of art. The exhibit launched in 2008, and made it to more than 20 countries.

“Intolerable Beauty Portraits of American Mass Consumption”

Chris Jordan captured an image of debris that society leaves behind quantities of cell phones, cars, circuit boards, that are left behind, and just leaving an imprint on our earth. Chris said, “I’m appalled by these scenes, and yet also drawn into them with awe and fascination.” This picture, although at a glance just looks like it could be a swirl of colors, at close glance, is a pile of what we throw out and is creating an imprint on our earth and causing distress on our environment. Recycling is a very important part of the future and what is going to help save the environment.

Application

Artists and activists are allowing our community to see angles that they may not have the opportunity to see outside of they daily lives. When given a new perspective, it allows them to take a step back and find a way to make a difference and think on what they can do. When one person makes a movement in the right direction, it starts a motion. Art is a good way to show environmental issues and perspectives.

Yahav Shany

The Beauty of African Environmental Dance - Alyisia Spaulding

African American Group Dance. This image is licensed by Creative Commons Zero

Mrs. Josephine Baker aka Black Pearl. This image is licensed by Creative Commons Zero.

Solo African Environmental Dancer. This image is licensed by Creative Commons Zero

Preface:  Hi, my name is  Alyisia  Spaulding and my portfolio project is on beauty  and the importance/value  of environmental dancing  thought  the African American cul ture.  The licensing I will be using is  C reative Common Zero  through Google Images.

Introductions:  In my portfolio project I hope to shed light on the beaut y of African American culture  and social i njustice  through dance. One specific environmentalist figure  I will be using  (along with others)  is  Josephine Baker (aka The Black Pearl) . In her dances she  illustrates t he social injustice   in the American Society with performances such as “Strange Fruit”.  These African American e nvironmental dances allow an insight to the world around an indi vidual  and provide a deeper  understanding  thus inspiring a deeper connection.  I will also be using other figures that depict African American Dancers telling the story of the Motherland through their dances.

Themes:  One theme focusing  on  Josephine Baker  dances  is the social injustice within the African American .  During the 1950s, Baker frequently returned to the United States to lend her support to the Civil Rights Movement, participating in demonstrations and boycotting segregated clubs and concert venues.  She was also  worked for Red Cross during WWII  and often entertained troops in both African and the Middle East.  Due to her bravery and creativity, she was awarded the  Croix de Guerre and the Legion of  Honour  with the rosette of the Resistance, two of France’s highest military honors.  Another theme that ties with Af rican American dances is the connection between the Motherland and self. In these dances they tell the story of earth, wind, wate r, and fire and how they synchronically work in harmony. T hey explain how one cannot work without the other and how each element effects the people. They emphasize on the importance of taking care of the Motherland and being gratefu l for all she provides.

Analysis:  The 3 images I have chosen each represent environ mental dances and messages they aim to convey. Image 1  is group performance that aims to educate the audience on the  beauty and importance of African American culture. Each dancer  utilizes their bodies and movements to tell a story. Sometimes the dancers are  telling  their own  stories independent of  each other  and sometimes they are working together to tell the same story.  Ima ge 2 is  a picture of Josephine Baker who was an advocate during the Civil Rights Movement  and often used her dancing and creativity to shed light on the  issues . She was an important figure during  the  1930’s-1950’s and till this day is still admired by many. Her performances broke many barries for young and aspiring African American  female dancers. Finally, image 3 is of  a beautiful young African American environmental dancer who is telling the story of the motherland and using her fluidity to portray a story.  The idea behind this picture and the stance of her body is more than likely to portray how the  element of water interacts and provides for the Motherland. However, there’s  also  a possibility that she is dancing as a tr ibute to her country. One of the many beautiful things about being an environmentalist is that a performance can be  ambiguous  and can  imitate any story so the audience uses their own perception and feelings to understand what the message the performer is trying  to tell  or,  their performance can tell the exact story they want the audience to know. Regardless of which performance it is  the result  is usually the same – a beautiful, heartwarming story that (h ope fully) leaves the audience feeling educated and inspired.

Application:  Environmental dance is important because its educational and creative. There are so many people who either don’t know much about history or want to know more about but don’t want to read a book about and  environmental dancing is another way for that person to interact. Not only that, but it allows the dancer to express themselves  and th eir use what their passionate about to spread light and positivity. Overall, my selected art f orm is  important to society because it’s educational and brings light to issues others might shy away from. Not only that but it’s also insp iring to “hear” these stories be shared in various ways. There’s so much to learn through environmental dancing (and other c reative ways) that is guaranteed to not  disappoint .

Aleah Smith - Alexis Rockman: "Environmental Dystopia"

Aleah Smith

Environmental Dystopia

Preface: My name is Aleah Smith and the following portfolio is titled  Alexis Rockman: “Environmental Dystopia”. I will be using a CC BY-NC-ND creative license in this portfolio.

Introduction

Alexis Rockman: “Environmental Dystopia” is about dystopian environmental art that concentrates particularly on the artist, Alexis Rockman. Rockman is a well known artist, whose insightful creative expression highlights the consequential corruption of Earth’s natural resources, as well as the destruction and invasion of its largest ecosystems. Pieces by Rockman are exceptionally perceptive portrayals of a near-future dystopian environment, focusing on his intricate illustrations of the contamination of Earth’s beautiful landscapes and vast bodies of water. Alexis Rockman’s views of environmental degradation and intoxication prove to be significant, especially in the way that Rockman confronts the social and political issues surrounding climate change in today’s society. Works by Rockman allow his audience(s) a glimpse into a potentially inevitable environmental dystopia if actions are not taken against mankind’s excessive consumption and pollution, and the impact it could leave on Earth.

Pieces included in this Portfolio

“MOCA Cleveland 01-09-2019 9 – Alexis Rockman – Forces of Change” by David441491 is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

“Alexis Rockman, Gowanus, 2013” by Mathieu Croisetière is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0

“Alexis Rockman, Bronx Zoo, 2012” by Mathieu Croisetière is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0

Themes

As seen in his pieces, Rockman uses reoccurring themes to establish his view of climate change and environmental issues, and the disastrous consequences they could lead to. The first theme that I would like to call attention to is the representation of human excess, and the traumatized environments left behind as a result. Rockman includes altered and toxic natural landscapes which can be seen in pieces such as Gowanus  and Bronx Zoo. These two works of art indicate the representation of environmental dystopia, and the aftermath of pollution. For instance, as seen in Gowanus, Rockman illustrates the abundance of toxic waste that makes its way into Earth’s ecosystems, painting them as vibrant colors, into the contrasting bleak and decaying waters. This can also be seen in his piece, Bronx Zoo, in which the way he paints the dirty, polluted water against the vibrant, overgrown vegetation scattered across manmade structures. The second theme I would like to point out is the depiction of Earth’s creatures, moreover, the surviving species, whose environments have been devastated by humanity’s downfall and creation of global warming. Rockman portrays the threatened futures of these animals in works such as Forces of Change  and Bronx Zoo. In each of these oil paintings, Alexis Rockman foreshadows environmental dystopia in the forms of mutated animals, invaded ecosystems, and endangered species. Each of Rockman’s pieces included in this portfolio display his views on the ecological conflicts brought by man and its everlasting consequences for our planet, and its future.

Analysis

All the works that have been included in this portfolio, “Environmental Dystopia”, are by Alexis Rockman. Growing up, Rockman lived in New York City, and frequently would visit the American Museum of Natural History where his mother was an anthropologist. As a child he enjoyed learning about natural sciences and arts, where he eventually attended the School of Visual Arts, for a Bachelor in Fine Arts. He worked for different conversation groups, such as the Riverkeeper project and the Rainforest Alliance. Many of Alexis Rockman’s works were inspired by his travels and research tours of different environments around the globe such as the Great Lakes Region, Guyana, Galapagos Islands, and Antarctica. A collection of his works, including the piece Forces of Change, painted in 2017, were explorations of the ecologically complex and important Great Lakes region, where Rockman exhibited the global significance of understanding the threatening factors of urban sprawl and climate change against those ecosystems. The next two pieces included in this portfolio, Bronx Zoo and Gowanus, were part of Rockman’s 2013 exhibition titled “Rubicon” which focused on different aspects of the contamination of New York City’s environmental scenes, such as Brooklyn’s Gowanus Canal, and the Bronx Zoo habitats. Rockman was prompted to explore the destruction of these natural resources and environments in “Rubicon” (named after the expression made by Julius Caesar, meaning the “point of no return”) because of his belief that our natural world has began to suffer irrevocable damage, leading to a potentially disastrous near-future environmental dystopia. Overall, his depictions and explorations in these works, have allowed his audiences to understand his dark and apocalyptic visions of humanity’s environmental impact, and the consequences they may have for future generations.

Application

Alexis Rockman’s works are very significant in understanding the industrialized and rapidly changing environmental society in which it was created. His work creatively portrays the possibly inevitable future that awaits for our planet and its ecosystems, especially if the importance of taking action for the environment is not recognized. Alexis Rockman’s works are exceptionally notable and unorthodox in his depictions of dystopian environments because he is one of a few artists who uses his creative expression to confront social and political issues in today’s day and age. Likewise, activist Alexis Rockman is also one of the only artists (that he claims) who believes “the idea that art can make a difference in terms of political change.”

Jean C. Corraliza, Urban Food Garden, Influence and Beauty

Preface:

Hi, my name is Jean Carlos Corraliza, and this portfolio is named Urban Food Garden, Influence and Beauty. The licensing for this portfolio used is CC BY 4.0. (CC BY-SA-2.0, CC BY 2.0, CC BY-NC-SA-2.0)

Introduction:

The main focus on this portfolio is about the importance, the influence and the beauty of Urban Food Gardens have that represent an art form. This Gardens have existed for thousands of years but, as time passed, it was forgotten and society was develop differently. Fast foods became part of the daily of people and Urban Food Gardening became unimportant for people. In the last decades there has been a movement that have push for healthy eating and Urban Food Gardens started to grow on different parts of the country. This movement has gathered people to grow a garden and help others create a conscious about the importance of these gardens. The main purpose of this portfolio is to expand this knowledge on Urban Food Gardens by demonstrating how art can be essential for the health of the community and to involve different generations of people into getting closer to nature. In order to understand these concepts better, I have chosen three aspects of Urban Food Gardening. These aspects are, the importance on society, the influence and legacy for future generation and the beauty it presents to the community.

Themes:

In this portfolio I will be focusing on two themes. The one theme is Urban Food Gardens as an expression of art, mainly mention as beauty in this portfolio. Nature has delighted us with its beauty since the beginning of time, bringing people together in different ways. These gardens provide a place for people to join together, relax or celebrate an occasion in a relaxing environment where they can see what nature offers with the help of the people who maintain these gardens. The other theme focuses more on the significance and influence the urban food garden has on people. In the last few decades nature has suffer from natural disaster, like hurricanes or wildfires on forest, and negative uses of nature like construction of buildings where forest and gardens exist. For this reason, people need to understand the influence Urban Food Gardens has on the community as it helps people get involve in different activities concerning the environment, help the future generations learn and teach why is it so important to protect these gardens and learning to eat healthier by using the food provided by the garden.

Analysis:

For this portfolio I selected three images that represent the beauty, the importance and the involvement of the community as an activity for the Urban Food Gardens.

“Food Gardens, Channels, Vertical Farms – Shanghai Sustainable Masterplan” by Except Integrated Sustainability is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0

The first picture presents a community where the Urban Food Garden is on the left of picture. This picture is from Shanghai and shows how it is a beautiful spot where people can travel and see how the garden is being developed overtime. Shanghai’s Urban Food Garden is a tourism park located at Shanghai’s Fengxing District that houses more than 200 varieties of vegetables while also having a concept of beauty. The art of gardening has an impact that usually people do not credit it. The style of Gardening has changed from the beginning but, the main essence has not changed. Arranging plants in places where people can appreciate it brings a sense of joy to the community as they feel the same satisfaction as if they see a beautiful painting. This emotion is what moves people to cultivate gardens in places where they think it can make someone happy. In this era, people live in the city side and few live in the countryside and it is hard for the people living in the city to see nature as the city has a lot of buildings. For this reason, in different cities, like Shanghai, people have started creating gardens where people can get involve with nature and appreciate their beauty whenever they want. Some of these gardens become centers of attentions for people to spend time with their families as they are in a relaxing environment.

Shanghai is an example that demonstrates the process it took to create this garden through generations.  Since 1950s, the community planned and manage the food production. In modern times, the municipal government has taken efforts to safeguard food self-reliance by taking control of production and distribution to preserve the farms. With this help the food supply has been protected. This was possible by the community as they pushed for these policies to pass as they were persistent and taught their children the importance of the garden. As time pass on, those children participated in the protection of the garden. For this reason, the garden stands showing its beauty.

“Black Rock Solar – Urban Roots Garden Classrooms Field Trip” by Black Rock Solar is licensed under CC BY 2.0

The second image illustrates how the community is getting together to plant seeds. On the last image I explained how a community helped preserve a garden, but to protect a garden there are different things that are needed. By helping the next generation understand the concepts of planting, they can developed skills to maintain themselves. Gardening serves as a form of exercise (people practicing gardening outside their house are expose to Vitamin D), reduces stress and gives people a sense of distraction. All these effects influence the life style of a community as they helped people maintain a healthy life style and keeps them motivated to expand the gardens. As gardens are expanded, nature gets larger and therefore receives positive outcomes. One of these outcomes is the cleaning air done by the plants.

Furthermore, gardening also teaches responsibility to care for the foods and plans. Many people do not know how food is grown and farming is happening in parts where they do not see the process. By learning how to farm they will get a sense of responsibilities. Responsibilities are difficult to follow and for many people are hard, but gardening helps people understand what are these responsibilities. For example, by observing and caring for a plant by given it water and sunlight in specific times people learn how the biology behind the plants, organize time and follow their responsibilities. For families, kids will try to follow their parents actions and if their parents showed their determination to take care of a garden, in this case an Urban Food Garden, then their is high possibility children will try to take care of a garden. Thanks to the large movements in recent years, Urban Food Gardens have expanded and helped thousands of families with economic necessities as people can pick up the foods they need.

“Prinzessinnengarten_mc_0266” by prinzessinnengarten is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0

As of this moment, we have seen the beauty and the influence on people the Urban Food Gardens have. Finally we discuss the importance of these gardens. As stated previously, families are benefited by these gardens. On the above image we see different people picking up the food they need from the Urban Food Gardens. Some foods found in these gardens are radishes, mint, chives, kale, cherry tomatoes, zucchini, etc. The food people gather are essential for their families to have a healthy lifestyle. In addition, foods can be turned into another kind of art form as they can be mixed together and create piece. This  is possible with large variety the Food Gardens gives.

On the past, people started to grow their food supplies with the space they have. When people were struggling, the Urban Food Gardens helped cover their foods. As modern technology did not existed, foods could not be store and therefore perish so people had to grow their own foods. In later decades, people were obligated to sustained themselves since food were difficult to find during the 19th century and 20th century in countries like Paris and Cuba. During Wars, people had to grow foods at parks.

In the 21th century modern technology has become a part of everyone, farming had become less appreciated and people did not have an interest to farm. In the last decade, the movement mention previously, has grown. They have travel to different cities and have started their own Urban Food Gardens since they know the time is now and as of 30 years from now the necessity of food is going to increase by a lot. Examples of this are The Urban Food Gardens in California and South Central Urban Food Garden. These two examples have joined the community and have help families. When one of the gardens struggle, the community step up and they saved their garden showing their commitment for maintaining it.

Application:

The applications of Urban Food Gardens are positive for the whole community. From bringing people together to help people with economic needs, these gardens have shown us their importance and why they must be protected. All the gardens provided a relaxing place where people could spend time together and benefiting the community by helping them eat healthier (something fast foods for example have made harder to do) and raising awareness that nature has to be protected or it could be lost. Both aspects are what make Urban Food Gardens unique.

Throughout the semester I have learn different aspects of environments from videos, music and readings. Two specific materials that I feel that go hand to hand with my portfolio is the Urban Food Garden in South Central by Ron Finley and the Santa Cruz Community Garden. From the Urban Food Garden in South Central, Ron Finley has been an advocate to create and extend Urban Food Gardens, he even appear “Ted Talks” giving his story. He explains that the area he grew had little access to nutritious food and resulted in bad health conditions for the community. As he grew older, he step up and started to move the community. Even though he struggle against the city for permission, at the end he was granted the permission to start he’s Urban Food Garden. The Garden was successful and Ron Finley has visited more places to create more Urban Food Gardens. He adds that he wants to change the way people look at the word “gangsta” into a positive word and that parents involve their children into gardening and hence getting closer to nature. In Ron Finley words:  “I grow my art, just like a graffiti artist,…, I used the garden, the soil… You’d be surprised what the soil could do if you let it be your canvas” These words are an excellent example of how gardening can be an art. The soil is metaphor for the canvas of the artist and instead of drawing or painting, he is planting and creating his piece.

In addition to Urban Food Garden In South Central, The Santa Cruz Community Garden is another great example of why these gardens are beneficial for the community. A small piece of land had been transform into a garden but, it was property of the seaside company who in one year they tried to not renew the lease for the community garden. On October 27 of that year, the Santa Cruz community organize a march to city hall to ask to buy the land so they could have a community garden. They were followed by people from different ages, from children to adults, this community did not wanted to lose their garden. They knew the importance and especially what it meant to the youth. With this, the city council begun negotiations with the seaside company to buy the land. Even though the seaside company told they were not gonna sell the land they added a three year lease. As the struggle continue, Dolores came with inspiring words which are related to the message I want to express on this portfolio. These words were, “If forty farmworkers many of them could not speak English could not read or write but were able to convince 17 million Americans to boycott grapes, then we could convince, whatever we need to do to keep this land that we can make it happen.” These words represent the will of the people to protect the community garden since it is important for everyone to take care of the garden they have created.

As I conclude this portfolio, I want to motivate the reader to go out there and make the difference, even if it is starting from home, a small step to change is always needed. As more people join the cause, the community garden become a greater possibility and later a reality. These gardens are for the people in the present and for the future generations to live in a more beautiful and healthier world.

Bradley Post - Landscape Photography

Preface: My name is Bradley Post, and I’m publishing my own images of landscapes throughout New York, where my permanent residence is and where I grew up.

Introduction:

Isabelle Geiger

Isabelle Geiger

Serene Florida: Captured by the Florida Highwaymen

Preface:

Hi, My name is Isabelle Geiger and this portfolio is named “Serene Florida: Captured by the Florida Highwaymen.” The licensing I will be using is CC BY 4.0.

Introduction:

The main focus of this portfolio is to acknowledge the way in which Florida was illustrated on nearly 200,000 canvases to be beautiful, still, timeless, and untouched, despite the outstanding adversity and injustice that defined this time period for black citizens in the south. The Florida Highwaymen are a group of twenty-six African American artists that depicted the vibrance and richness of Florida’s landscapes while facing the harsh terms of  Jim Crow Laws during the 1950s. The works of the Highwaymen, although arguable pristine, were unable to be represented in white-only galleries. Their misrepresentation and lack of appreciation as a result of the era created their untraditional style of using an “assembly line” of quick stroke painters, in which dozens of unique and detailed pieces of similar Florida landscapes were painted each day in order to make a way of living. The environmental art brought beauty and appreciation for the unmatched serenity of Florida’s landscapes, masking the bigotry that occupied the same terrain.

Themes:

There are two main themes that I will be exploring in this portfolio. The first theme focuses on nature as a home to all. Although black and white citizens lived polar lives during the 1950s, the beauty of Florida would be appreciated and valued by those of different backgrounds and social or socioeconomic status. Society in the 1950s could have been described as stifling. However, seeing one’s environment taken into forms of hypnotic art with rich colors that embed pure simplicity could have been, understandably, relieving and a reminder of nature as a home to all. The second theme I will outline describes environmental art as a way to face oppression. The highwaymen’s response to the lack of opportunity to make a profit was to try to make a way out of no way by creating their own artistic style and by enterprising in an unheard-of fashion. The creative selling of environmental art can thus be seen as a symbol for the counterattack against persecution.

Analysis:

The three images that I chose all exhibit the resilience and resourcefulness of the symbolic Florida Highwaymen.

“Willie Daniels, Florida Highwaymen Painting” by Larry Miller is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

In this painting, Willie Daniels perfectly conveys a signature Florida sunset hovering over the flat and swampy biome, in which inhabit the Sabal Palms and Ibis birds. The rushed work environment of the Highwaymen combined with the need for financial gain forced much of their work to be created through memory on untraditional, but inexpensive mediums including roofing material and masonite, thus  adding yet another layer of talent. Ambiguously, the Florida ambience was accurately conveyed in fine detail as a thoughtful way to invite people into the unfair conditions of an African-American man during the 1950s.

The lack of conformity to artistic norms is interpreted to be a powerful way to fight against racist expectations of non-white citizens by exhibiting resourcefulness during a time that can be described as one with a lack of opportunity. While selling art pieces for a mere twenty-five dollars, the hurried painter fought the norms and expectations of black men to perform manual labor during the period of intense oppression. Willie Daniels paintings, with their classic nail-etched “W. Daniels” signature, illustrate images of an evolving scene of harmony within the world of art, bringing appreciation for the environment to both those that have dealt with injustice, and those who have not.

“James Gibson” by madrigar is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

The creator of this painting, James Gibson, was noted to be one of the most successful and active self-taught artists of the Highwaymen. His personal maxim elucidates his approach on life: “respect people, don’t give up, and put God first. Everything else,” he said, “will fall into place.”  By following this formula of optimism while painting up to one hundred paintings through the night, most nights, and selling the paintings in the trunk of his tattered Cadillac, he could make enough money for gas. Despite the obvious disadvantages presented by the time period, the Highwaymen often had the best luck, with sales in white neighborhoods by utilizing the respectful method of Gibson. Although this perceived good luck was usually only a ten-percent success rate, the Highwaymen continued to challenge the racist standards created by white citizens by literally, confronting them at their front door with environmental art. Once again, environmental art can symbolize how those of dissimilar backgrounds can appreciate nature’s beauty in order to coincide.

“Florida Highwaymen Painting” by Larry Miller is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

The foreground of this painting exhibits the natural beauty of Florida’s native vegetation, greenery, rural architecture, and magical sky. Apart from this, the background features a black woman taking care of the laundry of those that live in the quaint, white home. The beauty of the landscape and thoughtful usage of hues and tones put into the sky, swaying trees, and welcoming home make the blurred woman seen in the distance seem almost insignificant.

Mary Ann Carol was the only female member of the Florida Highwaymen, and she began painting as an escape from the life she lived in poverty. Different from the majority of the Highwaymen, she was forced to work in tomato fields in between her shifts of painting and selling in order to support herself and her seven children. The painting shown above can be interpreted to symbolize women such as Mary Carol Ann who are determined to fight oppression while also being constricted by the need to make an income. The lack of attention drawn to the woman in the painting only highlights the way in which the lack of accessible employment was unnoticed to those that were not influenced by Jim Crow laws directly. Today, the image can be interpreted in this way by reflecting on American history, however, the Florida Highwaymen and those that purchased their environmental art may have simply had an admiration for the tranquility of a Florida sunset.

Application:

Environmental art is somewhat unnoticed when considering the civil rights movement and the fight for change. Undeniably influential in this fight, art created by the Florida Highwaymen introduced a new perspective on the lack of opportunity for African American citizens in the south. By making a way out of no way, the Highwaymen went against tradition in order to succeed. Their success could be defined by either their financial gain or the slight unification of black and white art enthusiasts. Either way, their success was stemmed from the celebration of nature and the creation of environmental art. All of the art created by the Florida Highwaymen provides an open interpretation on how deeply certain aspects of the time period influenced the artwork directly. However, it is clear that the environmental art is both noteworthy and applicable in understanding the disadvantages of non-white citizens and the society of non-white citizens in the 1950s. The unconventional methods of the Florida Highwaymen present an unconditional way to understand the struggles of the Florida Highwaymen and the people they proudly represent.

Hannah Green- Sculptures: Recycled Art

Hannah Green

Preface:

Hi, my name is Hannah Green, and this portfolio is Sculpture: Recycled Art. The licensing I am using is CC By- SA 2.0 and 4.0.

Introduction:

My portfolio focuses on how items which can be regarded as trash and waste can be recycled and used as a medium to create art. The use of trash to create art is not a new concept.  Early settlers used whatever old fabric they could find to make quilts, and during World War I, soldiers used artillery to make art while they were stuck in the trenches.  Even famous artists like Pablo Picasso in the early 20th century used old paper to make collages. What distinguishes this art form today is that artists are not only embracing the use of discarded materials as a way to be different and creative, but they are also using these materials as a way to help protect the environment.  Humans constantly throw away trash and other waste products that can harm the environment by polluting the land and water and hurting wildlife. Artists are discovering new ways of using these items and turning them into an art form. Rather than having these items end up in a landfill or in our oceans, artists are transforming these items from something unsightly to something appealing. Recyclable items have been used to create different art from pictures to useful household items. My portfolio will examine artists who have used trash to create sculptures, and I have included three images of sculptures that were created by using recycled materials.

Themes:

One theme that this portfolio examines is how artists are taking trash that could harm the environment and reusing it in a way that can help protect the environment. For example, plastic products are not biodegradable, and they often end up polluting our land and water. Many of these plastic products have caused the death of land and sea animals that get caught in them or try to ingest them. Many artists have taken items considered garbage and turned them into a medium for creative expression. By using garbage in this way, it prevents these waste products from polluting the environment, and it could help educate others on how they could dispose of their trash.  Another theme of this portfolio is how artists are changing the way people view trash by turning these seemingly ugly and useless materials into something beautiful and possibly even useful.  Old nuts and bolts or soda tabs can be turned into a beautiful sculpture or piece of art for the wall, and a plastic bottle can become a planter or a pencil holder.  By transforming these products into works of art, these artists are showing others how to turn useless odds and ends into objects with use and purpose. Art can be a wonderful way to share ideas with others and to express how one is feeling. The beauty of recyclable art is that is allows people to use common items that seem to have no purpose longer and could end up polluting the environment and refashioning them into something positive and useful.

Analysis:

Each image below is an example of how recycled materials were used to create art sculptures.

First Image: Horse Power

“Horse Power” was created by Stuart Taylor in 2011 and won first prize in the National Farm Art Sculpture Competition, which is held during the annual Spirit of the Land Festival in the town of Lockhart in the New South Wales Riverina. The first Spirit of the Land Festival was held in 2007 in an effort to give farmers hope during a terrible drought. As a result of the drought, many farmers were finding it difficult to survive, and there was a rise in the number of suicides amongst the farmers living there. The festival allowed farmers to use old equipment that they no longer had any use for and to repurpose that equipment into art. It provided them with the opportunity to share their experiences and gave them new hope with money prizes and awards for the winners. This festival is very popular now, growing every year and attracting sponsors and tourists to the area.  The Spirit of the Land Festival celebrates farmers and the importance that the land plays in their lives, and this festival emphasizes the necessity of taking care of the environment. The sculptures are examples of how the farmers can use their old farm materials, like metal and timber, to create something beautiful out of products that no longer seemed useful.  Instead of reminding them of their difficulties, these materials became a way to express themselves, make something beautiful, and bring hope into their lives.  Displaying these sculptures has brought much-needed revenue into the area as it shows the importance of the land and that everything can continue to be useful and have a purpose.

Second Image: Running the Lines

“Running the Lines” is a sculpture that was created by Irish sculptor Eamonn Higgins. Higgins was commissioned to create the sculpture as part of the Art in the Wetlands project through the South Lough Neagh Regeneration Association. Higgins was asked to create a sculpture based on the cultural traditions of the area. In his sculpture, Higgins shows the struggle faced by a fisherman who would run the lines to catch eels.  The man is torn between his love for his craft and the pressure he faces by the outside world that no longer values the old customs and traditions. Respect for the old ways and the importance of the land are themes that run throughout Higgins’s work. Higgins was raised on a farm, and many of his sculptures show an appreciation for the land and the rural way of life. As a trained artist and blacksmith, most of Higgins’s works are created by using steel and copper. The importance of the land and rural traditions are evident in the materials he uses for his sculptures, as he scours his farm to find old parts to use in his forge. Scraps of metal are used to create new art forms which honor the land and Irish customs. He even opened up a blacksmith school to teach people to embrace the old ways and honor the land.

Third Image: Armchair Sculptures

This sculpture, which is comprised of two armchairs made of stainless-steel washers and nuts, was a project which was organized through the New Arts Lodge in Belfast Ireland. The New Arts Lodge is an art center in Ireland that works with children throughout the community to bring them together and address the issues that directly affect them through art. This project was part of the Waterworks Big Art Outreach Program, which sought to create a welcoming and peaceful area in Waterworks Park, where the community could come together. The project was led by artist Alan Cargo, who worked with children in the community to create a sculpture made from recycled materials. By creating a sculpture made from recycled items, the children were able to see first-hand how these items, which they would normally view as garbage, could be used to create something welcoming, comfortable, and useful. The children who participated in this art project were actively engaged in activities designed to protect the environment. They were able to look at items in a unique way and explore ways to create functional and creative art out of items that they might have otherwise thrown away. In working together to create this sculpture out of recyclable materials for the entire community, the children were reminded of the importance of maintaining the park and keeping the environment pollution free, so everybody could use and enjoy the  area.

Application:

Currently, the threat to our environment is a serious problem, and the actions we take today will have a huge impact upon our planet for future generations. Therefore, the importance of protecting our environment should be a priority for everyone.  Throughout history, artists have used their art as a powerful way to express ideas and impact the way people think. When artists find objects like old farm equipment and scraps of stainless steel and turn these items into artwork, they are sending a message to everyone who views their work. They are telling people that we should not be throwing away garbage that can harm the planet, but instead, we need to find new ways to recycle these items. These items can become objects to enjoy and share with others rather than a danger to the future of our planet. By creating recyclable art, artists are educating other people and showing them how to transform old trash into new beautiful and useful objects.  Both “Horse Power” and “Running the Lines” were created by artists who work on the land and recognize the importance of saving the environment. They used old materials  associated with their work on the land, and in doing so, they brought hope and inspiration to others as they used these old materials in a new, more modern way. Similarly, the project that led to the creation of the Armchair Sculptures was specifically designed to show children how to take old scraps and turn those items into an object that could be enjoyed by the entire community. By focusing on creating art from recyclable materials, these children learned the importance of protecting the environment by reutilizing resources that seemed like useless items, rather than tossing them away as garbage. Recyclable art is an effective way to educate people and get them to discuss what they can do to effect positive change. If an artist can turn nuts and bolts into a comfortable and interesting armchair, we can all take items we were going to throw away and find a new use for them. These artists are saving the earth by making sure we take care of our natural resources and by getting people to think twice about the trash they throw away.  Every person who reuses an item, rather than throwing it away, is one less person whose trash can pollute our waters or hurt wildlife. Recyclable art teaches us how we can all make a difference and protect the environment.

Lauren Lehman

Eco-Homes

Lauren Lehman

Preface:

My name is Lauren Lehman, and this portfolio is called Eco-Homes: Minimizing Impact, Maximizing Living. The licensing I will use is CC-BY-SA.

Introduction:

The focus of this portfolio is to outline the ways in which eco-homes not only start to create a cleaner environment on a personal level, but are a new way to create a closer bond with nature in someone’s own home. Eco-homes are not as established as other types of homes within architecture, and therefore are open to more experimentation when being created. Aspects of eco-homes can also be incorporated in already built houses and buildings throughout many different environments. Eco-homes are also influenced by other forms of eco-living spaces. In order to show this, I have included three photos that show different ways eco-homes can be integrated and seen all over the world.

Themes:

The main themes explored in this portfolio are how eco-homes are not only a cleaner way of living for oneself, but for the environment as well. Eco-homes support the idea of living more sustainably, and in some cases completely independently. There are some eco-homes that can provide everything needed to sustain a modern life, and others that use modern aspects and technology to work towards this goal. Eco-homes also create a connection to nature through living, as it becomes a part of everyday life. This connection creates a deeper understanding and appreciation for nature, as it becomes art in or around one’s own home.

Analysis:

Each of the following photos outlines a different way eco-homes can be seen in different cultures and areas and how they have impacted the environment around them.

Green Roof at the Virginia Living Museum in Newport News, Virginia by Ryan Somma licensed under CC-BY-SA-2.0.

The image above shows a roof that is located at the Virginia Living Museum in Virginia in the United States. This building is not only eco-conscious on the outside but throughout as well. The building is made from recycled and sustainable materials. On the outside, it displays plants that are native to Virginia, showing that these eco-homes and buildings are designed specifically to the places they are found. This also helps support the local ecosystem. The people who visit this area are able to educate themselves and learn about the carbon footprint they are producing in their traditional homes, and how to reduce it by introducing aspects of an eco-home into their lives.

The building and roof act not only as an educational resource but also an art form. The green roof is displayed in a “living museum” so those who visit are able to appreciate it. The roof being on display as art allows viewers to see nature as something more- as something beautiful. It opens a new pathway to what can be seen and appreciated as art, and how eco-homes and eco-living are becoming a part of it.

Fern House in KL Forest Eco Park by Teacherhalia licensed under CC-BY-SA-4.0 self.

Represented here is part of the KL Forest Eco Park located in the large city of Kuala Lumpur. Kuala Lumpur is a major city, and this eco park provides a green space for visitors and locals alike to catch a breath. The eco park gives those who visit a sense of what a greener life is like, with breathtaking views and educational stops throughout. The park is filled with native plants, and gives a home to many local wildlife species. The fern house specifically shows how easy it is to fill even a small space with plants and greenery, and is made of materials that could be used at home. Once again, the eco space is tailored to the area it is located in, meeting the needs for a place like Kuala Lumpur.

The amount of greenery found throughout the park is a change of pace for the bustling city of Kuala Lumpur. One goal that the park achieves is raising awareness for how important it is to include nature in everyday life, and tries to educate those who visit on how to do this. The park is also art in and of itself because of the beauty it brings to the surrounding area, being the focus for over thousands of pictures on social media platforms.

Eco House at Crossway Photo © Julian P Guffogg CC-BY-SA 2.0.

The house at Crossway is the best example of an eco-home in action in this set of photos. The house is located in Kent in the United Kingdom. It combines aspects of the two photos before to create a livable eco-home. The home has an arched roof, lined with greenery, that supports wildflowers of the area, and also regulates temperature inside the home. The house is a certified sustainable living space and has many attributes that allowed for its certification. It has solar panels, handmade bricks, rainwater collection, recycled insulation, recycled flooring, etc. This eco-house is a prime example of how to minimize impact while maximizing living, as the carbon footprint produced from this home is significantly less than a traditional home.

The home was designed by renowned architect Richard Hawkes, who focuses on sustainable living in his work. Architecture is one form of art that can be interacted with, and can most certainly be appreciated by the masses. Architecture as an art form intertwined with nature can create a deeper understanding that something that is so standard as living in a house can become so much more. It can become a cleaner way to live and support the environment.

Application:

Keeping the environment clean and lessening the impact that people produce on the environment is important in making sure that the world continues to thrive. While it may seem hard to start, or unattainable, there are things that people can incorporate into their homes everyday to work towards this goal. Things like solar panels, planting native flora and fauna, implementing a green outdoor space, etc. Once the relationship between nature is formed within a home, it is easier to see how important it is to continue creating a cleaner environment. There are many ways that people support their environments; gardening, activism, painting and murals, music, etc., but eco-homes and support behind closed doors is not talked about enough. The ability to also create this bond of nature through the home and incorporate that in art is also a special one, because it becomes so unique and can inspire others to do the same. Eco-homes are important because bettering the environment should not be exclusively a community project, but a personal one as well.

Jenna Dempsey

Jenna Dempsey

“Man With a Guitar” by Georges Braque licensed under CC BY-NC 2.0

“Georges Braque, Man with a guitar” by f_snarfel is licensed under CC BY-NC 2.0

“Trash People” by Ha Schult licensed under CC BY 2.0

“‘Trash People’ by HA Schult” by dbking is licensed under

CC BY 2.0

“Washed Ashore: Art to Save the Sea” by the Smithsonian’s National Zoo licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

“Smithsonian’s National Zoo presents “Washed Ashore: Art to Save the Sea”” by Smithsonian’s National Zoo is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

Preface: My name is Jenna Dempsey and I researched garbage art/recycled art. The title of my work is “Recycled/Garbage Art’s Impact and Hidden Meaning.” I chose the license CC BY-SA

Introduction: I focused on garbage art or recycled art as a whole. I began by researching how garbage art began; it all started with collages. Two big college artists are Pablo Picasso and Georges Barques. Garbage art started to grow in popularity over time as pollution increased and more artists incorporated other materials in their work (hence collages). Three pieces of work I feel really capture the meaning and history of garbage art are, “Man with a Guitar”, “Trash people”, and “Washed Ashore: Art to Save the Sea.” The meaning and background of most of these art pieces have similar backgrounds and have similar end goals. Garbage art has a great impact on our work today; possibly greater than any other artist expression. This artistic expression really puts meaning to the saying “ones mans trash is another mans treasure.” Today, there are many well known trash art artists; some examples are, Khalil Chishtee, Ptolemy Erlington, Ha Schult, and many more!

Themes: Recycled art can have many meanings or themes behind it. Two I feel really speak to me are, new life and human flaws. New life erupts with the creation of a new piece of work. Digging a little deeper, there is a greater meaning of new life. Garbage art utilizes trash from other people usually found somewhere within the environment. Every time someone picks up trash off the ground (even just one piece), this helps save the world. That one piece of plastic could’ve made it into the ocean killing a turtle, a fish, a bird, etc. With these artists eliminating trash they are allowing animals, fish, plants, etc. to live a longer and healthier life. This will also allow more offspring to be created  ultimately leading to the creation of new life. Picking up just one piece of trash can save so many species and help the world in ways people may not recognize.

How can garbage art really point out human flaw? Well, all the trash these artists are using come from people. The Smithsonian’s “Washed Ashore: Art to Save the Sea” only utilizes trash from the ocean. Without human flaws, we wouldn’t have this much trash readily available. “Trash People” by Ha Schult only uses trash picked up along streets and towns. These artists aren’t using their own trash or recycled garbage. They are going around picking garbage up that was placed/thrown wherever humans please. A big flaw of humans is lack of consideration for the environment. One of those careless acts is littering. These pieces show how much garbage there really is. If is wasn’t a big issue, artists wouldn’t emphasize it in their work. Additionally, there wouldn’t be so much trash readily available to make an abundance of these pieces! These pieces may be beautiful but, the world would be much better place without all this trash in it.

Analysis: Each of these three pieces come from different times and artists but have similar background information. “Man With a Guitar” by Georges Braque was created in 1912. It is currently on display at the MOMA in New York City. Braque collaborated with Picasso on this piece; they wanted to challenge the use of space but also incorporate the intensity of their time. This is a little different than the other two pieces because, during the 1912’s compared to the world we have today, peoples focuses were different. Back in the 1912’s there was a lot of fighting and war. There wasn’t as much “peace” as we have today. Also, todays people are much more materialistic with their items and don’t connect with the world and their environment as much. This is an important piece because, their work led to todays version of garbage art.

“Trash People” by Ha Schult was created next. It was created in the 1960’s to shed light on, the environmental use of plastics and the waste generated by people. During this time period, some people were still living in towns where garbage might have been thrown out the window with no care for the environment. Others, were able to live in nicer towns where sanitation was a thing. Schult gathered a group of about 30 people to collect trash from around the area they were working. Then, they brought the trash together to build these sculptures to put on display. The trash people were then displayed in areas where many could see so they could recognize what they were doing. He traveled around building these people in different locations to point out that these problems occurred everywhere! Ha Schult was a big advocate on the environment and spoke a lot about needing politicians that would be willing to make a change.

Lastly, the Puffin is part of a project at the Smithsonian National Zoo. On display, are many animals made out of debris and trash washed ashore along the ocean. The artist wanted to point out the dangers of pollution and become an activist for the environment. These creations were made within the past 15-20 years. The ability to create so many large masterpieces shows how pollution and littering is only getting worse over time. All three of these pictures could represent artists trying to reach the younger generations to force change. They could also foreshadow future events of filling the world with more trash instead of cleaning up the environment.

Application: Recycled art was created to shed light on the worlds issues. Each art work I picked is from a different time period but they all depict similar messages and meanings. “Man With a Guitar” has the same depressing feel as the two others because of its lack of color. It lead to the creation of recycled art which is why I chose it; it gives the history of this artistic expression. It portrays a bit of a different meaning but it is still challenging ideas of others. “Trash People” and “Washed Ashore: Art to Save the Sea” both challenge peoples ideas that the world we have made today is okay. In reality, it is not; we are killing our environment out of convenience! These works show how society has evolved from war to a war with littering (human flaw). This artistic movement points out how people have changed their focus from surviving off the environment (ex. hunting and gathering) to thriving in this world without relying heavily on the environment. This in turn, effects the world in many ways and some of the effects can’t be seen with the human eye so, people turn their backs to the issue. Each image depicts the society they were created in, in a different way.

Reilly Turner- Architecture: Individualism and Collectivism

Preface:

Hello, my name is Reilly Turner, and this portfolio is titled Architecture: Tying Individualism and Collectivism. The licensing for this portfolio is CC BY 4.O.

Introduction:

The focus of this portfolio is giving a greater understanding of how architecture is an art form that showcases original ideas and imaginations that allow one to stand out from the rest. In doing so, the artist can create a unique experience that draws people together to communicate and collaborate as a community. This newfound communication is what defines cultures found all over the world.

Themes:

The first theme that I will be focusing on within this portfolio is individualism. Architecture is a form of art that allows an artist to think outside of the box and create something unlike anything before. In many cases, ideas that dwell outside standard practices are usually scrutinized before they are given a fair chance to be appreciated. The second theme that will be discussed is collectivism. Eventually, architecture that was once scrutinized is now idolized and cherished by many, thus defining their culture. This process is seen all over the world.

Analysis:

The three images I have chosen below to show the connection between individualism and collectivism in architecture through a step by step process.

Image #1

“Courtyard of the Louvre Museum with its pyramid” by Benh LIEU SONG licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0

This first image shows the Louvre Pyramid which serves as the entrance to the Louvre Museum. In 1984, I. M. Pei, a Chinese-American architect was commissioned by then President of France, Francois Mitterrand, to construct an entrance to the Louvre Museum that would allow for an effective way to disperse the large amount of visitors that the original entrance could no longer handle. Pei was able to create an underground system that would successfully circulate the visitors throughout the museum. The glass and metal pyramid would serve as the main entrance and upon entering, you would be directed to an underground reception where you would find a system of public spaces to view all the art displayed.

Pei’s ideas and visions were unlike anything seen before in France and deeply resonate with the theme of individualism within architecture.

Image #2:

“The Courtyard of the Louvre Museum during the day” by Alvesgaspar liscensed under CC BY-SA 3.0

The second image shows the Louvre Pyramid once again, but this time people can be seen outside. I chose this image because I believe that is shows the second part of the connection between individualism and collectivism.

With finding success, Pei also found scrutiny from the French people. They believed that the enormous glass and metal pyramid was an eyesore to the historic French Renaissance style of the Louvre Museum. At one point it was believed that ninety percent of the French Public was against Pei’s architectural ideas. However, upon opening to the public, an experience like no other was created.

Image #3:

“La Tour Eiffel vue de la Tour Saint-Jacques, Paris” by Yann Caradec licensed by CC BY-SA 3.0

Shortly after the reopening of the newly remodeled Louvre Museum, it quickly became one of the most idolized sites within the city. Today, Pei’s creation competes with the Eiffel tower in defining the landscape of Paris. The Louvre Pyramid continues to play a vital role in defining the Parisian culture and brings together thousands both locally and globally each day.

I chose this final image because it showed Paris collectively, which was the second theme to be discussed within this portfolio.

Application:

The Louvre Pyramid is one of many examples of how architecture is a form of art that promotes both individualism and collectivism. I believe that the story behind this famous landmark successfully captures and connects both themes discussed in the portfolio. Architecture can reach cultures all around the world as well as bring many together. Like most art forms, I think that the connection that was made between an individual and the community can similarly be experienced in everyday life. I believe that these deep connections are the foundation as to why art resonates with so many.

Case Eastman - Environmental Sculptures and Paintings

Case Eastman

Nest by Nils-Udo

Equilibri by Michael Grab

Lives of Grass by Mathilde Roussel

Preface:

Hello, my name is Case Eastman and this is my portfolio on Environmental Sculptures and Paintings. The Creative Commons license I have chosen is CC BY.

Introduction:

My portfolio is all about Environmental Sculptures and Paintings and how much good it does for the world. Environmental Sculptures and Paintings are made to show how things from the environment can be made into beautiful works of art. Some sculptures include art made from trees, rocks, and sometimes leaves. Artists such as Nils-Udo and Andy Goldsworthy make beautiful works of art that represents how fantastic the environment can be.

Themes:

There are two themes that Environmental Sculptures and Paintings presents. The first one is that it shows the beauty of the environment and why we should do whatever we can to save it. The second theme of Environmental Sculptures is that it works in harmony with the environment rather than disrupt it. Many artists use Environmental Sculptures and Paintings as a way to show that we can use it instead of destroying it.

Analysis:

I have added three images that relate to the subject of this portfolio. The first image that I have chosen is Nest by Nils-Udo. Nest is a painting by Nils-Udo that illustrates a birds nest in the middle of a forest. In contrast to the two other pictures, this is a painting not a sculpture. A painting, in my opinion, can capture more of the environments beauty than a sculpture can. The second picture I have included is a picture of a sculpture called Equilibri by Michael Grab. This sculpture has several rocks balancing on each other

Jevonte Stewart- Chicana Art

Kevin Milakovic

Kevin Milakovic

“therapeutic-garden-round-herbs-seating-400×600” by SouthendBC is marked with CC0 1.0

“Lavendar Farm” by woodleywonderworks is licensed under CC BY 2.0

“Bad Pyrmont – garden” by Kathleen Tyler Conklin is licensed under CC BY 2.0

Preface: My name is Kevin Milakovic and my portfolio is on “Therapeutic Gardening”. The type of license that I will be using is CC BY 2.0

Introduction: In my portfolio, I will be investigating Therapeutic Gardening. I will be looking into their usefulness. In addition, I will be giving a brief history of Therapeutic Gardens, as well as, going over their current usage. I will be reviewing Dr. Benjamin Rush’s involvement and how hospitals have incorporated Therapeutic Gardens.

Theme: The themes of Therapeutic Gardens include peace, and tranquility, and a sense of healing. The gardens provide an escape. The theme of peace is seen while you sit and admire the garden. You can escape from your reality to a place of peace. You forget your troubles and just enjoy the space you are in. In essence, you find a place that is tranquil and calming to you. This can happen while you are just sitting watching the garden or while you are gardening. The gardens let your mind wander to a happy place or time, or it can give you a new focus. You can forget about your troubles while you are focusing on the garden whether it be by creating the garden or tending to it. The garden helps with your healing and It helps give you a sense of wellbeing. Nature has its own healing power. Just looking at the greenery gives a calming effect; it lifts your spirits. The second of the themes that I will describe is healing. This is based on the gardens being a form of therapy for people. They are seen in some hospitals but not all and they are thought to relieve stress. Interacting with nature has a therapeutic effect and aids in healing. Nursing homes are incorporating gardening in their activities to lift the spirits of the residence.

Analysis: What is therapeutic gardening? Therapeutic Gardening is the use of gardens to meet people’s needs and relieve them of things like stress, tension, and anxiety in addition, to lifting their spirits, increasing health, happiness, and quality of life. It is said to have begun in 2000 B.C in Mesopotamia. However, there is no easily accessible information on those gardens. The next example of therapeutic gardens does not appear until about 500 BC. At this time, it was run by the Persians. The Persians were said to have created gardens to please every sense. Examples of gardens like that can be seen in the photos above. It was not until the 19th century that the United States understood this type of garden. Dr. Benjamin Rush was the one who first used gardens as a way of treatment for his patients and reported it in his work. His work showed that gardening had benefits for people with mental illness. As a result, this type of garden was and still is used in hospitals around the world. It has been shown to help improve memory, task initiation, cognitive abilities, language skills, and socialization along with increasing health, improving mode, and quality of life. The gardens use various colors, textures, and plants to create beautiful spaces.

Application: Therapeutic gardens are very important. They provide a sanctuary for the mind and soul. While gardening you focus on the garden, the beauty of the plants, your surroundings, the greenery! You forget about your troubles and are transported to a time and place that is peaceful where you focus all your energy on the task at hand. You can be planting the garden, caring for the garden, or just enjoying the beauty of the garden. Therapeutic gardens use the healing powers of nature. They can even be used as a treatment in some hospitals.

Caleb Peterman- Ephemerality: The philosophy of Goldsworthy Land Art

Preface: I am Caleb Peterman and my portfolio, “Ephemerality: The philosophy of Goldsworthy Land Art,” focuses on Andy Goldsworthy’s environmental art and the portrayal of the finite. It will be licensed under Attribution CC BY NC. [CC BY NC 4.0]

This portfolio will feature Andy Goldsworthy’s unique style of physical art and the fleeting nature of life that It captures. Goldsworthy’s arrangements use only naturally occurring objects, such as stones, leaves, twigs, branches and the like, a unique style known as ‘Land art.’

The two themes Andy Goldsworthy’s art conveys is the finite nature of life itself and the unstoppable passage of time. The Finite nature of life is constantly portrayed by the materials in which he uses to create his works, which, by the way, are only ‘preserved’ by photographs of people who happen to witness his works. The passage of time is also conveyed, not by the content of the works themselves, but how they are meant to slowly fade away as time takes its course. Leaves will scatter in the wind or wash away in the rain, stones will erode away, and sticks will corrupt and rot. In order to allow nature to do its work, Goldsworthy uses natural materials exclusively, and makes good use of them.

I have selected 3 images to capture what Andy Goldsworthy not only stands for, but lives for. These images also perfectly display what makes his work so profoundly effective.

This image is licensed under Creative Commons Zero

The first image is that of leaves scattered around a tree to give an unnatural glow at the base of it. There is nothing being used here other than the placement of leaves, and yet it looks so smooth, so organic and cohesive that you could be forgiven for mistaking them for a glow emanating from the roots of a tree. And yet, for how painstakingly meticulously crafted this is, the only thing left of it is a single photo taken shortly after its completion. In its very conception it was doomed to disappear, and yet Goldsworthy creates it anyway. This particular work goes to show that terminality has no bearing on beauty. Experiences like this are worth ending, simply to have had it and enjoyed it while it lasted. It’s the very thing that makes life worth living: the moment. From the breathtaking events we experience perhaps once in our lives, to the daily highlights that we risk taking for granted, no moment is to small to make our time here worth the end. What better way to illustrate this concept with than such a stunning, yet short-lived artwork?

This image is licensed under Creative Commons Zero

In the particular vein of ‘no moment is too small,’ the second image is indicative of just that. Here, we have a small, quaint work. One which I believe takes elements of his ‘rain shadow’ and elements of his leaf arrangements to capture both of his themes at once. Created by preserving a part of his ‘canvas’ through various means, and letting the rest become affected by the elements for a period of time, this particular image not only emphasizes the more miniscule side of life worth experiencing, but also the relativity of the passage of time, showing an part of an object affected by change, along with a part seemingly unaffected at all, or representative of its previous state.

Beach Circle by Paul Downey is licensed under CC BY 2.0

The third image here displays an interesting aspect of not just the themes of his art, but of Goldsworthy himself. As the son of a mathematician, his use of geographical shapes in his art is evident and apparent. The precision by which he constructs these pieces, despite their ephemeral nature, is reflective of his upbringing, to the eye of this observer.

While many environmental artists set out with a statement, or a revolutionary axiom by means of which they wish to see the world made anew, Goldsworthy’s art shows us to focus not just on what we must achieve, but on what we have now, here, and right in front of us. Too often we as a society are looking for what’s wrong in this world, or what problems to solve, and we neglect to look for what’s right with our surroundings, and ourselves. Goldsworthy’s art is a stark reminder that we do not have forever here. So, in all that time we’re out in our lives searching for what needs to be fixed, we should also find some time to find what makes us happy, and why we’re here in the first place, not in the framework of how we got here, but of why we choose to stay.

Fouad Braimoh

“Eat pie of trash” by Blu is licensed under CC by 2.0

“Eating the earth” by Blu is licensed under CC by 2.0

“Environmentally destructive graffiti” by Fadmaa Farasha is licensed under CC by 2.0

Preface: My name is Fouad Braimoh and my portfolio is on environmental awareness graffiti. The license I will be using is Attribution 2.0 Generic (CC BY 2.0). No changes were made to the artwork that is used.

Introduction: My portfolio is about Environmental awareness graffiti and how it portrays the problems of the world. The first two art works are done by an artist called Blu, the first work shows what the earth is currently built upon and how the ground is infected with oils and plastic which affect the earth, its environment and wildlife. The second one shows how elite in the world are profiting from the damages they inflict on the earth and have little to no regard for the environment and the masses. And the last photo was captured by a graffiti enthusiast called Fadmaa Farasha under a bridge. it shows how real news on environmental matters are either left unattended or lied about in todays world.

Theme: The theme I get from the first two above artworks is that humans have misused and abused the planet and the art works are trying to bring about awareness to the issues with humans and the earth. The theme in the third image is that the media is ignoring environmental issues and spreading fake news to its viewers.

Analysis: The first image I chose which was made by Blu in Italy in 2010, it signifies the hidden damage humans inflict on the earth.

The Living Pyramid- Social Ecology

Agnes Denes, “Living Pyramid” a pyramid of real flowers that is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

Agnes Denes, “The Living Pyramid” side view is licensed under CC BY-NC 2.0

Agnes Denes, “The Living Pyramid” tourist view licensed under CC BY 2.0

Preface:  Hi, my name is Cassandra Capellan and this portfolio is on “The Living Pyramid” created by Agnes Denes. Her artwork illustrates and resembles social class and important environmental issues. I will be using Attribution CC BY. [CC BY 4.0] license for my portfolio.

Introduction:  For my portfolio I have chosen a structure created by Agnes Denes called the “Living Pyramid ” to illustrate social class evolution  in the meaning of art. The “Living Pyramid” was created to convey human dramatization, our deepest desires against incredible chances. The pyramid reestablishes itself as development does to society. The Pyramid was displayed in Socrates Park located in Queens, New York and celebrated for the ability to encourage audiences to think about history and ecology on social rankings.