Introduction from Andrew Brown, Art and Ecology Now - Reading Report

 

In this reading report on Introduction from Andrew Brown, Art and Ecology Now (London: Thames and Hudson, 2014), pp. 6–15, talks about the popularity of environment as a topic in art, not only for inspiration but for influence. “Environment is now firmly centre stage” (Art and Ecology Now, p.6)

To begin with, Brown tells us how this trend has been around for more than “five decades in the making” (Art and Ecology Now, p.7) and about how this topic can be expressed through conceptual art, performance and many different ways such as “passive commentator or enquiring researcher to visionary innovator or active interventionist seeking social and political change” (Art and Ecology Now, p.7). Reflecting how the topic of expressing the problems we are inflicting upon the environment is all over different medians. 

“There is also a growing awareness that the health of the environment is dependent on a set of interrelated systems” (Art and Ecology Now, p.7) meaning we have to have a greater understanding of  how to solve the problems the planet faces. For example artists collaborate with other specialists to understand the exact cause and affect of why our planet is in danger and to deliver such an important message correctly. 

“In many cases, the artist’s role is not, however, to provide definitive answers to these problems. Merely asking the question is often enough.” (Art and Ecology Now, p.8) I found this to be quite powerful because, this tells us how most importantly for example we need to see the planet is suffering in a similar way we suffer. Once we can relate we can feel sympathy or empathy for the planet and this can have a much stronger reaction which will lead to change. Brown states how showing people the problem is stronger then giving them the answer, because it provokes emotion which is natural just like the environment is. I believe scientists cannot achieve the same outcome, because they are somewhat the source of the problem.

 

On the other hand, brown declares how “Environmental art raises a raft of questions, from the aesthetic to the ethical” (Art and Ecology Now, p.8) this is the controversy of should real life threatening problems be degraded to an aesthetic art piece? and I agree with this as well, however, the pros outweigh the cons. The pros being how “artists who use conventional aesthetic means to make us look and look again at the way we treat the planet” (Art and Ecology Now, p.15) 

The cons being how artists use the topic itself for mere attention and how art isn’t really doing anything physically to make change. However, what it can do is encourage and inform people without them having to read a whole book for example, because it helps you understand something with your own words and questions. For example Brown says “Can art carry the weight of expectations that are being placed upon it?” In my opinion, it depends on the art piece, a simple drawing made with simple materials will not carry the weight it actually deserves for the issues it’s promoting. Although it’s simple contribution still helps. That’s what it’s all about, to help “engage local communities and garner broad support in ways that science alone can rarely do.” (Art and Ecology Now, p.8)

 “Nature was no longer something to be feared or revered but studied, understood, tamed, shaped to human will and made to work.” (Art and Ecology Now, p.9). Nature was tuned into something robotic and fake. 

Brown mentions many artists who approach the matter in a none aesthetic way such as “Mierle Landerman Ukeles’s eleven-month action Touch Sanitation (1979-80” where she went around New York to shake hands and thank 8,500 sanitation workers for keeping the city clean like she says “alive”. (Art and Ecology Now, p.13). 

“Mel chin, Lynne Hull and Kathryn Miller, was one of the first so-called ‘remediationist’ artists, who set out to ‘heal’ the planet through projects that cure polluted areas” (Art and Ecology Now, p.15) and more. Artists who actually went out to help and created something aesthetic as well. Perhaps because they helped nature, it restored it’s natural aesthetic on it’s own and that’s the beauty of the art piece. 

This links to my graphic media work because, we are also creating a poster to raise awareness of problems concerning nature, such as mine is about animal rights it will also have the same controversy of my poster not actually physically helping but only something to look at. However, like brown says it’s all about the questions that raise from that poster I will create, which will make people aware and with its aesthetic will make people keep looking till they understand. 

Overall, what I found interesting about the way Brown wrote this book was the fact that he considered all different artists’ approaches to the matter of saving the planet. Some did more than others but overall they all did something.