Have you ever come across a work of art that inspired you to make a change in your life? Well, I sure have and I’m not the only one! After conducting a survey with my peers, 66.7% of respondents indicated that a work of art has influenced them to do something good.
Indeed, art is a powerful medium that can be used to raise awareness on environmental issues. In the case of visual arts, the use of images and representations opens up new perspectives to others, allowing them to “reach new levels of intellectual maturity by responding metaphysically” to it (Khemji, 2018).
A visual artist whom I look up to is Diane Burko. Having collaborated with scientists at various research labs around the world, she is no stranger to ecological issues. My favourite work of hers is “Waters: Glaciers and Bucks” (2007-2011), a photography series documenting glacial movement in New Hope, Pennsylvania and Glacier National Park, Montana in the United States. Juxtaposing close up shots of a flooding canal in the top row against wide shots of melting glaciers below, viewers are able to get a bigger picture of how rising global temperatures can affect natural environments at different scopes (Science History Institute, 2017). The contrast created between earthy tones and white glaciers further emphasises the idea that the effects of climate change are not limited to a single type of landscape, calling upon viewers to reflect on the severity of the issue.
“Waters: Glaciers and Bucks” (2007-2011) by Diane Burko is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0
Looking at Burko’s work simultaneously stirred a sense of awe and fear in me. In sunny Singapore, these aren’t places you actively think about every day and it’s sad to see them melting away. Her work has further strengthened my resolve to be more conscious of my wasteful art-making practices and I hope that one day I can inspire others to make a positive change for the earth with my art too!
References
Khemji, A. (2018). Why art has the power to change the world. Medium. Retrieved from https://medium.com/@alyakhemji/why-art-has-the-power-to-change-the-world-c57def373d05.
Burko, D. (n.d.). THE ARTIST EXPLORER | DIANE BURKO. Retrieved from https://www.dianeburko.com/artist-activst
Science History Institute. (2017). Waters: Glaciers and Bucks. Retrieved from https://www.sciencehistory.org/waters-glaciers-and-bucks
September 11, 2020 at 3:51 pm
Hi Sarah! I agree that art is a powerful medium to increase environmental awareness. Sadly, the art industry in Singapore is still small, do you think it has the potential to be more influential in environmental education in future?
September 12, 2020 at 12:13 am
Hi Si Ying! I believe that the art industry in Singapore does have the potential to be more influential in environmental education. There are quite a few local artists who are actively involved in spreading the environmental message and one of them is Tang Da Wu. Some of his artworks like “Tiger’s Whip” (1991) and the “Earthworks” (1979) series explore environmental themes like endangered wildlife, as well as his relationship with nature. He often participates in community art initiatives to raise awareness on social or environmental issues, and I think that’s great. It will definitely take some time for the art industry in Singapore to grow but I have no doubt that it will play a role in environmental education in time to come.
September 14, 2020 at 6:01 pm
excellent reply to Si Ying’s Q. Shows a lot of knowledge.
September 13, 2020 at 4:41 pm
Hi Sarah!
This is an interesting post! I’m personally taken aback when I see pictures that depict our harm on the environment (Eg. Polar bears trying their best to balance on a small ice berg). However, I’ve always wondered if pictures may be photoshopped. Have you ever come across works that exaggerate our impact on the environment? If so, what are your thoughts about these works?
– Jo
September 13, 2020 at 5:33 pm
Hi Jo! That’s a great question. I have come across a photograph of a polar bear photoshopped onto the ice before, I’ll put links to the article in question and the photoshopped image below. I think that exaggerating such images or works is rather concerning as there is a risk of them being used to spread misinformation. Some people may photoshop these images as they want others to understand that climate change is a pressing problem. Unfortunately, they would still be inaccurate representations of the current situation and sharing them would only add to the issue of misinformation online. Using such images may diminish one’s journalistic or artistic integrity and discourage that creator’s audience from taking action to mitigate climate change.
Article that used a photoshopped image: https://science.sciencemag.org/content/328/5979/689
The photoshopped image that was later removed: https://science.sciencemag.org/content/sci/suppl/2010/05/09/328.5979.689.DC2/328_689_F1.gif
September 14, 2020 at 6:02 pm
It strikes me that Jo’s Q is so good that you might consider turning it into a post – would be a great way to do some primary research – and maybe an experiment. Your reply is great.