Student: Marielle Bossio
Graduation date: May 2017
Type: Area of Interest (double major)
Date approved: November 2014
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Summary
“I went into the woods because I wished to live deliberately…” begins a particularly well-known passage of Thoreau’s Walden (Thoreau 1854). This iconic phrase for classic environmentalism makes us long for the days of the transcendentalists, escape from technology-filled lives and time out in nature. It is not surprising that many people become interested in environmental stewardship through ‘picturesque’ views of nature (literally reducing to a singular picture or “scene”) (Carlson 2011) or a peaceful place, which offers escape from the “real world”. Additionally, many self-proclaimed “environmentalists” would argue the necessity in understanding nature’s sacredness (Schalkwyk 2011).
But then, how is nature defined? Are “wilderness” areas and “protected” habitats actually without any human influences? (Lorimer and Driessen 2013) A critical look rediscovers the separation between “culture” from “nature” as a spectrum rather than definitive line, with emphasis on inter-connectedness. Common notions in contemporary thought believe in the Anthropocene, a geological epoch today on Earth where human influence has left nothing untouched.
Popular discourse today finds classic views of environmentalism insufficient in response to contemporary issues of the Anthropocene, calling for more modern, progressive solutions, and technologies (Shellenburger and Nordhaus, 2011). For some perspective, even contemporary thoughts traced back to Aldo Leopold’s A Sand County Almanac, argue that classic aesthetic appreciation of nature cannot meet the needs of contemporary environmentalism (Carlson, 2011).
With acknowledgement for environmental, this concentration examines how art has/does represent(ed) nature in the late modern era. In art history, this period generally spans from post WWII through contemporary day. Focusing on art from North America during several important artistic periods, I will examine ways in which artistic representations of nature shape the ways in which the late-modern culture defines nature and approaches notions of environmentalism.
Throughout the centuries, we find nature represented in art—whether in Friedrich’s “Wanderer by the Sea, transcendentalist poetry, Monet’s impressionism, Ansel Adam’s photographs, the writing of the beatnik generation, Pollock’s abstract expressionism, Joni Mitchell’s song lyrics, or propaganda and activism art of today—contributing to personal and collective meaning in the American late-modern era.
Though Thoreau would have probably been a part of classic environmental thought, his words seem applicable (even if slightly out of context) to goals of contemporary environmentalism. I would argue that living in the Anthropocene will require that people “live deliberately”—conscious actions with purpose and rationality. How can art, which appeals so boldly to the emotions, challenge environmental thought rooted in the aesthetic and serene qualities of “nature”? To me, this begs the question of idealization—Does art tend to idealize nature, and what kind of effect does this have on the population’s conceptualization of nature and environmental issues? After we have realized the unsatisfactory classic explanation of nature, how do we represent nature in art to redefine this relationship between humans and their environment? (Morton, 2007)
However, regardless of how we define it, there seems to be general consensus that environmentalism is heavily influenced by concepts of nature (Proctor, 2013). Additionally, in her article, “Ecological Art: A Call for Visionary Intervention in a Time of Crisis,” Ruth Wallen tell us that art will influential in inspiring action to environmental issues—but how, exactly? Historically, art has been used in many different cultures as an important way for conveying information, stories, the divine, etc., however, I wonder how influential art is on cultural understanding today and its importance and function in contemporary, North American culture. How does this differ from other contemporary cultures, historical cultures, and additionally, how can we use it to inspire action, determine and shape understanding of nature, the environmental movement and promote deliberate living in the Anthropocene.
References
Carlson, Allen. 2011. “Aesthetic Appreciation of Nature and Environmentalism.” Royal Institute of Philosophy Supplements 69 (October): 137–55. doi:10.1017/S1358246111000257.
Kleiner, Fred S. 2014. Gardeners Art Through the Ages: The Western Perspective, Fourteenth Edition, Volume II. Boston: Wadsworth, Cengage Learning.
Lorimer, Jamie, and Clemens Driessen. 2014. “Wild Experiments at the Oostvaardersplassen: Rethinking Environmentalism in the Anthropocene.” Transactions of the Institute of British Geographers 39 (2): 169–81. doi:10.1111/tran.12030.
Proctor, James D. 2013. “Saving Nature in the Anthropocene.” Journal of Environmental Studies and Sciences 3 (1): 83–92.
Morton, Timothy. 2007. Without Nature: Rethinking Environmental Aesthetics. Cambridge: Harvard University Press.
Shellenberger, Michael, and Ted Nordhaus, eds. 2011. Love Your Monsters: Postenvironmentalism and the Anthropocene. Breakthrough Institute. http://www.amazon.com/Love-Your-Monsters-Postenvironmentalism-ebook/dp/B006FKUJY6.
Thoreau, Henry David. 1854. Walden; or, Life in the Woods. Originally published by Ticknor and Fields, Boston.
Van Schalkwyk, Annalet. 2011. “Sacredness and Sustainability: Searching for a Practical Eco-Spirituality.” Religion & Theology 18 (1/2): 77–92. doi:10.1163/157430111X613674.
Wallen, Ruth. 2012. “Ecological Art: A Call for Visionary Intervention in a Time of Crisis.” Leonardo 45 (3): 235–42. https://login.watzekpx.lclark.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=aph&AN=73469868&site=ehost-live&scope=site.
Questions
- Descriptive: In what ways does art combine nature and culture? What are the different representations of nature in art, and how are they portrayed? (e.g. romanticized views of landscapes, or “nature” and the Anthropocene)
- Explanatory: What influences are behind portrayals of nature in Late-Modern American art? What, in the Anthropocene, has lead to conflicting views of nature? (This question is crucial in understanding motivations behind “nature” in art, and how art will be able to confront classic understandings.)
- Evaluative: Is there a bias in the way(s) nature is represented in Late-Modern American art? What is the benefit of a contemporary conception of nature? (Important in understanding what issues the art will need to be promoting or discussing.) Have artistic representations of nature been influential on the late-modern, American understanding of nature? What do current and historical representations of nature in art tell us about cultural and generational understanding of nature and environment? Do artistic representations cause an idealistic view or romanticized concept of nature?
- Instrumental: How can a contemporary/anthropogenic approach to environmentalism be conveyed/understood through future art? In what ways will our current generation’s relationship to “nature” be portrayed and remembered through our art? How can I use art as a lens through which to approach environmental issues? How can future art be a part of the construction of a contemporary view of nature? What types of imagery will help evoke a contemporary view of nature?
Arts and humanities courses
- PHIL 215 (Philosophy and the Environment, 4 credits). Pre-approved A&H course; no justification required.
- Art 451 (Special Topics in Art History, "Art and Memory" 4 credits). An understanding of how historical and contemporary (with a focus on late-modern) societies have used art in creating memories of cultural events, traumas, memoirs, and the ways in which we can use art to create our identities and to remember them.