F. Quach^{* *}Correspondence: F. Quach, Department of Marketing, Griffith University, Queensland, Australia, Email:

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Introduction

Environmental art is a broad category of artistic practices that includes both traditional resentations of environment in art and more contemporary ecological and political works. A deeper engagement to systems, processes and phenomena in relation to social problems has replaced formal concerns in environmental art, such as colossal earthworks that use the substance of the earth as a sculpture. In the 1990’s, an ethical, restorative posture arose, leading to the development of integrated social and ecological approaches. As the social and cultural effects of climate change come to light over the past ten years, environmental art has been a major topic of exhibitions all over the world.

Description

Although it is not particular to them, the term "environmental art" sometimes includes "ecological" themes. It emphasizes the use of natural materials to highlight an artist's relationship with nature. The idea is best appreciated in the context of traditional earth/land art and the developing discipline of ecological art. The fact that environmental artists include concepts from science and philosophy makes the field interdisciplinary. Traditional media, new media and important social forms of creation are all included in the activity. The work encompasses a wide spectrum of landscape and environmental circumstances, including urban/rural industrial, suburban and rural.

One may argue that our ancestors paleolithic cave paintings were the first examples of environmental art. The cave paintings depicted various elements of nature that were significant to early humans, such as animals and human figures, even though no landscapes have (yet) been discovered. “They are ancient natural history observations. Nature has consistently been the preferred theme of artistic creation for ages.” Paintings and representations of landscapes are the source of more contemporary examples of environmental art. Painting directly in the en-vironment allowed artists to form a close bond with the landscape and its weather, which they then incorporated into their canvases. The skies in nature are “more accurately represented” in John constable’s paintings. Another example of the artist’s relationship with the environment is found in Monet’s London series. Since a landscape’s look varies constantly, in my opinion it does not exist in and of itself. Instead, the air and light in the surrounding area, which also constantly fluctuate in my opinion, give subjects their genuine worth.

Urban landscapes are included in the purview of environmental art. Mary miss, a pioneering environmental artist, started producing art in urban settings with her piece ropes/shore and continues to do so through her city as a living laboratory initiative. On a two acre dump site filled with urban debris and rubble, Agnes Denes developed wheatfield a confrontation, a piece in which she planted a field of wheat. The area has changed from being an ecological power to an economic power and is now home to Battery Park city and the world financial center.

Ecological art, also referred to as ecoart, is a type of creative expression that proposes paradigms that are compatible with the resources and life forms on our world. It is made up of people who are committed to ecological art practices, including artists, scientists, philosophers and activists. Earthworks, land art and landscape painting and photography are examples of historical precursors. Ecoart is differentiated by its emphasis on the ecological, geographic, political, biological and cultural systems and relationships that make up our environment. Ecoart raises awareness, inspires discussion, modifies how people interact with other animals and promotes a long term respect for the natural systems with which we dwell. It appears as activist, community based restorative, socially engaged or interventionist art. According to ecological artist Aviva Rahmani “Ecological art is a kind of artistic expression that directly addresses environmental degradation frequently in partnership with scientists, urban planners, architects and others. The chief practitioner in such process is frequently the artist.”

Conclusion

Eco artists disagree on whether ecological art should be separated from environmental art as a separate field within the arts. The eco art network has just developed a collaborative definition of ecological art that is “ecological art is a form of creative expression that upholds a social justice ethic in both its form and materials. Ecoart is produced with the intention of fostering compassion and respect, igniting conversation and promoting the long term health of the social and environmental settings in which we live. It frequently takes the form of activist, community based restorative, socially involved or interventionist art.” Focusing on the web of relationships in our environment and the physical, biological, cultural, political and historical aspects of eco-logical systems, as well as using natural materials and engaging with environmental forces like wind, water and sunlight, are common practices among artists who work in this field. They also educate the public about ecological dynamics and the environment.