It can be argued that environmental art began with the Paleolithic cave paintings of our ancestors. While no landscapes have (yet) been found, the cave paintings represented other aspects of nature important to early humans such as animals and human figures. "They are prehistoric observations of nature. In one-way or another, nature for centuries remained the preferential theme of creative art." More modern examples of environmental art stem from landscape painting and representation. When artists painted onsite they developed a deep connection with the surrounding environment and its weather and brought these close observations into their canvases. Reproduced

courtesy of ARTES MAGAZINE, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Environmental_art

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It is possible to trace the growth of environmental art as a "movement", beginning in the late 1960s or the 1970s. In its early phases it was most associated with sculpture—especially Site-specific art, Land art and Arte povera—having arisen out of mounting criticism of traditional sculptural forms and practices which were increasingly seen as outmoded and potentially out of harmony with the natural environment. Reproduced courtesy of Jeffrey Kastner and Wallis Brian, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Environmental_art

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The expression sustainable art has been promoted recently as an art term that can be distinguished from environmental art that is in harmony with the key principles of sustainability, which include ecology, social justice, non-violence and grassroots democracy.  Sustainable art may also be understood as art that is produced with consideration for the wider impact of the work and its reception in relationship to its environments (social, economic, biophysical, historical and cultural). Reproduced cCourtesy of Maja Fowkes and Reuben Fowkes  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sustainable_art​ 

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Ecological Art, EcoArt

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Ecological art a.k.a. EcoArt is an artistic practice or discipline proposing paradigms sustainable with the life forms and resources of our planet.  It is composed of artists, scientists, philosophers and activists who are devoted to the practices of ecological art.  Historical precedents include Earthworks, Land Art, and landscape painting/photography. EcoArt is distinguished by a focus on systems and interrelationships within our environment: the ecological, geographic, political, biological and cultural.  Ecoart creates awareness, stimulates dialogue, changes human behavior towards other species, and encourages the long-term respect for the natural systems we coexist with. It manifests as socially engaged, activist, community-based restorative or interventionist art. Ecological artist, Aviva Rahmani believes that "Ecological Art is an art practice, often in collaboration with scientists, city planners, architects and others, that results in direct intervention in environmental degradation. Often, the artist is the lead agent in that practice. " There are numerous approaches to EcoArt including but not limited to:

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• Works - revealing information and conditions primarily through image-making and object-making with the intention of stimulating dialogue.• Representational Arts

• Remediation Projects that reclaim or restore polluted and disrupted environments – these artists often work with environmental scientists, landscape architects and urban planners.

• Activist Projects that engage, inform, energize and activate change of behaviors and/or public policy.

• Social Sculptures – socially engaged, time-based artwork that involves communities in monitoring their landscapes and taking a participatory role in sustainable practices and lifestyles.

• EcoPoetic approaches that initiate a re-envisioning and re-enchantment with the natural world, inspiring healing and co-existence with other species.

• Direct Encounters – artworks that bring into play natural phenomena such as water, weather, sunlight, plants, etc.

• Didactic or Pedagogical Works that share information about environmental injustice and ecological problems such as water and soil pollution and health hazards.

• Lived-and-relational Aesthetics involving sustainable, off-the-grid, permaculture existences.

 

Reproduced  courtesy of Jade Wildy, Linda Weintraub, Aviva Rahmani, http://.sfeap.org, Rahmani, Aviva Paul C. Schroeder, Paul R. Boudreau, Chris E.W. Brehme, Andrew M. Boyce, Alison J. Evans, Kim Stringfellow, Jennifer Dionisio, Alyce Santoro, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Environmental_art 

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Contributions by women in the area of EcoArt are significant, many are cataloged in WEAD, Women Environmental Artists Directory founded in 1995 by Jo Hanson, Susan Leibovitz Steinman and Estelle Akamine. Reproduced courtesy of Jo Hanson, Susan Leibovitz Steinman, Estelle Akamine, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Environmental_art 

EcoArt definition: There is discussion and debate among Ecological Artists, if Ecological Art or EcoArt, should be considered a discrete discipline within the Arts, distinct from Environmental Art. A current definition of Ecological Art, drafted collectively by the EcoArt Network is "Ecological Art is an art practice that embraces an ethic of social justice in both its content and form/materials. EcoArt is created to inspire caring and respect, stimulate dialogue, and encourage the long-term flourishing of the social and natural environments in which we live. It commonly manifests as socially engaged, activist, community-based restorative or interventionist art. "Artists considered to be working within this field subscribe generally to one or more of the following principles:

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• Focus on the web of interrelationships in our environment—on the physical, biological, cultural, political, and historical aspects of ecological systems.

• Create works that employ natural materials or engage with environmental forces such as wind, water, or sunlight.

• Reclaim, restore, and remediate damaged environments.

• Inform the public about ecological dynamics and the environmental problems we face.

• Revision ecological relationships, creatively proposing new possibilities for coexistence, sustainability, and healing.

Reproduced courtesy of Sacha Kagan, Beverly Naidus, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Environmental_art

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