By Tracie Tuttle–Art can be many different things: pretty, expressive, abstract. Art can also lead to change in society.
One example of this is through environmental — or eco — art. This is art that features themes revolving around the idea of reusing materials and using art to represent the damage excess waste has caused the environment.
Artist David Opdyke is very familiar with the concept of eco art in his piece titled This Land. This wall piece consists of more than 500 postcards placed artfully in gradually collapsing rows.
The artwork is more than just skillfully placed cards on the wall. Opdyke painted each postcard to have an element of destruction. This ultimately becomes part of the whole picture showing ongoing damage to the environment.
Another artist known for his environmental art is Chris Jordan. He is widely known for his photographs from his Midway collection that depict deceased birds with plastic in their stomachs.
This collection is a fraction of Jordan’s art that protests for change, like Running the Numbers II: Portraits of Global Mass Culture’s Venus, that depicts the number of plastic bags used every 10 seconds around the world.
Similar to the work these two artists have done, the Sustainable Environment Association (SEA) on campus held their very own Eco Art show where they asked students to submit art created with or about recyclable materials to help inspire more conversation about the health of our environment.
Several students submitted work. Pieces include a jellyfish made of plastic water bottles and a figure filled with plastic bags.
See more about Opdyke’s This Land HERE.
See more about Jordan’s art HERE.
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