WHAT IS ENVIRONMENTAL ART?

To many, environmental art is products, processes and presentations that help improve our relationship with the natural world. It is a living worldwide movement that is increasingly growing and changing with artists incorporating many terms with "environmental art" as an umbrella term to encompass "eco-art" / "ecological art", "ecoventions", "land art", "earth art", "earthworks", and "art in nature". 

Community is still working through distinguishing between contemporary activist “eco-art” approaches from earlier land and earth art. Communally though we can agree to the practical advice of "re-use, reduce and recycle" concept to serve as inspiration as we look at clarifying and communicating our love language for Nature and it’s inhabitants through whatever types of art forms and it’s intent

Environmental art can be “ephemeral”; matter not intended to be retained or preserved - intended to disappear or transform and designed for a particular space. Other “Eco-art” involves personal or collaborative art between artists and others, (such as scientists, educators or community groups in a distributed ownership manner) made to serve as a more permanent presentation. The form of an eco-artwork is often subservient to or emerges directly from its function.

Environmental art can encompass ecological concerns but is not restricted to. Initially, earlier history of the environmental art movement seemed to be more about art ideas than environmental ones. Another aspect was that art had more to do with activist concerns and art creations, which primarily celebrated an artist's connection with nature using natural materials.

 Some environmental art:

• Informs and interprets nature and its processes, or educates us about environmental problems
• Is concerned with environmental forces and materials, creating artworks affected or powered by wind, water, lightning, even earthquakes
• Re-envisions our relationship to nature, proposing new ways for us to co-exist with our environment
• Reclaims and rededicates damaged environments, restoring ecosystems in artistic and often aesthetic ways 
• Celebrates the aesthetics of nature; be it simplistic or majestic forms, and sometimes embellishes

Terms to understand:

Art: (noun)…the production of something beautiful or extraordinary. (Intransitive verb) …to exist or live.

Ecology: (noun) …the branch of biology dealing with the relationship and interactions between organisms and their environment, including other organisms.

Ecological: characterized by the interdependence of living organisms in an environment. This term is more specific to ecosystems and biological cycles. The term ecological art is less inclusive than environmental art.

Environmental: of or relating to the external conditions or surroundings; "environmental factors" 2: concerned with the ecological effects of altering the environment; "environmental pollution". Environmental art is a more general term, which could include recycled paper and energy policy. Environment can mean anything from "space" to "ecosystems",

Ecovention: (was coined around 1999). The term "Ecovention” refers to ecology and invention in partnership and describes an artist-initiated project that employs an inventive strategy to physically transform a local ecology.

Land Art:

"Land Art" is an older term from the 60's and 70's and more common outside of the United State and has survived in common usage and usually suggests that art is made outdoors on the land. Some Land Art works can be more conceptual and symbolic created by simple lines and geometric forms on the earth by simply walking: where as others believe land art has evolved into environmental art and using broader concepts to include ecosystems and incorporating environmental causes. Land Art addresses more than just a simple space.

Large-scale landscaping artworks are generally created by and in partnership with Architects and Artists with integrity to "Art in nature". Sometimes Land Art involves a wider range of materials including stones, sticks, and plants. Some artists try to achieve an intimate and often eco-friendlier effect by using land and nature as a medium for self-expression or to explore art ideas or simply showcase the beauty of nature.

"Earthworks" and "Earth Art" are widely considered a specific form of "Land Art".

Early “Earth Art” and a majority of “Land Art” are much more about re-shaping and ornamenting landscapes. In the past, some “Land Art” has made an emphasis on astronomical references rather than attention to ecology.

In Summary:

There should be further discussion and analysis as to how much many forms of “environmental art” actually end up benefiting the Earth. We are just scratching at the surface of what’s possible with “environmental art” as not many have even considered art for non- humans and how we can work to heal the relationships with the natural world in a symbiotic manner.

As we cherish former “environmental art” works and projects and strive to create an abundance of new “Eco-Art”, the movement’s diversity has yet to offer more robust and inspiring works and dialogue among artists and environmentalist.

Arts are a way to express the cultural and political voices of our day and by engaging and support more artists in this expression, regardless of the preference and territorialism of artistic terminology where nature and the environment are considered, I think it is agreed that the movement to draw awareness to the environment, celebrate the environment, and support environmental causes which serve to preserve and beautify are agreeably beneficial and an integral part of being inhabitants of this planet.