Sustainability in Art: 5 Artists and Their Works
Art and sustainability are two concepts that are so distant from each other but at the same time complementary. We take a look at 5 artists who have made a name for themselves in sustainable art.
Sustainable art is formed when art is brought to life in harmony with the principles of sustainability. Whether art is performed with the aim of raising awareness by addressing the problems of today's world such as ecology, society, justice, or whether the materials used are harmless to nature, art that aims to contribute to humanity and nature is sustainable.
It is very valuable for sustainability that art tries to mobilize society by raising awareness, warning and drawing attention to important social issues. The contribution of art to moving our world forward and to live in a healthier universe in better days cannot be overlooked. Let's examine the works of valuable and unique artists who appeal to wide audiences on this subject together.
Anonymous British artist Banksy, known for his street art, expresses social and ecological problems in his works with a clear expression, sometimes with text and sometimes with visuals. "I remember when all this was trees," which he brought to life in 2010, means "I remember when it was full of trees." In his work, he cynically criticized industrialization in America.
Italian figurative sculptor Lorenzo Quinn presents his art and passion in public spaces, including in different countries. We can say that Quinn is one of the most sensitive artists in her field, who wants to draw attention to environmental problems and invest in it. The sculpture Support/Support, one of the artist's most famous works, was created in collaboration with Halcyon Art International to support the action on behalf of the United Nations Climate Change.
Another artist who focuses on environmental issues is Canadian artist Aurora Robson. Robson creates sculptures, installations, paintings and collages from waste. The artist, who we can call a multimedia activist, creates different modern works of art with plastic waste in both digital and physical environments. He produced Wise Blood by collating his junk e-mails on paper. Did you know that even our junk e-mails harm the environment? In this work, our artist reminds us that we should delete our e-mails in order to avoid carbon emissions in vain.
What would Disney characters be like if they lived in today's world? This is exactly what Jeff Hong deals with in his work in the context of social, ethical and environmental issues. The famous illustrator's ironic approach to world problems makes one think while smiling. The artist, whose works appeal to everyone from 7 to 70, with his strong approach, reminds people that life is not perfect like in Disney movies and that we have to face the facts through characters.
Bettina Werner, an Italian artist living in New York, brings a whole new dimension to sustainable art. The artist, who successfully continued her adventure of creating sculptures from salt, which she started in the 1980s, is known as the "Queen of Salt." She creates different works by colouring the salt we know, and Werner is even known as the first artist in the world to use salt as an art tool. Werner, who has an important place in sustainable art, takes her place among our list of nature-friendly artists with the materials she uses.
