The Wonder Women 11: Eye of the Storm
exhibition offers several art pieces. Each of which has a connection to climate
change and other current environmental issues. 9 female artists represent their
residency project in order to bring awareness to “drastic changes in temperature, glacial melt, super storms, plastic
pollution, and contaminated resources.” Those 9 female artists take “science, data, and the future of life on the
planet” in consideration. Their goal is to inspire and educate others of
the negative impacts on climate change. Despite the fact climate change is
real, the majority of people especially the current government does not believe
in global warning. Former President Barack Obama was and still is a strong
believer in climate change. He in fact called global warming “urgent and growing threat to our national
security.” On December, 12 2015, former President Barack Obama and other
world leaders secured a global agreement. Obama’s battle to fight climate
change was reversed only two years later by the current president. The
Environmental Protection Agency under Trump, is set to go backwards again. By
doing so, Trump and his administration took another step in abandoning America’s
role as a global leader. Since December of 2017, global warming is considered “hoax”.
The artists from WW11 are
expressing serious threats to the United States and other countries with heir
art pieces. The three art pieces I chose are; Re-appropriating Nature,
UnderGround, and The Ark Project.
 |
| Re-appropriating Nature |
The Photograph “Re-appropriating
Nature” by artist Olga Mercedes Bautista, represents a shore front covered with
plastic waste and organic debris. The artist’s goal was to demonstrate how material
and consumer world is intertwined with our natural world. We no longer can
define what is organic and what is not. Our disrespect to nature is so predominate
in the psyche of the human being that it trashes the very existents of one’s
own environment. This photograph points out the very same garbage that we throw
out comes back to us in our waters. This photograph clearly points out how materialism
and nature become one. The way this art piece is addressing socio-political
subjects is how the human debris and the natural debris have become one on the
shores of our oceans. We are blindfolded form the direct connection between how
we exist and live with the pollution of air water, and land. Yet, we are part
of nature we disconnected ourselves from the rest of the species. From the immediate
consumer needs we disregard nature’s elements. Those specific artists are
pointing out the severity of the pollution that exists in our only world. By
creating artwork around this topic of climate change and pollution, these women
are becoming not only artist but also powerful activists. The power of media,
photos and pictures around poetical issues, are the true sayers.
 |
| UnderGround |
The second piece I chose from the exhibition
is the acrylic painting on canvas “UnderGround” by Linda Streicher. The name is
very important in this artwork since the artist tries do demonstrate the significance
of the ground under the earth itself and not only the underground in general.
The ground is essential for all organisms living on earth. As the artist Linda
Streicher described in her description, “the
soil and deeper layers of the earth provide a water filter system.” With
her powerful painting the artist tries to demonstrate how essential our earth’s
well-being is for all living beings. Only we human beings treat our only earth
as if there would be a replacement. Which ever toxins we human beings produce,
is being absorbed by the earth’s soil poisoning our waters and destroying our
o-zone layer. The painting represents blue skies with rain clouds, green
meadows, a sewer system and the ground below the system. In the picture we can
see how the water passes through the different layers of ground. Somehow it
feels as if the water on both sides of the picture is bleeding and flowing just
like blood. Which is an indication for contaminated water. The water we poison
ends back in our dwells. The artist also posted a list with all the elements the
water is contaminated with. Through our socio-political governments, we disregard
the original source that provides us life. The current politicians in power are
well aware of the situation but they do not care about future generations that
will be inheriting these ill borne and contaminated waters. It’s all about money!
Our earth today is severely polluted, these artists are here to express how relevant
these issue are in order to open our eyes and the eyes of the people in power.
 |
| The Ark Project |
The third art work I chose is by
artists Deborah Sperry. She created "The Ark Project" out of wood, paper, hardware
and rope. Her piece represents half an ark which indicates that it is sinking.
Her idea behind her work is, that due to the sever warm climate changes ice
bergs are melting and increasing the water levels. Due to the rising of the
ocean, many countries and cities are already experiencing tropical storms and
floods. The sea levels are continuing to rise and greatly impact life on earth.
“If high levels of greenhouse gas
emissions continue, they concluded, oceans could rise by close to two meters in
total (more than six feet) by the end of the century. The melting of ice on
Antarctica alone could cause seas to rise more than 15 meters (49 feet) by
2500.” The world will be under water sooner or later but currently it is in
our hands to slow this process down by eliminating green house gases and carbon
emissions. We human beings are largely responsible for climate change and
future generations of human beings and other living beings will get impacted negatively.
Since our o-zone layer is being destroyed, dangerous sun rays get through to
the earth impacting and changing the climate. As mentioned before, since water
level will cause many countries to be under water and many will have to relocate
to other countries. The artist chose an ark because of Noah’s ark. The story
behind Noah’s ark is to protect the species of earth from a deadly flood. The
artist chose half an ark to demonstrate that it will slowly sink and not be
able to save all the living being on earth once the water levels are risen. The
ark by the artist is covered by news and statistics about climate change and
the it’s dangerous impacts. The artist provided a pod with seeds in order to plant
more plants to demonstrate continuum of species. Our current political government
has taken a conservative stand on issues related to our government where
climate change does not exist.
 |
 |
 |
Thus, artists are coming to the forefront
in order to demonstrate the severity and depravity of current media issues and environmental
issues at hand. The art works bring awareness and consciousness to the viewer.
We humans have polluted our own environment which the artists have given light
to.
https://www.nrdc.org/experts/brendan-guy/trump-removes-climate-change-us-security-prioritieshttps://www.cfr.org/report/climate-change-and-national-securityhttps://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2016/03/30/antarctic-loss-could-double-expected-sea-level-rise-by-2100-scientists-say/?noredirect=on&utm_term=.133e859936cehttps://gothictimes.net/7926/arts/state-of-the-dysunion-by-joyce-yu-jean-lee/
No comments:
Post a Comment