Rongyuan Liu explores the effect that art has had on our environment and the ways in which creating art can be made more eco-friendly.
Artworks impress us with their aesthetic appeal and imaginative expression, but the process, from their creation to exhibition, comes at a considerable environmental cost. According to Julie’s Bicycle, a UK-based organization promoting environmental sustainability in the cultural sector, the carbon emissions of the global art market in 2021 was estimated to be 70 million tonnes of CO2.
This exceeded the carbon emissions of some European countries, like Greece and Austria. Among all the activities in the art sector, art fairs are the biggest source of emissions as they normally involve lots of travel and transportation, and require a huge amount of energy for heating, cooling, humidity control, etc.
It can also be argued that the production of art may contribute to the ever-growing climate crisis. From the materials used for art creation to the energy consumed in a studio, the entire process could be harmful to the environment. For instance, traditional oil paints and some cleaners contain solvents which are considered hazardous.
Apart from that, canvas, paper, and wood panels used for paintings come from natural sources and thus could aggravate deforestation. In an attempt to minimise the environmental cost of art and to reduce environmental issues, artists have made efforts in various ways.
“Environmental art” is an umbrella term that refers to a wide range of work that helps improve our relationship with the natural world and the art, in this context emerged as an art movement in the late 1960s. It includes land art, ecological art, and more. In the 20th century, alongside rising global concerns over environmental issues, many artists started creating works to increase people’s awareness of these issues.
“Environmental art” is an umbrella term that refers to a wide range of work that helps improve our relationship with the natural world”
Environmental art is an essential practice to cope with climate change and is an important part of environmental education. It’s not just because the idea or theme of it can push a positive environment change but deepen our understanding of a specific issue and motivate people to make an effort in their daily lives. Even though it is a pure representation of the beauty of nature, it helps create a sense of place and encourages us to admire nature as it is.
Environmental art also incorporates ecological concerns through the materials that are used. Some artists use natural materials or found objects in their art creation. For example, American artist Marina DeBris made “Trashion” from ocean waste to raise awareness about pollution. Similarly, german artist HA Schult, reused the trash and created his famous work “Trash People” to criticize the consumerism in the society and trigger a rethinking of how we deal with trash.
Scraps and leftover materials can also be used to create works of art. Irish artist Helen O’Leary has successfully implemented this practice. She transformed her earlier works and studio remnants into new artworks, emphasizing the ecological concept of reusing materials and exploring themes like the influence of the origin and the coexistence of fragility and resilience. Her current exhibition “Soft Spot” in county Leitrim would be a great chance to learn more about this artistic practice and her ecological thinking.
In addition to refashioning found objects, there are other tips to make art creation more sustainable. To reduce the environmental cost of art creation, artists could, first of all, use recycled and up-cycled materials for the artwork. These could easily be found in places such as recycling centers and charity shops.
The use of water or vegetable-based inks for printing and drawing and paints made from natural pigments and plant-based binders could be a more eco-friendly choice. As for washing brushes or other equipment, using non-toxic and biodegradable cleaners could largely prevent water pollution.
Art, in the context of climate change, is embedded with more ecological concerns and reflections of human-nature relationship. These practices might inspire more creative ways to make art sustainable.