The b-uncut blog

The eco-revolution

// November 12th, 2009 // b-scene // Jane

The whole world is going green! Art is no exception. From artists like Lynne Hull who are creating wildlife friendly art to the creative minds of pioneers Tim Pace and John T. Unger, who use only recycled material in their works, this seemingly new trend in art has been a long time in the making. Arguably, the real pioneers of green art were the Land Artists of the 1970’s like Robert Smithson (Spiral Jetty, 1970) and Walter de Maria (The Lightening Field, 1977). They chose the environment as the setting for their creations, drawing awareness to natural surroundings and bringing viewers outside the traditional ‘white cube’ gallery setting to experience the works.

Now, being labeled “green” is seen as trendy. With the current financial crisis and the looming threat of global warming, poor has become the new edgy and recycling the new hip.

Hull has taken the Land Art concept to a new level where her works are not only set in nature, but also benefit the natural world. Below: “Dancing Heron” (driftwood, Panama)

Unger and Pace collect unwanted and discarded material and transform them into something aesthetically beautiful. Below: John T. Unger’s “Bottlecap Fish Mosaic No. 21″ (plywood, primer, Bud Light and Izze bottle caps, recycled roofing copper), “La Siren” (Vitreous glass, bottle caps, stone, copper, glass eyes, Hardibacker substrate)

Tim Pace’s “Owl” from the series “Birds of a Feather” (recycled metal).

What do you think? Do artists have a social obligation as cultural influences to create eco-friendly art during this green revolution?