“Art can reveal truths that are hidden or denied. The inconvenient truths, the ugly truths, the inspiring truths.” - Kathleen Dean Moore, Orion Magazine
I’ve not yet written about the role of art in a place but I see it as a very important part of a place’s culture. Since we’ve been reimagining our places over the last few weeks, what better way to do so than through art, which can highlight beauty, reveal uniqueness, enhance awareness, and expose issues. This week, I hope you’ll take a look at how art, whether visual, musical, written, or theatrical, is integrated into the aesthetic experience, events, and institutions of your place.
In my place, a group of local citizens have crocheted poppies and sewn them together to drape the courthouse as a way of remembering veterans of war (see image above). As in most places, there are local art galleries and places that provide art education. My town is known for its floral displays and history, reflected in sculptures and plaques. People come from all over the world for the renowned Shaw Festival Theater. Local painters submit pieces that are used to wrap utility boxes. Musical offerings are abundant. Last week, I was in New York City and we took the train every day. I was struck by the addition of poems that popped up between ads in the train car.
The process of making art yourself can be a healthy way to process your feelings about your place, whether that be to express the beauty you find there, or grief at the brokenness or losses you’re seeing. Below are a few of my favorite place-based artists that I hope will inspire you to notice how art shows up in your place and to create your own art.
Artists creating Place-based Art
Andy Goldsworthy creates ephemeral land art. He works directly with the natural world around him, using materials at hand to create works of beauty for no other reason than that they are beautiful. He then photographs them because they won’t last; they’re eventually undone by the elements. To me, this is a metaphor for life itself. We are only here for a short while and have to work with what we’re dealt. So, make the most of what’s right in front of you with no expectations of lasting glory.
Karey Kessler and Meredith Nemirov create map-paintings. Nemirov uses aspen trees and topographical maps to imagine a Colorado with no drought. Kessler’s most recent exhibit was called Solastalgia, part 2 of her "Imagined Topographies of a Vanishing Wilderness" exhibit.
Solastalgia is a neologism, a combination of the words solace (or comfort) and nostalgia (pain, suffering, grief), that describes a form of emotional distress caused by environmental change. ~ Wikipedia
Edward Burtynsky and Chris Jordan are photographers who bring awareness to the effects of environmental damage. Burtynsky produces large-scale aerial photographs of devastation caused by mines and fossil fuel extraction. I got to know of Jordan through his project on Midway Island, photographing the plastic-filled carcasses of albatrosses.
Andy Marshall is a photographer based in England, whom I’ve long admired for his architectural photography. He instigated a project called, Spirit of a Place, where a group of local artists were challenged to interpret a particular street in their neighborhood through their creative eyes. The goal was to help the community reassess their relationship to the street.
Cristina Mittermeier and Camille Seaman are conservation photographers. Mittermeier is co-founder with her partner, Paul Nicklen, of Sea Legacy, which advocates for healthy and abundant oceans. Seaman’s photographs capture icy landscapes that are melting away. Her goal is to articulate that humans are not separate from nature.
Filmmaking is a powerful way to bring awareness to a specific topic in a specific place. Emergence Magazine offers many excellent films. One of my favorites is called Lost World by Kalyanee Mam (18 mins). It’s about the dredging of sand from Cambodia for Singapore beaches and how it’s destroying livelihoods and ecosystems, and preparing the way for climate disasters.
Practice
Notice and appreciate how art is celebrated and integrated into your place. What else would you like to see?
Most of us can’t travel to wild places. But we can create art right where we are. This week, create a piece of art that expresses what you feel about your place. It could be a photograph, a doodle, a painting, a video of a walk or a park, a nature mandala, or a recorded soundscape. Or, something else.
Last week, I took a screenshot of a map of my neighborhood. Each day, I traced my walk on the map with a different color. It was a fun exercise that created a colorful piece that depicted visually a week of walking in my place.
Whose art particularly inspires you in terms of sharing beauty, brokenness, or awareness?
Share what you’ve created or whose place-based art inspires you - on Instagram (add #seeingyourplace2022) or in the comments.
Resources
Creative Communities and Arts-based Placemaking via Project for Public Spaces; provides lots of great examples of place-based art.
How Art Can Help Defend the Natural World, an excellent conversation between Kathleen Dean Moore and Bob Haverluck via Orion Magazine.
EcoArt Network - is a membership community of ecologically minded artists who share their work, educate, and collaborate on projects.