ECO ARTISTS: EMPOWERING COMMUNITIES AND RECLAIMING THE INTRINSIC VALUE OF MOTHER EARTH

Many artists across time and cultures have explored the intersection of the environment and art. This type of art may take the form of using media derivative of ecological zones; such as artists who use organic materials for aesthetic effect, to artwork that presents a visual exploration of our relationship with the earth. As we move toward even greater direr ecological concerns, artists have taken on the charge to use art as a tool to bring awareness and to critique unethical and unsound ecological practices. This new visual discourse is interdisciplinary and global. This presentation explores the messages presented by ecofeminist and Native American eco-based artists and asks to what extent has their art brought forth awareness and impacted change? Artists within this genre use the visual to inspire transformative change in regard to how we value ecological areas and seeks to empower communities to reclaim ecological zones that have been negatively impacted by socio-political motives. Artistic works by select eco-feminists and Native American artists will be presented and discussed.