There are currently many definitions of Environmental Art out there via Internet resources and publications. It is an excitingly evolving field. There is also a fine line between what one artist or critic constitutes “Environmental Art”, and what another does not. Simply put, however, here is my understanding of what Environmental Art is:

Art with the intention of healing of, education about and activism for the Earth.

Art, in its classic definition is “the creative expression of human emotion within an aesthetic context”. Ultimately, art is a form of communication. The focus of the environmental artist is to creatively express her/his connection, sensitivity, love and dedication for the Earth. This creative process reflects a certain ethic and value system. The result is not simply aesthetic, but also holds the intention of bringing conscious awareness to others, thus being an educational, political, spiritual and/or restorative act. Thus, Environmental Art is a tool for change. This may be aimed at a specific environmental issue, or for entire paradigm shift. An artist may hold the ethic of not using any toxic materials, or s/he may not. Environmental Art is not limited to any specific medium, nor in my definition are any excluded; it can also encompass any of the below combination, or in mixed media:

• Recycled Art- the reusing of discarded or found objects of human over-consumption through sculpture with the intention of bringing awareness of our culture’s wasteful value system.

• Organic Art- utilizing natural materials from the Earth, with an ephemeral and decomposable ethic, site specific in the landscape, or in a gallery setting.

• Painting- All forms of painting can be environmental if there is an intention for healing, education or activism with it. However, traditional landscape painting, per se, is not “environmental art”, however, a painting of a clear cut is.

• Photography and Video- The same applies to photography. The intention must be for healing, education or activism, not simply “nature appreciation”. There is enough “eco-porn” out there to actually do injustice to the movement, by giving the impression that there is enough beautiful nature “out there”, alive and well, so “everything must be fine”. Similarly, while documentation of the ugly devastation of the Earth has the intention of education and activism, it must not be overused with the counter effect of the flipside of “eco-porn”, which overuses the photo of the tortured animal to illicit mere despair. For more on this subject, see Daniel Dancer, "Indecent Exposure and the Search for Picture Perfect" from his book, Shards and Circles: Artistic Adventures in Spirit and Ecology. www.inconcertwithnature.com

On another note, while some critics do not consider “nude photography in the landscape” to be “Environmental Art”, I once again refer back to the artist’s intention. Nude photography can be used for exploitation, or for the purpose of aesthetic beauty. It can also be used to document an ecological truth and need for the purposes of healing, education and activism: the human species’ deep inherent interconnection with the more-than-human world.

• Performance Art- through movement, dance, music, theatre or ritual in public spaces, in nature, or in traditional theatre venues. Once again, there must be a specific intention to discern between “ritual” as powerful as it may be, and “art”.

• Installation- the artwork may be displayed in a traditional gallery setting or in an interactive installation space (in or outdoors), often in concert with multiple medias. Often the space helps to define the boundaries of the exhibit or experience. My definition of environmental art does not include the modernist design of a space – or a “ design of the human environment”. This is similar to the difference between Environmental Psychology and Ecopsychology (Simply put- the psychological effects of human made space on the human psyche vs. the psychological effects of the current ecological devastation of the Earth on humans and the interrelationship of we affect the Earth, the Earth affects us).

• Earthworks- in the early days (1960’s) of the “Environmental Art/Earthwork Movement”, this art consisted primarily of men (e.g. Michael Heizer, Robert Smithson, and the controversial Christo), usually with large machines bulldozing landscapes, “sculpting” them, or imposing objects upon them, with little or no respect to the landscape as a living organism. The earth and water became the artist’s canvas. However, in the process of working with, or on behalf of the Earth, Environmental Art is not about taking from the Earth, manipulating it, or using it for our own artistic aggrandizement, but rather, collaboration with the Earth. While these men were possibly the forerunners of the field, their work is now outdated and miss-categorized within the current paradigm of art as healing. The evolving definition of Earthworks encompasses design on a less invasive scale, more in the tradition of indigenous peoples and pre-industrial civilizations. (Who can say what is “invasive” or what is “collaborative” with the Earth, however? Does the land want to be “sculpted” or carved into? ) Once again, there is an ethic, a value system and an intention when defining “Environmental Art”.

• Restoration- directly transforming landscapes damaged from human impact for the purposes of various levels of restoration, reclamation, rehabilitation, regeneration or simply, healing. Once again, the intention must include an aesthetic context and artistic intention, to delineate it from a mere scientific act of ecological restoration or design. Similarly, it is not simply enough for the person/s doing the work to be “artists”. Usually this scale of work is a collaborative, long- term project, collaborative with humans and other organisms alike. Simply planting a tree is not an artistic act (although it may be a ritualistic one). That being said, there is a most famous work by German artist Joseph Beuys entitled, 7000 Oaks.

• Guerrilla or Political Art – is the infiltrating and reclaiming public spaces with an activist agenda; the unauthorized use of public space to address issues for the purpose of education and empowerment of the public, inciting action or justice through the use of posters, graffiti, street theatre, invisible theatre, street puppets, billboard sabotage, etc. Interestingly, it is this type of art in public spaces in urban areas that bridges the worlds of environmental, social and political issues.

To close, it must be reiterated that this is a huge and growing field of study and practice; one cannot keep up with the all the emerging artists in this field. It also must be stated that not everyone’s work that fits in the categories above identifies themselves as an “environmental or ecological artist”, they simply refer to themselves as artists. Where is the line between art and science? And between spirituality and science? The lines are blurred. Hopefully, we are reaching a tipping point in the collective psyche of our modern culture that indeed we can all acknowledge ourselves as being artists, creators and healers. More importantly, I hope that we can acknowledge that we are all speaking, working, and loving on behalf of the Earth. If you are still confused about the subject of what Environmental Art is, the best you can do is do your own research, make your own conclusions, and, of course, make your own art.

Julianne Skai Arbor, M.A., M.S. is an artist and educator, who has created curriculums, taught workshops and lectured in the fields of Environmental Art, Art Activism, Political Theatre, Eco-literacy, and Sustainability.

“Make Love With the Earth”

Julianne Skai Arbor

It is my deepest wish that my photographs inspire others to engage in the practices of interspecies communication, interspecies love, and to act always for the healing of, education about and activism for the Earth

We must fall desperately in love with the Earth if we are ever to help heal her. How can we, as the human species, remember our intimate, emotional, sensual, sensory and even sexual, relationship with the natural world? One effective way is to regain our intimate and creative relationship with the Earth through creativity. This just one step in our collective revolution to reclaim the Earth from the destruction caused by Industrial Civilization. I believe that there is nothing any of us should be doing with our lives except stopping those who control the destruction, and help to restore and heal the Earth.

It's All About Love

Instead of making war with her, the Earth is asking that we make love with her. I love to dance with trees; I love to make love with them. This is not some erotic fantasy; this is simply tenderness, reciprocity, energy exchange, active listening and intimacy. It is, at once, a physical, mental, emotional, and psychic relationship. It is an ineffable knowing, a mystery, an action, a reaction, a dialogue, and a bond of commitment, that starts with being present in the moment. Its about being humble with another species, another individual. As a photographer, I am placing myself in the landscape to show that nature (what’s left of her) is where we belong– sometimes naked, sometimes vulnerable, in humility, with our shoes off and the wind blowing against our skin, ears open, listening. We have forgotten this primal relationship. The more people who see this type of artwork will remember their own relationship with the more-than-human world.

Do something!

Like the movie, “Say Anything”, I am challenging you to do something. If you are a gardener who talks to your plants, you are on your way! The most important thing you can do is to open yourself up to listening to all of the natural world. Start in your backyard. Communicate with the trees, the plants, the animals, the insects, the rocks, the microorganisms you encounter everyday. Ask them what they need. Collaborate with them. And, like the Lorax, learn to speak for them. Art is communication. Photograph them. Paint paintings for/with/about them, Dance for/with/about them. Write poems and stories for/with/about them. Write songs for/with/about them and sing to them. Create sculptures for/with/about them. And, yes, plant trees! (and ask where they want to be planted (a-ha, this too is an aspect of permaculture).

For more Arbor liturgy, please see my Frequently Asked Questions /FAQ