The role of art in environmentalism
Examining the diverse impact of using art as a form of environmental protest
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Art has always been a powerful tool and has long been used for a multitude of purposes, from entertainment to propaganda. One such use that has always been prevalent is art being used as a tool for activism, specifically environmental activism, where many art pieces have been crafted specifically to spread awareness of environmental-related issues. An example is the work of the anonymous artist known as Banksy, whose graffiti works across all of England deal with topics like consumerism and greed. These pieces tend to have a variety of effects on people: some positive and some negative.
While environmental art has existed for quite a long time, it was mostly used to simply capture the natural world around them rather than as a piece to spread a message, akin to modern photography through our smartphones.
The politically charged environmental art as we know it today did not begin to take shape until the late 1990s, when artists began to contemplate the actual impact of their works on the environment. They considered how their pieces could be utilized to bring attention to issues taking place that were out of the public eye. In 1999, the term eco-vention was invented by Sue Spaid and Amy Lipton, which referred to the intervention of art in environmental degradation. Alongside curating an exhibition around this idea, the work of these two established environmental art as its own movement.
In recent years, people have become increasingly conscious of environmental issues like deforestation and climate change, greatly improving the effectiveness of environmental art in communicating its message. This is also helped by the sheer reach that art has over everyone because it is a medium that breaks through cultural and language barriers, allowing its messages to spread far and wide.
While creating art as a form of environmental activism has inspired a great deal of people, a separate movement focused on damaging art as a form of protest has done quite the opposite. Some environmentalists have turned to using food, like smashing cakes, on famous artworks to damage the artworks and spread awareness on issues. In 2022 alone, 38 of these “art attacks” were documented in museums across the world.
While the intention behind these attacks can be noble, they mostly have an adverse effect, with the public often regarding the activists as nuisances. Some argue that since these attacks are all the same in principle—where food is just smeared on artworks—they fail to draw any attention after a while and cause people to lose interest. At worst, it can cause people to downplay the works of actual environmental artists and ridicule their messages.
The role of art in environmental activism is quite significant, but the effectiveness of its message is ultimately dependent on its delivery. While artists like Banksy have shown the mass appeal and impact of their work, the destructive “art attacks” of protestors tend to turn people away from supporting their causes. At its core, environmentally conscious art works best when it uses creative ways to inspire people and challenge them without antagonizing them.
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