Creating Sustainable Art

Everything natural and biodegradable is trending now. Many traditional art mediums, for example, oil paint, are not exactly environmentally friendly and artists and their admirers are considering alternatives.

Art From Nature on a Small Scale

Humans are starting to rebel against plastics and toxic chemicals. There is a dawning realization that if an effort is not made now, the planet will soon be too far gone to survive. Families are more likely to change their heavy use of fossil fuels and turn towards renewable energy in the form of an electric vehicle or a solar power system.

Artists are choosing to work with natural, non-toxic and biodegradable items. The idea used to be that art should be eternal. As beautiful as paintings can be, they have traditionally contained toxic elements, which often affected the artist or even the viewer. Arsenic, lead and cadmium, may not be as popular anymore, but some sculptors are still using everything from sharp pieces of metal to formaldehyde.

In the case of Damien Hirst's work, scientists have determined that his sculptures, which consist of creatures encased in vats of formaldehyde, are leaking fumes. This can negatively affect the health of museum staff as well as visitors.

Although some dangerous art is still being produced, some artists are actively trying to become greener. The key to finding healthier supplies for both the artist and the earth is to do research. Some companies claim to produce non-toxic materials, yet the warning labels make claims like "Only use in a well-ventilated area." To be safe, artists can try using all-natural pigments.

Art That Goes Back to the Earth

Other than painting, there are other types of art forms that will not cause pollution for future generations.

Young children have always used items from nature such as pinecones and leaves to make art. Of course, there are also ice sculptures that break down very quickly.

Artists also commonly use wood for, another biodegradable material, for sculpting, sometimes right from the trunk of a dead tree such as the Elfin Oak in London. Another example is the totem poles carved and painted by the Native Americans of the Northwest Coast of the United States.

Environmental Art 

Temporary outdoor installments have grown popular in recent decades. Some public art is planned and expected, such as PhotoVille 2020, a massive photography exhibit that took place in 25 outdoor locations around New York City in 2020.

Some street artists, have captured the public's attention and use their platforms to encourage sustainability. Banksy, the anonymous artist from England, is one such artist. He creates distinctive stencil-like art in public spaces, but, apparently, no one has ever caught the artist in action. An American artist, Shepard Fairey, also produces street art somewhat secretly. Fairey is probably most famous for his red, white and blue image of Obama. He is also known for other artwork aimed to spur people into action to preserve the earth while it's still possible.

Christo was an artist known for his environmental art. He created art on a very large scale such as draping entire buildings in material or placing a series of cloth panels on a walkway in Central Park. Although these installations are massive and expensive to arrange, they are also striking and attract many observers. Since the artist removed his work after a period of time, they were not left to deteriorate and disturb the local ecosystem.

Other types of environmental art are produced in a natural setting from items sometimes already in that setting, like sticks and rocks. These pieces don't even need to be disassembled since they'll biodegrade on their own.

The art world doesn't have to go totally green. After all, not all artists are suited for creating large outdoor sculptures or painting with totally natural pigments. As long as every artist considers what effect the materials used will have on the environment, each piece of new art will be a step in the right direction.