Art as an Engine of Change

“In most successful movements for social change, artists are in the vanguard”,  says Adele Stan--who further states in an important article titled “Culture Manifesto:  The Increasing Importance of Art as an Engine of Change” (http://www.alternet.org/story/149258/) that “when the going gets tough, the tough make art.  And in America today, there’s some tough going ahead”.  Lastly, she suggests that “as we head into a new year, let’s renew our spirits with an injection of creativity.  As Emma Goldman told us, "a revolution without dancing is not worth having”.

I am posting this because I hope that in some small way the art I have recently done will help promote environmental awareness.  As I painted my “icebergs with plastic” pieces during 2009 and 2010, I simultaneously began to develop an increased consciousness of the reality and dangers of global warming and plastic pollution. In addition, I learned about the rapidly expanding global artistic community addressing these concerns. There is no doubt in my mind that this important community helps generate increased attentiveness to these problems through a variety of creative ways.

Below is my oil painting done in 2010 incorporating painted plastic pieces glued onto a 55" x 55" piece of gessoed watercolor paper.  I created a number of these works and now feel as though my series of these plastic iceberg picures is complete.  The works are my hypothetical explorations of what could happen to the alarming increase of plastic waste particles accumulating in the oceans.  I have imagined millions of plastic nanoparticles slowly evaporating into the atmosphere and then gradually falling back to earth as rain or snow.  Ultimately, some of this toxic precipitation would create glaciers and icebergs. 

The paintings are in some ways beautiful to me—especially because I love exploring the depths of the color of blue. Yet the pieces also represent my alarm and my worries about the destruction of our planet.  

Everyone has a talent or two.  Please use yours to help jumpstart social change.  In addition to this important job, you will also feel better when you engage your creative juices and as Ms. Stan says, you will “renew your spirit!”

Laughing on the Outside but Crying on the Inside

Today I painted my first self-portrait (based somewhat on the photo that is on this blog!) I know, I am smiling/laughing in this picture...the way I normally like to appear in the world--hey we all need more smiles.  But, in the painting I started and quickly completed this morning, I inserted a big, heavy, dark plastic tear falling from my eye.  The horrible shooting that happened yesterday in Arizona makes me cry--for the deep sadness that the families, the friends, the state, the entire country and the world is experiencing because of this senseless act.
I thought, what can I do?    The only immediate answer was to take brush in hand and paint my inner response.  Here is what I did:

and by the way, if you want to be informed about extreme hate groups in this country, please check out the Southern Poverty Law Center in Montgomery, Alabama.  (www.splcenter.org)  This organization monitors these groups and is dedicated to fighting hate and bigotry.  The center needs all the help you can give it.

Moving along with painting!

In yesterday's blog I showed two photos of a large piece (4 1/2' x 4 1/2') that I am working on.  Since the oil paint was not dry today, I decided to paint on a smaller piece of paper (20"h x 30"w) that had a quickly rendered old painting on it..a waterfall of sorts.  
After painting for a few hours today, this is the result.. a waterfall that has turned to a mix of ice and water flowing.  Many years ago I started doing geometric, hard-edged watercolors and I think that some of this edge detailing is evident in this painting.  Here is the new one I painted today which is titled "Flow" (until I can think of a better name)!

Next is one of my earlier watercolors where there is some sharp edge detailing.  This picture is entitled "Australia 1"--a memory of a visit to the area around Uluru-Kata Tjuta--Ayers Rock in central Australia--where the shadows were deep and the rocks red..a very powerful place.

Getting back to painting--Jan 3, 2011

The first week of 2011!  Art Time!  During the recent wonderful holiday season I did not put brush to paper at all.  But I was thinking about the work a lot.  I felt that I needed to turn my piece upsidedown, with the heavier, darker part going on the bottom instead of on top as I had originally planned.  I also convinced myself that I wanted to do a lot of drips.
Well, here are the results of working on the piece yesterday and today--no drips, one iceberg and a sunset in the background!..not exactly how I had originally imagined the piece.  Maybe my next painting will have lots of drips!
This piece feels almost finished.  I did put plastic in it, but less than what I have been doing.  I still plan to incorporate plastic in my future work--a visual reminder of how much this material surrounds us. This is what I did on January 2nd.

Here is January 3rd...with more emphasis on what is under the iceberg!

Hope everyone has an art-filled New Year!