Art and Sustainability with Examples

What is Sustainability in Art?

There have been many movements that have looked to encompass how sustainability can be involved in day to day life! Art and sustainability are two things that have recently been combined, with many arthritis looking to create more sustainable ways to enjoy this activity! Art sustainability ecology is a growing phenomenon as more and more artists look to display the beauty of the natural world within their pieces! 

Art has been something that has been part of human history for thousands of years, with many famous artists looking to express themselves and their surroundings through the works that they create. Art and sustainability can work together in numerous ways, whether through an artist’s depiction of the world around them or through the actual materials used to create the art itself. Many artists have taken to developing pieces and structures that look to benefit the environment in ways that have never been seen before! 

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What is The Relationship Between Art and Sustainability?

Many do not realise just how much art and sustainability intertwine with one another and the very basis of each of these identities are actually very similar to one another. Sustainability looking to put forward the importance of ensuring that future generations are able to experience the same benefits and beauty that we experience today. ensuring that the things we do today do not impact the ability of future generations to live as we do. Art has a similar message and the creativity and designs that are created are often used to show the beauty of the now. Some of the most famous artworks of the past have been created to depict the beauty of a different time period and some of us are lucky enough today to get to see and experience these works! So art and sustainability may not seem like two concepts that would have much in common, the very basis of each of these identities looks to secure the perfection of the now and offer a chance for future generations to experience the same beauty! 

Art and Sustainability with Examples

When it comes to art and design sustainability, there are tons of different artists out there who are looking to progress within this new movement and create artworks that are both beautiful while still commenting on how intertwined art and sustainability are! The following few pieces are some of the most world-renowned pieces to display the art of sustainability and how these two concepts can walk hand in hand with one another. 

Vertical Green Garden by Jeff Koons

In order to promote the benefits of a green lifestyle, artist Jeff Koons created the vertical green garden, a massive artwork shaped in the form of a dog and covered with hundreds of coloured flowers. This beautiful structure promotes the relationship between animals and the environment while highlighting the beauty of having the natural world in urban places. As cities grow all over the world and more and more land is taken up with buildings and houses, understanding the importance of including the natural world as these changes are made is an important concept that is highlighted by Koons in this artwork. The beauty of the structure and its placement in a modern city offers a new and exciting take on urban development. 

Recycled Plywood Shavings Artwork by Henrique Oliveira

Plywood shavings are often discarded, not being seen as an item that can be recycled, but Henrique Oliveira wanted to show how even the smallest item can be used to create something beautiful and of value! Using old discarded shavings that would otherwise be seen as useless, the artist created an imaginative masterpiece that looks similar to the roots of a tree. This beautiful artwork says a lot about how even the smallest and most inconceivable objects can be recycled and turned into something amazing. Sustainability in art and design is commented on through this beautiful artwork in amazing and progressive ways, creating a platform where other artists can create and comment on art and sustainability! 

Cardboard Elephant by Nituniyo

Recycled cardboard does not seem like the ideal material to use when creating artwork but Nituniyo decided that this would be the perfect item to use to construct a masterpiece. The beautifully created elephant was made using over 6000 paper tubes that had been recycled, all designed into a spectacular looking elephant to celebrate the annual Fallas Festival in Valencia. 

Sustainable Environment Beach Sculpture Protest by The U.N.

The number of plastics that get discarded into the ocean each and every year is truly shocking and the U.N decided that it would create an artwork to highlight the issues around plastic pollution. Shaped like a fish, this piece shows how art and sustainability are intertwined as it has been made from hundreds of discarded plastic bottles placed on a beach, right next to the ocean and helped to bring awareness to this disastrous issue. The massive sculpture highlights the issues surrounding plastic pollution and those who are most affected by this problem; marine life. The beautiful sculpture both creates awareness around issues regarding plastic pollution and has also found a way to use this pollution in a way that makes a statement! 

Floralis Generica by Eduardo Catalona

The power and duty of the environment and all that different elements within the natural world are capable of are highlighted in the Floralis Generica art work By Eduardo Catalona. The flower-shaped steel structure, which is located in Buenos Aires mimics that of a real flower, with petals that open and close at dawn and dusk. The beautiful structure is over 65 feet high, providing that everyone within its vicinity is able to marvel at the beauty! This piece of art truly works to show how art and sustainability can join as one! 

Environmental Sculptures by Jaako Pernu

Jaako Pernu, a Finnish sculpture, has taken to creating amazing artworks that can be placed throughout a city. His works centre around using natural materials, mainly tree trunks and branches, and creating beautiful masterpieces that can be placed throughout a city landscape. When considering art for sustainability, looking at the purpose and attention given to the types of artworks that are created can tell a lot about what an artist is trying to convey, and through the wooden materials used by Pernu and the attention that is given to the various environmental sculptures he creates, you can see how his work sparks conversations around how art and sustainability intertwine as one.