Ecological Art
Chapter from the book:
Güngör,
B.
&
Küçük,
Ö.
(eds.)
2024.
Climate Perspectives for a Sustainable Future.
Synopsis
In today's world, humans have become one of the largest destroyers of the environment they inhabit, while simultaneously striving to take various measures to prevent this destruction. One of the necessary components of what is referred to as ecological awareness is the increased consciousness and awareness of societies. Art is an important element in this process of awareness and consciousness. This is because art has a significant functionality as an agent of social change. One of the outcomes of the interaction between ecological awareness, art, and nature is ecological art, which is one of the contemporary themes in the art world. Ecological art encourages viewers to think about nature, to be sensitive, and to take action on these issues, highlighting the importance of sustainable living and environmentally friendly technologies. Today, artists draw attention to critical issues affecting ecosystems, such as natural resource depletion, climate change, and biodiversity loss. In this context, artists aim to raise societal awareness about environmental justice and sustainability by using natural materials and developing eco-friendly techniques in their production processes. This study will examine the definition and fundamental concepts of ecological art, which began with the Land Art movement in the 1960s and later focused more effectively on environmental issues in the 1980s, through prominent artists and their works. Thus, it will explore how ecological art integrates nature and art, as well as the role it plays in contemporary societies' confrontation with environmental problems.