#plastic oceans

[garthnadermemestash]

Too soon?

[adcollector]

BERLIN (Chile) for Plastic Oceans

[geracaoalpha]

How can art help fighting environmental issues?

Recently, a lot of people talk about “artivism”, and many important art fairs call out the art & environment theme. But what exactly can art do for environmental issues? Keep reading to understand all about it.

Artivism is the obvious combination of art, and activism. It developed as a direct result of a 1997 gathering of Chicano artists in Mexico; the term itself and its derivatives (“Artivism”, “artivist”, etc.) were disseminated through East Los Angeles artists, musicians, and organizations such as Quetzal, Mujeres de Maiz, and Self Help Graphics and Art. But on a broader scale, was catalyzed by anti-war and anti-globalization protests. Artivists, of the past and of today, attempt to push a certain political agenda, as well as raise awareness of issues such as climate change, immigration, and social issues. Artivism is also revolutionary in form: the mediums involved are creative and groundbreaking, and include street art, spoken word, subvertising, and culture jamming.

Leah Harper artwork, “Larsen B”

  Art can help environmental causes through many vehicles, one of the most obvious being spreading awareness about specific issues such as endangered sea animals, deforestation, ice caps melting, among others. However, art can also help the environment in more novel ways: for example, the artist El Anatsui recycles bottle caps to create textured, gleaming sculpture pieces that could almost be likened to textiles. 

  Finally, there are an increasing amount of artists that choose to use proceeds from their art to donate to environmental causes/organizations. For example, Valentino Vettori’s project, “Arcadia”, in which he created 10 prints, all depicting solutions to our current environmental crisis, then sold them for charity and, further, created a whole platform to engage and promote sustainable initiatives. Another example is Alpha’s project titled “Artivism Challenge: Rainforest Edition” used art to raise awareness about rainforest pollution to incite change. Artists nominated art pieces that addressed rainforest conservation, and a judging panel of environmental and art experts chose a winner, whose prints were also sold for charity. Alpha’a is a prime example of an organization that “leverages the universal appeal and emotional power of art to raise awareness on critical issues… create awareness of existing solutions to environmental problems, and connect individuals, brands, and community organizations to enable organic action”. 

Olafur Eliasson installation, Ice Watch, 2018

  Olafur Elliasson is one of the more popular examples of an artist combining his practice with activism to fight against climate change. His well-known installation Ice Watch brought 12 blocks of melting glacial ice to the Paris Climate Change conference, forcing viewers to confront the impending environmental crisis. Eliasson says it best: “to take all the data, news, and scientific papers and turn it into something you can touch is, I think, incredibly effective”.

  However, there are also more emerging artivists to familiarize yourself with, on the Alpha’a platform and otherwise! One of these is Leah Harper: originally from Florida, her work explores the environmental systems of the ocean and marine life. Her mixed media pieces imbue ocean life with a colorful sense of childlike joy, imploring the viewer to protect something precious that is slipping away. Another Alpha’a artist that engages in artivism is Augusto Amado, specifically his work No over Nothing. It’s a piece focused on the overconsumption of plastic, and shows the real horrors of the fishing industry today.

  As you can see, art–and artivism– holds an incredible place in the fight against climate change, and even activism as a whole. Artists and projects such as Leah Harper’s, or even ALPHA PROJECT, ignite action and awareness in the art world and beyond. To support these agents of change, and participate in the climb towards environmental peace, support artivists’ work on Alpha’a, and spread the word! 

[liberallythinking]

Why they are nihilistic

Teenager to me yesterday:

“You keep complaining about how none of us seem to care about anything. The world is literally on fire and we know it. Our government is literally burning to the ground and we know it. The tipping point in climate change has already passed and we know it.

And yet you do NOTHING. Your generation has done everything to destroy this country and our planet, leave us laden in debt and garbage and yet you’re angry that WE don’t have any interest in history?!?

Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny and everything is going to be fine - lies my parents told me.....”

What of that can we refute?

[minimaliststudy]

eco stickers and charity!

i have new stickers up on my redbubble shop!! 

quotes include:

destroy the patriarchy not the planet

if you can’t reuse it, refuse it

save the bees, trees and seas

save the bees, trees and seas (design 2)

don’t mess with mother earth

the best things in life are cruelty free

keep the oceans blue and the planet green

climate change is real

24 may-31 may i will be donating 75% of the profits to plastic oceans !!! 

please share and purchase to make a difference <3 <3 

[chervellefryer]

So it's time to announce one of the recent projects and biggest highlights of the year! Here's "How Pippa became the Queen of the Ocean", a book against ocean waste – made from ocean waste.

You can read the book online here: http://theoceanplasticbook.com/

[garthnadermemestash]

floriduh has me rooting for the polar ice caps to melt.

[garthnadermemestash]

So long and thanks for all the fish