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I Introductions
Take a moment to introduce yourself :)
your major, your field of interest, what you most like to do in visual art and since we are going to have an "Earth Day theme" this morning - any environmental issues or reflections - did you ever say, work for an environment.
The goal today is to produce one new image to contribute to the campus Earth Day event 4/23. We will print the images on 4x6" postcard paper so people could potentially use them to mail, or just for decoration/inspiration. Since it's a short time period, try to keep it very simple. If we don't have time to print during class, I'll print afterwards. At some point before you leave, please email me, lisa.link@yale.edu, so I can add you to the blog and you can post the results of your work.
II Art & Environmental Activism
A Glimpse at Recent Trends
Performance Art/Installation
Helene Aylon
Earth Ambulance, 1982
Photography
Minamata
W. Eugene Smith, Aileen Mioko Sprauge Smith, Ishikawa Takesh, documenting environmental pollution, mercury poisoning in Minamata,Japan in the 1970s. Was beaten for this.
Fifty Crows: Social Change Photography,
exemplifies a tradition in photography in the belief in the power of the photo essay to effect change. Web site includes resources for collaboration on topics.
John Ganis, Consuming the American Landscape
Desktop publishing in a Mass Media format
John Craig Freeman, embracing new technologies in Operation Greenrun II, drawing media attention, 1990s
Community Collaboration
Reiko Goto: Collaborates with Tim Collins. Establishing an Multi-disciplinary model of artistic environmental activism in the community, working with business people, citizens, planners, scientists, artists. Long term project, 9 Mile Run,
Using Economic Systems as Art
Amy Balkin: Public Smog, art and capitalism, purchases carbon credits for clean air space.
Postcard Example
Steffi Domike and Ann Rosenthal, Postcards from the S[ub]lime
"These postcards frame our ongoing investigation into disparities between an idealized American landscape and the social and natural histories buried behind the pretty pictures.
The photographic images are digitally manipulated to mimic the hand-colored look of early postcards." close up of images
III Strategies for Presentation
The Barbara Kruger approach, large monotone images, bold text in block
Focus your message, check out the adbuster.org, "Create your own print ad"
Experiment with Graphic Forms/Check out these exhibits:
The Center for the Study for Political Graphics, Los Angeles, has an environmental exhibit section
The Graphic Imperative: International Posters for Peace and Social Justice
Poster show with section on the environment
Political Photomontage/Juxtaposing images to make a point
Developed by John Heartfield 1920s, Germany. Getty Show "Agitated Images" has examples.
Experiment with Type/Word as part of the Image
Type Design: El Lissitzky
Early 20th Century Russian Designer - creative use of type on page.
IV Brainstorming (unless everyone has pre-set ideas)
With your group/partner, spend 10 minutes (5 per person) interviewing about thoughts on Earth Day/Environment. Ask the tone the person wants to use for this project, images they might have on file, or how they could get them from the web.
A few approaches:
-Political (as in Craig Freeman)
-Educational (the Ad Council)
-Mock Advertising (like in Adbusters.org)
-Spiritual/Poetic ( a lot of artists celebrate environment, purely positive imagery as seen in Ansel Adams photographs)
-Other (experimental, personal narrative, surrealistic, a methodology consistent with what you have been doing in other studio areas.........
V - Open Studio Time
I will go around and speak with you individually about your process. Take breaks as needed. Remember, this is a short project.
Page Set up specifications:
Save as tiff and place in MS Word. Use tools > labels Avery 5389, 4x6" postcard
VI - Wrap up
Post up images for everyone to see - or on screen and we'll print later, depending on time.
If you want to meet later today to review your web portfolio, I"m happy to do that.
Thank you for sharing your creative thoughts this morning!!! Have a great year!!
Lisa
http://lisalink.net
Below, please find a collection of links to artists who address environmental issues in their work. This is not a complete list - that would be impossible, just a glimpse to give you some ideas. I will be updating this list prior to the workshop.
Greenmuseum.org
A site with links to artists and projects as well "calls" for participation, calendar of events, opportunities, one of the more comprehensive art/environmental resources.
Communityarts.net
An indepth resource on arts and community activism. This link goes directly to the environmental section. they have a good essay, "An Introduction to Community Art and Activism"
Women Environmental Artists Directory
Is as the title states - links to different artist projects - yes - all women.
9 Mile Run Greenway Project
An amazing long term project in Pittsburgh, PA led by Reiko Goto and Tim Collins that illustrates how artists can work with many different constituencies in a region to effect change
Public Smog
Amy Balkin's project where she embraces the "smog credit" purchase system and uses it to create a public space above the planet.
Green Arts Web
A resource for art and environment with links to exhibits that took place in Pittsburgh, PA. Has a reference section with lists of publications.
SOS Fish
Cindy Snodgrass's community/public art project inviting passers by to paint and hang fish to raise awareness about water issues. Uses traditional techniques - paint, wire, cardboard, and verbal outreach to connect with a site-specific audience.
Operation Greenrun II
Follow "Public Art" link. New Media artist/professor Craig Freeman outside the Rocky Flats Nuclear Weapons facility in Colorado in 1990. Desktop published a series of billboards that were a catalyst for change. Check out his work in Second Life, links from this site.
Here is a collection of links about environmental groups as well as Earth Day and the environmental movement for you to browse.
- earthday.gov/: The official US Government Page about Earth Day
- Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Earth Day Site
- History of Earth Day by its founder, Senator Gaylord Nelson (d.2005) from Wisconsin
- Earth 911: You can find out about Environmental Activism by zip code or city
- Green Nobel Prizes: 2003 article on seven winners of an international award to 7 people from all over the world who took great risks to protect the environment such as Australian Aboriginal elders Eileen Kampakuta Brown and Eileen Wani Wingfield fighting nuclear testing in their region, Von Hernandez opposing waste incineration in the Philippines and Julia Bonds, a former Pizza Hut waitress who became a full-time leader of the campaign to stop mountaintop-removal mining.
- Environmental Justice: Links to resources on environmental groups that address issues social justice issues and how they relate to the environment. Includes an organization in Atlanta - check out this list - really inspiring organizations.
- Friends of Nature: (in Chinese). Founded by Liang Congjie in China. The Friends of Nature conduct educational activities, tree planting and work with the media to make Chinese people more aware of environmental problems.
- Envirolink: links to many different resources by topic from "Agriculture" to "Wildlife"
- African American Environmentalist Association: Environmental activist organization
- Greenpeace: Environmental activist organization
- Sierra Club: Environmental activist organization
- Climate Crisis.net: Site for information and educational resources addressed in the movie "An Inconvenient Truth". If you haven't seen this movie, important one to view even if you don't like Al Gore and think you'll disagree with the findings.
- Maria Valdez: An Environmental Activist - just one of millions out there - feel free to post more!!!
- Step it Up: I just heard the founder of this on the radio! You can put in your zip code and find some innovative "actions" people are taking for climate change. Founded by a professor and students from Vermont.
Hi! My name is Lisa Link. I am a digital artist and also a full-time web designer at Yale University. I'm honored to be working with you this coming Thursday. In the morning, I will be visiting your class and I will also be available at times during the afternoon if anyone is interested in discussing their web portfolio projects and getting some outside feedback.
The theme for the morning workshop will be artists and community activisim. To explore this theme, we will embark on a small-literally, very small, 4x6"-artist activist project. You will have the choice of working indvidually on your project or in groups. The goal will be to create a text/image montage as a personal response to Earth Day. How you interpret this theme is up to you - it could be spiritual, political, humorous, conceptual, cynical...there are many approaches that you could use. We will spend time in class brainstorming ideas. I am posting things on this blog during the week that might give you ideas to bring with you that morning.
Please take a little time this week to explore some of the links that I am posting. If you email me (lisa.link@yale.edu) I'll add you to the Blog and you can add your own posts. We will print out the pieces on 4x6" postcard paper in the lab and then include them as part of your campus Earth Day event on April 23.
