| ‘Earth: Fragile Planet’—A Cultural, Educational and Aesthetic Provocation |
| Monday, 31 May 2010 | Victoria Cho | Blog Entry |
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If you live in the artistic hub of New York City, consider yourself particularly lucky this week when the Society of Illustrators opens its Earth: Fragile Planet exhibit, focused on today’s greatest challenges to the environment. Featuring more than 120 artistic works, plus lectures, films, activities and materials from National Geographic, the show aims to generate thought and discussion about humans’ relationship with our ecology and how we might prevent the growing damage to our planet. All proceeds from the exhibit will benefit the Global Water Challenge. I was able to question renowned illustrator and one of Earth’s curators, Gregory Manchess, along with assistant curators Tara Jacoby and Kate Feirtag, both on staff at the Society of Illustrators. Their passion for the planet and interest in the shifting relationship between art and the environment was the basis of the show, which they hope will generate discussion and eventually action. EcoHearth: What inspired the Earth: Fragile Planet show? Tara Jacoby: The idea came from Art for Survival, an exhibition that was held here 20 years ago with the goal to “elicit an emotional response from the viewer that will change the way they see the world, and hopefully inspire some to become more active in effecting change for a better world.” We got to thinking about how we could create an exhibition that would help express the current environmental issues that we face today. EH: Is there anything special that illustration or the other arts bring to the table in terms of the ecology dialog? Gregory Manchess: It's exciting to see what the artists are thinking. They are usually waaaay out ahead of the average citizen on matters like this. Their insight, their passion, their anger, their hope are all here. I wish we could've had 200 more [pieces] as we'd have even more ideas to discuss, more conversations to keep the environment on the minds of everyone. An image can communicate ideas in moments and hit the target of understanding so fast that the viewer can be moved to action. We see the effect cinema, photos, books, poems have on ideas. A painting has a second to communicate, but it can capture the essence of a thought and hold it there... asking a question or providing an answer unwaveringly. Its strength is to lock a thought in place and keep it there. The single image can be so strong, it changes minds. EH: What are some of the ecology issues the show will address? Kate Feirtag: Greg, Tara and I wanted to include a variety of illustrators from different genres: fantasy/science fiction, editorial, advertising, book illustration, sequential art, animation, etc. We asked the illustrators to choose one theme to work with: earth, air, energy, water or wildlife. We didn’t provide any further limitations, so the illustrators were able to create art based on their own feelings, emotions or experiences, which could be either positive or negative. For example, Zina Saunders chose to illustrate the current disaster in the Gulf of Mexico. In this image, Zina shows a large wolf-like monster developing from a small source—an oil rig. The mass/monster spreads out across the Gulf and looks like it will continue to grow. Another illustrator in the exhibit, Julie Bell, chose to create a beautiful realistic painting of a pack of wolves. She has created a warm and comforting scene with her use of light and composition, but the declining number of wolves based on over-hunting and habitat loss is a reminder that this scene might not exist one day. EH: What are some works the viewer might find startling? KF: Dugald Stermer’s piece depicts a very realistic skull with the face morphing into the planet Earth; you cannot help but feel frightened for our future. Stephen Gardner’s “The Rat Who Would Be King” shows New York City from a distance. In the foreground is a large rat surrounded by trash from the Fresh Kills Landfill in Staten Island. While the landfill has now been closed and will become a park in the future, we still don’t know where they have deposited the 650 tons of trash a day [that had been previously dumped there]. EH: In the show, there will be a film documenting the creation of pieces by 3D Illustrator and cartoonist Eric Lewis and 3D illustrator Liz Lomax. What do you hope this time-lapse film will convey? KF: There is a large warehouse at Materials for the Arts’ (MFTA) headquarters where companies can make donations of used supplies. We thought it would be a really great idea to introduce the illustrators to this organization. Liz and Eric were so overwhelmed when we brought them to MFTA. They collected all sorts of materials for their projects, and we wanted to film this process to show people who may not think of themselves as creative that they too can make art out of the smallest pieces of trash without spending any money! EH: In The Art of Flora and Fauna workshop, artists will lead at-risk youth from the NYC Department of Parks and Recreation After School Program in craft projects using found objects and materials from MFTA. What do you think the youths’ current perception of the environment might be, and how might the workshop impact this view? GM: Children are the key element with environmental issues. Their awareness can be set for life. I know mine was when I first heard about global climate change at a very early age. Kids automatically feel that the planet is part of them, and they are a part of the planet. They understand instantly that they are part of the solution. I remember these feelings. These kids can live a life of understanding [environmentalism] that doesn't question whether it can be done so much as knowing it is the best way to assure the species survival. I believe it will not be a question for future generations to ponder; it will be a way of life. Greg, Kate and Tara have great expectations for the show and for good reason. By uniting audiences with the issues and facts behind the images, the show becomes a compelling cultural, educational and aesthetic experience all rolled into one. Thus it encourages us to reassess the state of our world, expands our definition of art and reaffirms our ability to be agents of change. Earth: Fragile Planet is supported by EcoHearth and other sponsors. It opens on June 3rd at the Society of Illustrators, located at 128 E 63rd Street, New York, NY, and closes on July 31st, 2010. Museum hours are Tuesday, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Wednesday through Friday, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.; and Saturday, 12 noon – 4 p.m. Admission is free. To get a taste of the show, check out the striking images posted on the Earth: Fragile Planet page on the Society of Illustrators site. Additional resources:
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