Kevin Lepe
The MMAA: Multi-Media Art Association
My artistic project, by combining and juxtaposing the denial, anticipation, and overwhelming aspects of climate change with the freedom, expression, and impact components of interactivity in art, intends to offer the audience an unexpected angle and handle on climate grief, in the sense that by visualizing complex and serious issues such as climate change through an artist's lens, those of us who are extremely affected by climate grief can seek comfort in knowing that we, as humans, can indeed fight back against even a titan of disaster, little by little. As someone who has been to many art galleries, browsed the internet, and used social media, I found that there is a surprising lack of care for climate change and a lack of resources for people to really show their art. Lack of care is an issue that has been talked about extensively throughout this whole course and throughout the world, but it’s an issue that really resonated with me. When this final project was given, I knew I wanted to do something involving that topic; I just didn’t exactly know what yet. That is, until I passed by the gallery in the art building at UW. All of a sudden, something clicked with me. Instead of making a gallery, what if I made a virtual one instead? I soon came up with the name of the website. The MMAA, otherwise known as the “Multi-Media Art Association," felt perfect as it encapsulated every facet of what can be considered art, and it was also a simple way to let people know what the website is about without having to look it up.
After deciding the name and what my project would be, I remember looking into books at the art library to see if my idea could actually work, and, funnily enough, a book titled 140 Artist’ Ideas for Planet Earth fit perfectly. This book is what really solidified my virtual gallery idea. The book is essentially quite similar to my idea, but in book format. Besides the intro and conclusion, every page is dedicated to an artist's work, which isn’t something I’ve ever seen before. There are many works to mention in this book, one of which is a poem called Earth by Anna Halprin. It essentially talks about how we are connected to Earth regardless of whether we care about it or not, and if you do care about the Earth, perhaps you will find comfort and serenity in that. Another particularly interesting one is Andrea Bowers’ A Spel Against Developers', which focuses on the industrialization of Earth, cursing us humans for creating countless roads, houses, deforestation, etc. A piece by Alexandra Daisy Ginsberg with an unknown title as of writing this paper gives the reader instructions. What are these instructions for? To connect with nature. The main idea is that even in a 1-meter square on any terrain, there are forms of life thriving within it. I could go on and on, but I’m sure you see the importance of what this book means to me.
While that book was a huge inspiration to me, it’s worth noting that there’s an article that takes the number two spot in my inspiration list. The article titled Visualizing Climate Change Through Abstract Painting by Carter Radcliff essentially discusses how Diane Burko’s piece, Unprecedented (2021), mixed media, 8 x 15 feet, is about us and the eventual fate we are slowly flowing towards. I remember reading through this article and suddenly becoming quite emotional, and I think there’s something to be said about that. From what I’ve experienced and seen, people tend to underestimate the strength of art exponentially, but reading that article and looking at Burko’s piece proves how powerful art can really be to us. That vulnerability, that raw emotion, is part of what I want to accomplish with my project. I feel that in order to really change people’s views on the current economic crisis, you need to have people lower their walls so that you can reach their hearts. It sounds quite cheesy when I word it like that, but in a world where no one cares if the Earth is dying, you need ways to connect with people on a deeper level. I can spout facts at people all I want, but if it doesn’t personally connect with people, then everything I’ve done will be in vain.
Another inspiration is Timothy Morton’s book, Being Ecological. In a section, it discusses the concept of anticipation and how that can alleviate the current problem from becoming so serious for people. While it might sound like a good thing upon first glance, it’s very much not, as Morton discusses. Due to people preparing for the worst, it allows people to think they can still live out their lives because, to them, there’s still a lot of time. Essentially, it’s putting off the issue until it’s too late. This idea is something that I want to tackle in my project as well, in a subtle way, because my project focuses on showcasing art. I hope that people will be able to look at that and realize that we don’t have nearly as much time as they thought we did. Perhaps influencing them to actually do something on the matter.
The book, The Rise of the Common City: On the Culture of Commining by Louis Volont, discusses the lack of creativity and how capitalism is running rampant in cities, thus destroying what made it unique in the first place. It’s interesting to read through, and I want to incorporate some of those main points into my project as well. More so is the influence of capitalism. I truly want my website to push the strength and overindulgence of capitalism aside. I don’t want to commodify my website or others' work. I feel some art galleries give off that feeling, especially when it’s a popular artist. I want my website to be a space for people to be able to converse and experience each other’s work. I think, if anything, this book really cemented my view of making my website very community-focused.
For my last inspiration, it’s an article titled Art helps us feel the urgency of the climate crisis by Amber Cooper-Davies. The article revolves around Sea Change (2022), an animation made by Davies showing a fish slowly watching the sea around it be filled with plastic. It’s short, but it’s a powerful video. It features no dialogue, yet it still manages to elicit emotion. This article perfectly captures the strength of art. Without so much as a word, art has the ability to connect with people. Seeing that video only further motivates me to continue with my project, as I’d love to showcase art like that. Who knows how many artists out there haven’t shown their work to the world yet?
I also wanted to take the time to discuss artwork we’ve seen in class. I’ve already mentioned some of the work that has inspired me, but I haven’t delved too deeply into the specifics of why art can be so effective for people. In the case of an issue like climate change, a key point that art pieces center around is fragility, or raw emotion. A work that comes to mind is Judy Natal's ‘Future Perfect: 2010, Steam Portrait Couple Touching Hands’ (2008–12). Natal’s goal in this work was to give us a glimpse into how climate change would affect the world and our lives in the future, and that point is certainly nailed on her piece. Something as simple as a couple being together amidst the overwhelming amount of steam slowly enveloping them says everything about the growing danger of climate change. It doesn’t need words to explain it. The viewer can quickly discern what this work is about. The fragility that the piece focuses on is but one example of the strength of art. Judy Natal’s Future Perfect: 2010, Saguaro Wrapped (2008–12), is another piece of hers that really nails that rawness that nature-centered works tend to focus on. The piece features a cactus being supported by man-made structures, seemingly to keep it alive. Of course, this is meant to drive home the disastrous effects of climate change, but it also shows how we as humans, despite everything, can still do something to protect and support nature. It subtly shows the viewer that we still have time to change Earth’s course. Another artist that comes to mind is Chris Jordan and his series, Midway: Message from the Gyre (2009 - Current). Jordan’s series is a brutal but important look into how animals are being affected by the immense amount of artificial material that is discarded into the world. His work doesn’t shy away from showing the detrimental effects all of this material can have on animals. Humans have produced so much that it is actively harming the environment, going so far as to kill animals due to the sheer amount of it, and this series really wants to drive that point across. While hard to look at for some viewers, I believe that shocking others through art like this can prove very useful in showing people the current state of the world and what we can do to minimize the amount of trash that seems to continue to grow. Edward Burtynsky’s Water series, specifically Oil Spill #1 REM Forza, Gulf of Mexico, May 11, 2010, Oil Spill #2 Discoverer Enterprise, Gulf of Mexico, May 11, 2010, Stepwell #4 Sagar Kund Baori, Bundi, Rajasthan, India, 2010, and Xiluodu Dam #1 Yangtze River, Yunnan Province, China, 2012. The reason I mention these four works of art in particular is because they all involve man-made objects. It showcases that we as humans have constantly tried to control and seize aspects of nature for our own gain; thus, not only does it end up destroying nature in the process, but in turn, humanity as well, and we as a society are still seemingly oblivious to that fact. This is the type of work that I truly want to have on my website—truly powerful pieces of art that, subtle or not, show the fragility of life, the consequences that we humans have to face after what we’ve done to the Earth, and finding a solution to those consequences.
I could talk forever about other artists, but there’s another reason why I’ve mentioned all of these works that inspired me. Simply put, that reason is expression. That’s all it is. The freedom to express yourself in a world that constantly seems to push you down is another part of what makes art in general so profound. Due to the uniqueness of every individual, no two art works are exactly alike, and that’s what I really want to get across to people on my website. It can not only act as a way to vent your feelings but also to showcase, as an individual, your creativity and how you view the world. My website strives to showcase people’s individuality and your cooperation, as without it, my website simply wouldn’t exist.
One of the things that Rifkin mentioned that caught my attention in his book, Age of Resilience, was a quote by Joseph Henderson on page 172. The quote states, “science owed more to the steam engine, than the steam engine did to science”- which I thought was really powerful. I feel like that quote applied to my project too, as one of the main points about my website is for various people from all over the world to share their work and views on nature, climate change, etc. and possibly learn something new from others, including myself. If I didn’t have that key aspect of my website, it wouldn’t be very useful at all. I’m not only doing this to give people a voice and to let others know the importance of our Earth, but I’m also doing it for myself in a way, to learn and see what others have to say on these important topics, which I’m sure would help broaden my perspective on the serious real-world issues currently taking place in a good way.
If I were to just make a project warning people about the destruction of Earth, I could go on and on about how climate change is such a huge problem nowadays, but that’s the thing: people are sick of hearing about it despite not doing anything to improve the situation. This is where I come in. If I designed a place where people can share their art with people all over the world with a click of the mouse, if the website became large enough, perhaps it could allow oblivious and non-caring people to change their minds on the matter and give important issues more attention. Due to the nature of the internet, it doesn’t matter where you are; anyone could visit the website and submit and share their art with the world. I love galleries, but to be able to have a virtual version of a gallery where people can see it whenever they want regardless of time, money, location, etc. is truly what I think the world needs right now. I know that they do exist out there, but they are always either for a limited time or difficult to find. The world needs a space where people can voice their emotions and frustrations in a current world where it feels like no one is listening. My idea of creating a website to showcase people’s artwork for free would allow people to have a space where they feel like they’re actually making an impact that our world sorely needs, because if no one does anything, the world is doomed. It sounds incredibly dark to say that, but it’s true. If we don’t do anything about the path our Earth is currently going through, then who will? We, as a society, desperately need to take matters into our own hands. We need to at least try.
In conclusion, yes, I want to create a website that showcases all kinds of artwork from many different people, but I also want my idea to create a sense of hope. Something that people can grasp onto in hopes of making a difference. It’s not just a website; it’s a stand, a rebellion, a way to push back against the obliviousness that we’ve grown so accustomed to. I want to show everyone else that there’s still time, there’s still hope, and if we don’t do something now, we may never get another chance. Freedom of expression—the freedom to show others what they think about the current world through creation and others finding hope in that creativity. That is the goal of my project. That is the Multi-Media Art Association.
Images:
140 Artists’ Ideas for Planet Earth by Hans Ulrich Obrist and Kostas Stasinopuolos
Andrea Bowers, A Spel Against Developers
Anna Halprin, Earth
Alexandra Daisy Ginsberg, Untitled work
Diane Burko, Unprecedented (2021), mixed media, 8 x 15 feet
Amber Cooper-Davies, Sea Change (2022)
Being ecological by Timothy Morton
The rise of the Common City: On the culture of the commoning by Louis Volont, Thijs Lijster and Pascal Gielen
The age of resilience by Jeremy Rifkin
Judy Natal, ‘Future Perfect: 2010, Steam Portrait Couple Touching Hands’ (2008–12)
Judy Natal, Future Perfect: 2010, Saguaro Wrapped (2008–12)
Chris Jordan, Midway: Message from the Gyre (2009 - Current)
Edward Brutynsky, Oil Spill #1 REM Forza, Gulf of Mexico, May 11, 2010
Edward Brutynsky, Oil Spill #2 Discoverer Enterprise, Gulf of Mexico, May 11, 2010
Edward Brutynsky, Stepwell #4 Sagar Kund Baori, Bundi, Rajasthan, India, 2010
Edward Brutynsky, Xiluodu Dam #1 Yangtze River, Yunnan Province, China, 2012
“Chris Jordan - Midway.” artworks. Accessed December 9, 2023. http://www.chrisjordan.com/gallery/midway/#CF000313%2018x24.
Gdonley. “Water Quality.” Cleveland Museum of Art, March 14, 2023. https://www.clevelandart.org/magazine/cleveland-art-may-june-2019/water-quality.
Morton, Timothy. Being ecological. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press, 2019.
Natal, Judy, and Samuel Holleran. “Judy Natal’s Future Perfect Explores Our Changing Relationship to Earth.” Assemble Papers, April 22, 2022. https://assemblepapers.com.au/2016/11/11/future-perfect-judy-natal/.
Obrist, Hans Ulrich, and Kostas Stasinopoulos. 140 Artist’ Ideas for Planet Earth. Penguin UK, 2021.
“Photographs: Water.” Edward Burtynsky. Accessed December 9, 2023. https://www.edwardburtynsky.com/projects/photographs/water.
Ratcliff, Carter. “Visualizing Climate Change Through Abstract Painting.” Hyperallergic, November 16, 2021. https://hyperallergic.com/690121/visualizing-climate-change-through-abstract-expressionism/.
Rifkin, Jeremy. The age of resilience: Reimagining existence on a Rewilding Earth. Swift Press, 2023.
Volont, Louis, Thijs Lijster, and Pascal Gielen. The rise of the Common City: On the culture of commoning. Brussel: ASP Academic & Scientific Publishers, 2022.
“‘Art Helps Us Feel the Urgency of the Climate Crisis.’” How Art Can Respond to Climate Change: Amber Cooper-Davies. Accessed December 9, 2023. https://www.rmg.co.uk/stories/topics/art-helps-us-feel-urgency-climate-crisis.