People make art in the practice of their everyday lives, using the materials that are available around them. In this section, historical context is provided for a discussion of national and global issues connected to art and ecology. Earth, ecology and environment can be defined in different ways. Education is integral to learning more about how these terms are used, understood, change, and are redefined. Terms and Definitions examines some ideas about earth, environment, ecology, and education.
In Art and Everyday Life and Earthly Matters, the interconnections between nature and culture are examined in respect to art, ecology, and multicultural education. Examples abound that illustrate the physical, social, and spiritual needs of people in various parts of the world. Orientations to the Land explores historical notions of progress, expansion, and industrialization through representations of American landscape art. Several artists celebrated the purity, spirituality, and unbounded natural beauty of the American wilderness through their paintings. Similar stories of the sublime were depicted through the art work and documentation associated with the national parks and wilderness preservation movement. These works question the transformation of America from an agrarian to an industrial society.
In the world today, ideas of growth as a continuous good, regardless of the repercussions, continue to circulate. Many contemporary ecological artists 1 make art that critically examines economic systems premised on rapid production and consumption. Some people live, work, and raise families with little concern for the condition of the air, water, or land. However, it is commonly agreed that for systemic ecological change to occur, individuals will need to make a change in their world views, and subsequently, in their daily routines and interactions. In the last part of this section, Changing Views about Art and the Earth, some of these ideas are explored through images and text.