Being Earth Day, I feel the environment is an appropriate subject with which to begin. In the past several years, the United States--and in some senses, the world--has become swept up in the Green Movement. The trend towards environmentalism encompasses a variety of elements: government policy, popular film, campus planning, your "Simply ECO logical" SIGG bottle, etc. It also involves the opportunity to capitalize monetarily on this sudden surge of environmental concern. Modern consumers are at risk of being "greenwashed" by exaggerated claims of eco-friendliness. There are many arguments that have been made about the Green Movement, both its benefits and shortcomings, and greenwashing is merely one discussion to be had. It has, however, prompted action from both the government (in the re-evaluation of environmental marketing) and activists who want to tackle what we could consider the real issue at hand with greenwashing--how does one truly preserve our natural environment? Are there products that fulfill their promise in efforts of conservation, or are they an easy out for guilty consumers?
The best way to understand and appreciate Tiffany Holmes's work is simply to see it, and I highly recommend her site for this purpose. Environmental art is growing in popularity, and numerous artists-turned-activists (or vice versa) have vastly different ways of approaching the topic. In my own work, I turned to Holmes and the idea of greenwashing to create the piece below, "DIY Solutions."
Tiffany Holmes, a Chicago-area artist, has developed several "EcoArt" projects in recent years. She has asked the above questions to herself and others, and became determined to create progress versus merely making a statement. One such project, "World Offset," is a fully-functioning and ongoing website that provides an outlet to make a promise to reduce carbon emission. By declaring to take small actions, such as carpooling or unplugging your computer (which has a surprisingly large effect on power-usage), you create a carbon offset. This reduction of carbon emission is visualized in a rotating graphic that reveals more trees as more pounds of carbon are offset.
World Offset copyright Tiffany Holmes, 2008
Image detail: "Immediate ease of conscience!"
Image detail: "Don't put your kitchen scraps into landfills, make your own with the DIY Compost Jar!", "Distributed By: Green Trends You'll Follow, Inc., Greenwashing, USA, Copyright Denae Dietlein"
Image detail: "Directions: Continuously fill your jar with materials such as fruit peels, veggie scraps, coffee grinds, and then add to it garden debris and leaves. You now have a happy compost concoction ready for decomposing safely in your home, away from landfills. You should start feeling better immediately. Enjoy!", "Note to consumers: A realreducing the net carbon emissions of an individual by their own actions, not by buying something. --Tiffany Holmes"
Though I can't pretend to be a professional environmental artist, I--like many--am both interested and concerned in the future of the current ecological movement. The Green trend is hopefully not just a trend. It could be argued that with the seriousness of human effects on the planet, we don't have the luxury of letting conservation die down any time soon.
What do you think?
What do you think?
