Environmental and Ecological Art

Catalog description

This course introduces students to Environmental & Ecological Art within studio, lecture and field-work contexts. The class fosters understanding of issues of landscape, Earthworks, Land Art, Environmental Art, and Ecological Art practices. Incorporating two and three dimensional as well as time-based approaches, students develop creative artworks dealing with the environment, ecological systems, sustainability and resilience. Field trips include the Newtown Creek Wastewater Treatment Center and artist George Trakas’ adjacent Nature Walk and Smelling Garden; Rooftop Farms or other urban gardens in New York, and endangered waterfront areas of NYC. Students learn examples and theories of Eco/Environmental Art, and conduct research and fieldwork resulting in visual art projects. Pace University is located near the convergence of two rivers with the Atlantic Ocean. Students develop understanding of the natural and built environs of Lower Manhattan, stewardship of this urban habitat is of critical, ethical importance to future sustainability, esp. in relation to climate change. Students develop awareness of the historical New York City environmental landscape: the Lanape Native culture, estuary waters, wildlife, and topography. The course may include presentations by Environmental Scientists and Environmental Studies professionals, and environmental activists. All students are required to keep a journal or sketchbook. Critiques are frequent opportunities to share in an “open-laboratory” art environment. Textbook: Linda Weintraub, To Life: EcoArt in Pursuit of a Sustainable Planet, Uni. of Cal. Press, 2012.