LEARNING FROM TREES: ARTISTS AND CLIMATE SOLUTIONS
“BETWEEN EVERY TWO PINE TREES THERE IS A DOOR LEADING TO A NEW WAY OF LIFE.”
–John Muir
Session will present:Virtually
Session Chair: Martina Tanga
Trees are the lungs and beating heart of our planet, a fundamental organism in the earth’s stability and essential in showing us solutions to counter the adverse effects of climate change. Humans and artists have long been fascinated with trees, and they have been featured in the cultural imagination since time immemorial. Now, more than ever-–as we reach a pivotal decade in our human history for the sustainability of our planet-–it is vital that we learn from trees in ways that artists can teach us.
This panel solicits papers that examine how artists have engaged with trees to reveal their unique subjectivity. Trees thrive in cooperative communities, communicate through underground mycorrhizal networks and emit chemical signals, and have a life span that is, on average, five times longer than our own. How can artists help us understand these distinctive attributes to embrace an ecocentric worldview? What do artists see in trees and forest communities that can guide us to live with each other and the world around us so that every living being can survive and thrive? Proposals will be considered that cover any art-making practice from any geographic region, time, and culture but must go beyond representations of trees to address what we might learn from trees. We are in radical need of a new way of life, and trees, the oldest living organisms on earth, may have the answers.
Field(s) of Study:
Time Period: Twenty-First Century
Time Period: Twentieth Century
Topics: Environmental Art
Topics: Radical Art
Theory / Practice: Multidisciplinary
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Martina Tanga 