The Function of Functional Eco Art
The task of addressing today’s environmental challenges is daunting.
- Functional schemes for cycling wastes, renewing resources, conserving energy, and maintaining productivity have not yet been devised;
- Existing means of productivity may not suffice to support escalating populations of humans;
- Non-polluting and non-depleting technologies compete for resources that restore ecosystems beset with the accumulated ravages of past indiscretions.
The works of art that address these challenges are functional. They remediate soils, create habitat, remove litter, cultivate food, produce energy, and conduct a myriad additional environmentally responsible acts.
What special attributes do the artists' versions of these utilitarian tasks distinguish them as works of art?
Artists are particularly adept at ensuring that such functional solutions don’t remain in the studio or laboratory. They fortify their pragmatic solutions with emotional content that personalizes and dramatizes their means; they layer mundane tasks with ethical consequence; the embellish them with visual enticements; they enrich their topic with metaphor and symbol; they vitalize them with innovative schemes.
In all these ways they affect change in a populace, accustomed to immediate fulfillment for the self. The alternative world view that functional eco artists offer supports long-term benefits for all living species.
These artists harbor a grander intentions with regard to human interactions with the physical environment – in addition to problem-solving, they strive to replace reverence for neglect and responsibility for apathy .