Brushstrokes of Contention: Navigating the Environmental Impact of Art - A Dialogue Between Mark and John

The following artists were arguing about how art impacts the environment. They had different perspectives concerning the matter.

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Mark: I feel that art is an essential part of the environment since it reminds us of our love of nature and the wildlife that resides in it. Art also relates to the environment by enhancing our respect and our associations with the natural world. Typically, art helps to bring people in a community together around an environment. For instance, individuals have been in touch with how the Ottawa River is beautiful since they arrived at the shores. The whole watershed has so much to give to people who enjoy the incredible works of art provided by the Ottawa River. Similarly, many individuals like being able to see creativity shared via social channels and experience the existing emotional ties to nature that many artists can induce through their work.

One cannot begin to describe how art has dramatically impacted the environment, thus making it more powerful and beautiful at the same time. Because of art, many individuals can enjoy seeing the beautiful works of nature (Masley, 1949). I am so proud and pleased that environmental art influenced by River Ottawa is a significant part of how we, as an institution, can get our message to a bigger audience.

John: I'm afraid I have to disagree with you since art has brought us more danger than good. Art brings about adverse effects on the environment like global warming. Over recent years, art has become more toxic and harmful to both the environment and its constituents. This is not only true for things like plastic-based sculpture material or paints; it also applies to photography.

The utilization of goods and services in individual nations has become a significant driver of global resource use and negatively affects the environment. There is the issue of both direct and indirect pressure that negatively affects the environment. Direct and indirect pressure specifically affect how global warming and biodiversity degradation bring harm to the environment. If we as a society do not make sure that there have been reductions in environmental pressure, we could harm the environment, especially places where people live. Moreover, toxic materials to the environment are still being used by different industries, thus bringing more damage to the environment.

Mark: I can't entirely agree with John that art brings more harm to the environment. This is because, without art, people will not be able to convey ideas, emotions, and notions to others. Art makes people educated since it is the perfect medium to make young people be able to enjoy the beautiful effects of nature. Today, with our rich art heritage, most students take on a class expedition to explore these art pieces and even encourage them to emulate some of the artists they prefer. Ideally, art can be used to convey an idea or a suggestion to the user so that they can associate with it.

As a result, art can bring people together, thus encouraging individuals to be united. For instance, cave paintings at El Castillo drawn by communities tell us more about them than the art itself. Furthermore, the painting in the caves acts as a representation of their imagination. Ultimately, without art, we cannot explore our boundaries and associate with humanity within ourselves (Anon, 1994). John: one of the adverse effects of art is brought about by paintings that have been brought by private collectors. These paintings are generally kept underground and may not see any sunlight. That being the case, most of these paintings remain out of bounds for students and the public. As a result, both the public and the students cannot view the paintings because of the price tag placed on them. This is because the art community has fostered the notion of permanently owning a painting by paying a specific price. This makes the artwork out of reach to individuals who can learn from these paintings but cannot because they cannot afford them. I feel like, in today's world, art is a bad thing to the environment since it's less about the appreciation of the finer things in life and more about selling oneself for the highest rate.

Mark: Nevertheless, there will always be both a negative and positive impact of art in our society as a whole. Besides, real art will continue to shape and mold us as a society for centuries to come. Without art, we cannot create a physical environment that helps participants in a life of quality across all dimensions. Art makes the environment spark public demand by making the environment personal, emotional, and noticeable. Art helps society to nurture sustainable economies by replacing industries and practices that may be harmful to the environment (Masley, 1949). Moreover, people get to create new business models that are both economically and environmentally sustainable with art. Finally, art helps to enrich and activate the environment that has been built already. This occurs when massive investments are required to create a new and more sustainable infrastructure over the coming years. Art will help in designing physical spaces and fortify new and more sustainable thinking and behavior.

John: Nonetheless, we can agree to disagree that art has both positive and negative impacts that affect the environment.

References

Anon. (1994). The environment is a hazard. Environment International, 20(6), 757. https://doi.org/10.1016/0160-4120(94)90309-3

Masley, A. (1949). Fine Art and Art Education. College Art Journal, 8(4), 279. https://doi.org/10.2307/772481