"Going Green" Influences Art in Gainesville

Sigma Nu

For the past couple of years, America has been caught up in the "Going Green" movement.  This environmentally influenced trend encourages people to live in a sustainable way in order to limit our impact on nature.  The green movement has already influenced things like product manufacturing, environmental legislation and the economy; so don't be surprised to see a whole new wave of "green" artwork in galleries near you.

This new trend in art is called Environmental Art and to be honest, it isn't new at all.  It originated in the 1960's in response to the Environmental Movement. This movement was the original "Going Green" movement in America and was birthed out of the love and peace era of the hippies. Although it's not written in stone, Environmental Art follows four basic guidelines: restoring, mediating, integrating and reflecting.  If an artist can combine these four actions into their artwork, then they have successfully produced a piece of Environmental Art.  The tricky thing about this form of artwork is that there is no clear definition or genre characterization.  To put it simply, Environmental Art is any art that involves nature, whether it's portraying an environmental issue, using environmentally friendly materials or made entirely in a natural setting.

A great example of Environmental Art in Gainesville is the 2011 Cinema Verde Environmental Film Festival.  Running from March 18 to March 27, the festival will consist of 25 films, a film contest, an eco fair, eco tours and an art gallery.  According to Cinema Verde's website, http://verdefest.org/, the festival "seeks to raise consciousness about environmental issues, educate people on how each one of us can contribute toward sustainability and inform folks about environmental issues in their community."

Whether Environmental Art becomes a new permanent form of expression or just a passing trend lies solely in the hands of the "Going Green" movement.  As long as this fad maintains public interest and support then there is hope for Environmental Art.  However, if the Green Movement loses its enthusiasts then we may very well see this unique art form fade away yet again.

Jacob Romoser is a sophomore studying journalism. You may contact him at jromoser@ufl.edu.