Environmental Artwork

Samantha LaMonda
3/29/11
FYS-100
Essay #3

Artist Statement: Natural Artwork
"Only when he no longer knows what he is doing does the painter do good things." Edgar Degas

The art process for my project was largely confined to figuring out what I wanted to do. For days, I walked around not knowing what I could do. Ideas came and went as I analyzed the uniqueness and meaning for them. It wasn’t until I was rummaging through my backpack for a homework assignment that I realized precisely what I wanted to do for this project. I was looking through my bag when it occurred to me that it contained the following among other things: my laptop, my laptop charger cord, my phone, my iPod, and my camera. In one small backpack, I seemed to have fit five pieces of technology that I needed to use enough to carry it around on my back. My intent for this project was to express the apparent need for technology. I wanted to capture the idea that students can no longer go through one class without checking their phone; or the fact that facebook has over 600 million active users most of which check their facebook at least once a day. I’m not necessarily saying that technology is a bad thing, but rather emphasizing the change in priorities that have occurred within our society.
My original intent was for the tree to somehow resemble a person completely wired in – with a laptop, a phone, and an iPod. This would resemble the change of emphasis on nature and its beauty to the technological revolution. In turn, my art project came out more as the “priorities of life” growing out of a tree. I added in money and cords to express their importance. I feel like the necessities growing in the trees express the western society's mind-set that everything grows on trees – that resources won't be exhausted.
What particularly worked for me was to just nest on the idea of the project. I researched other environmental artwork, but the more I researched, the more I was convinced that I wanted to do something to symbolize the change in society – not only focusing on the beauty of the natural world. I just needed to think about it and put pieces together one at a time. For example, I knew I wanted to do something with trees because of their immense beauty they hold and I also kind of wanted to incorporate technology somehow. It all just kind of fell together in my mind, which is how most great art begins.
For this project I used a small bush outside of Stone Hall and my own iPod, laptop, laptop cord, phone, phone cord, and money. I placed these items in the tree so that they all rested easily. I then took a picture of it.
Overall, I am satisfied with the project – especially given the transition period of seasons and the lack of definite materials. I often think about society’s need for technology and how I love to leave everything at home and go for a walk in the woods. There is something about the loneliness or lack of connection from the rest of the world that completely satisfies me. It allows me to focus more on the beauty around me which is a characteristic that has been lost in the recent generations.