The definition for the Environmental Art has not yet
crystallized. Environmental Art is usually seen as a kind of Art connected
with nature, but is not just this. Environmental Art is also an expression
of a specific natural, urban and / or cultural context. Environmental
artists tend to use various techniques to create a place that can also be
a meaningful site. They often use installations and sculptures, but we can
also see a few environmental artworks created as murales or massive
drawings filling entire walls of a building!
Environmental Art looks into the culture, the soul of a place, whatever it
is an urban or natural landscape. In this kind of Art, the environment is
seen as a mix of cultural and natural elements and the artist tries to
create a deeper connection between these elements and his artwork. This
connection is usually based on the folk traditions, the history or the
geographical nature of the place where the artwork will be sited. It is
not a clear connection, written on a display or paper. It is a silent
connection, barely perceptible, but able to involve all of your senses,
until feeling as if it was speaking directly to you. Once you get its
value and what the artwork is trying to convey, you will already be so
much connected with everything around you, that it will be as if you have
always known that place.
Environmental artworks are recently more popular than before. However,
they are not so easy to see and understand. For this reason, I would like
to show you an example of environmental artwork.
The Ciclope is one of the twelve sculptures created by Angelo Casciello, a contemporary italian artist, for the exhibition "CASCIELLO POMPEI" in Pompei (NA), Italy in the last 2017. The exhibition was an itinerary between history and the contemporary age. The history of the archaeological park of Pompei is not just the tale of a tragedy, but also the place where life has become eternal through form from the capitals, sculptures, cornices and walls of the ancient buildings. In this project these architectural elements were compared with Casciello's works with their extraordinary sculptural-architectural force and their relation to their surroundings. Visitors could see volumetric works of plain or painted iron, solid metal structures alternating with dense, monolithic totem-like masses reminiscent of an archaic era. Casciello’s sculptures were created and exhibited there to encourage reflection on the rediscovered city and on the passing of time that has turned Pompei into an eternal image, as well as reflection on the role of contemporary languages of art.
Find below some kinds of Art that might be connected with the environment too, even if they are based on different values and purposes:
Coded by
Bianca Francini