"What's Art Got to Do With It?"

February 03, 2022

Erika Osborne

Hosted by Bonne Ford

Abstract

The field of environmental arts has been expanding rapidly as the health of the planet grows increasingly precarious. As the field expands, a focus on the intersection of art and science has come to the forefront of creative dialog. Furthermore, there is a growing understanding in scientific arenas that artists are integral, not peripheral, to solving the complex environmental and social problems our planet faces. Today, artists and scientists are found working together on a variety of projects related to climate change, environmental remediation, food systems and deforestation. University research field stations, interdisciplinary labs, major cultural institutions and governmental research organizations are taking the lead by sponsoring holistic collaboration amongst the humanities, natural and social sciences and community partners. My presentation will address the history of such collaboration by speaking to the ways in which science and art have both diverged and converged over the past two centuries. Examples of specific projects will follow with a focus on the intersection of science and contemporary art around the increasingly complex issue of forest health and wildfire in the western U.S. and Mexico.