Clay and trees; art and nature

The relationship between art and the natural environment


I took up ceramics about 2 years ago, and throughout these 2 years I’ve had the opportunity to learn so much about the medium and the amazing ways that clay can be manipulated with our hands. I’ve grown to love clay more and more, and my love for the medium has evolved not just through my handling of the material, but also through understanding its origins; the way that it came from the ground and the way that the material we treasure so much originated from nature.

There are 2 things, and these 2 things are one of my greatest loves. The first as I’ve mentioned, is ceramics, but the second is nature. Nature is something that similar to ceramics I’ve grown to love over the years more and more, and the appreciation I have to the natural environment translates into a concern for these current environmental causes. My love for these two things however, becomes rather problematic when certain aspects of ceramics are scrutinized, and may not sit very well in the heart of those who love the environment. There is certain contention within ceramics, due to the firing process which takes up a great deal of energy, and results in the release of greenhouse gases. And it is this contradiction that creates tension between the two of my biggest loves. The contradiction between ceramics and the environment leads me to question the relationship between the two, and the way that these two can influence each other in the negative aspects but also in positive ways. Art is powerful and it is used for communication, for expressing ideas, and for influencing the masses. The influence that the arts has can be seen in both positive and negative ways, and through the tangible and intangible impacts that it has on nature.

It is definite that the communicative capability of the arts has the power to spread awareness of issues in the environmental scene, as well as the way that art can influence one to appreciate and see the beauty in nature. It was also the arts for me, that aided me to see the more beautiful and promising elements nature has, rather than focusing on the “unfavorable” aspects that as urban dwellers, we tend to see more. Living in Orchard Road, the heart of the city in Singapore, I grew up in an extremely metropolitan society. Growing accustomed to the sounds of cars honking or speeding by, or by the sight of office workers rushing from the bus stops to the buildings, or just the hustle of city life in general, it was really easy for me to loose sight and completely unaware of what nature has to offer, or the importance of nature to us not just in the tangible sense, but also intangibly. The environment provides not just food, oxygen, water, or timber, or any of these daily necessities, but also has so much more to offer with the its beautiful bird calls and magnificent trees. Nature’s extremely multi-sensory traits give us the opportunity to connect with something on a completely different level, a level that us as Singaporeans may sometimes be unaccustomed to. I’m not saying we forgot all our troubles when we surround ourselves with green, but I assert my belief that nature’s power to heal and soothe has the ability to open our eyes to all the good in the world reminding us of the endless possibilities and opportunities that life gives us. Surrounding ourselves in nature humbles us, and encourages us to appreciate the details that we often ignore. We realize the extremity of the Earth, and just how much diversity there is, and through this realization and immersion in these green spaces, one can become so aware of just how small a single individual may appear when surrounded by just so much.

But I digress from my point, and coming back to how the arts influenced me to see nature in a different light, it was painting that brought me to see the beauty in nature. I began painting landscapes; mountains, trees, sunsets, birds, in Secondary 2, and I never really looked too deep into concepts or theories made in the arts. To me, it was just to paint what I saw, and paint to it realistically and in “pretty” ways. Despite that mindset back then, it is now that I look back and realize how painting those images; those images that I never accustomed myself to (because of living in the city) actually brought me to appreciate the environment not merely for it how it gives us food, or provides us with oxygen, but also for the more intangible qualities. The way that nature just manages us to make us so happy. The way we can forget all the stress and the troubles for just a mere moment, as we take time to appreciate how amazing the colors of the sunsets are. They way we relax as we take time to marvel at how complex and intricate the branches display themselves on a tree. The act of painting, and of seeing other paintings which are representations of natural imagery, encourages this appreciation of the environment, and it is this appreciation that when combined with environmental awareness, will eventually translate into a concern for the current environmental issues. 

Earlier paintings of mountains done in the Secondary 2 days

Photos taken during a 2 week stay at the Gunung Leuser National Park of Sumatra back in 2013 with schoolmates

These are the intangible qualities that nature offers us, and also the intangibility of what art can offer the environment; through the encouragement of nature appreciation. But while we do see the amazing ways in which our works contribute to a larger cause, it is important as art students to also be aware of how our art can have negative tangible aspects. The practice of art requires resources; painting requires paint/ canvases, ceramics requires clay/ firing processes, sculpture requires wood/ metal / etc, and on it goes. These resources come from nature, and when used in excess may cause degradation to our ecology. And so despite the positive ways that our art can impact the environment, it also comes with certain drawbacks. But awareness of both the pros and cons gives us a more holistic view of our practice and the actions we undergo in our artistic pursuit, and it is through this knowledge that we learn to balance what we take from the environment, together with what we can give back. But of course this is merely my own subjective view, and different art students will have varying perspectives on this issue. Art is objective, and encompasses a huge range of ideas and opinions, and so I clarify that although I hold this view, I acknowledge the different beliefs that other people have too.

Nature does not just give to art in terms of materiality; how clay comes from the Earth, or how the physicality of our works compose of materials originating from the Earth. But also in terms of how nature influences artworks, in terms of subject matter, aesthetics, or ideas. I mean, Van Gogh wouldn’t have been able to paint his sunflowers, without the sunflowers themselves! As a student I myself also find so much inspiration in the natural environment, and motifs that occur is nature represent themselves very frequently in my works. Interested in capturing the similarities between us as people and the natural environment, nature influences me very much and in my process of conceptualizing or idealizing my works. And these similarities present themselves not only through the mere fact that we are all living organisms, but also through characteristic traits, such as the things we do or the way we react to certain situations.

"Erosion #1, #2, #3"

Over time natural external forces weathers and erodes natural material, wearing off the surfaces of stone and rock. These forces create crevices and cracks, imprinting their mark onto the exterior and  divulges histories and stories behind the life of the rock. Their experiences give them their physical appearance, just as how we too are shaped by experiences.

"This is how tendrils pretend"

Tendrils of parasites wrap themselves seductively around a living organism, slowly sucking away its life. The function of a pot fused together with the aesthetic qualities of tendrils hopes to illustrate the dangers of safety and the poison of having too much comfort.

"Below the surface lies more than 8/9 of the iceberg’s form"

The iceberg hides more than 8/9 of its form underneath icy waters. As do those surrounding us who hide themselves underneath the exterior they exude.

I end this by telling myself to remember that despite my personal beliefs and opinions to art and its relation to the environment, I also have to remember the objectivity that surrounds art itself. Someone once told me, that art “should never be anything,” and we cannot say that “art should be (this) or (that).” Instead we keep our own opinions and share them, remembering not to impose your beliefs on others. Art was how I began to appreciate nature, and nature is what inspires me in my practice, and so it is so important to me that I balance what nature has given my works, and what my practice can offer to the environment.

(treesandlove.blogspot.com)