AP Concentration
AP Artist Statement
In my sustained investigation, I am researching the negative impact of humans on the environment. In the past decade, the state of the environment has decreased tremendously due to actions on our part. Right now, I see more pieces of trash than fish in the Potomac River. I see beautiful forests of towering Oaks being paved into shopping mall parking lots. I see the smoke constantly being pumped out of the factories and hundreds of cars on the highway choking my world and vital species disappearing in front of my very eyes. I live in a country that is the second-largest greenhouse gas emitter, yet ironically is the one backing out of environmental plans. Every day I wake up knowing no progress is being made, knowing not nearly enough attention is being brought to issues like these. This is the future of my planet on the line, which is exactly why I have decided to dedicate my art to researching and communicating the damage we have done to the world.
After researching this topic, I have found that humans are indeed responsible for much of the damage being done to the environment, causing things like air pollution, deforestation, loss of biodiversity, plastic pollution, and so much more. In the last century, the global temperature has risen multiple degrees due to carbon emissions caused by humans. Over ten million tons of plastic enter the ocean every single year because of us. As a result of our actions, over 100,000 acres of forest are cut down every single day. In my concentration, I hope to communicate actions like these and what pressure they really put on the environment.
Throughout my research, I have also found many environmental artists that I draw much of my inspiration from. Some artists that have impacted my art the most include Chris Jordan, who exposes consumerist culture and uses images of plastic waste, Benjamin Von Wong, who creates awareness about issues like climate change through his work, and Nils-Udo, who constructs much of his work from materials found in nature. These artists have inspired me to create art that conveys important messages about the environment and use uncommon art mediums to do this.
For example, for one of my concentration pieces, I depicted the harmful air pollution being emitted from factories and power plants using charcoal on a paper grocery bag. I decided to use this uncommon material to better represent the negative impacts of the production of goods and consumerism. For another of my concentration pieces, I depicted the impact of plastic pollution on fish populations. Instead of using common art materials, I constructed a fish entirely out of plastic and other common pieces of trash to create a more impactful visualization of the issue.
My goal in using these mediums is to create art that seems real, each piece with a story of its own that the viewer must understand. I hope that after viewing my portfolio, viewers will not only better understand the issues being depicted, but will experience them in a way that demands to be felt.
In my sustained investigation, I am researching the negative impact of humans on the environment. In the past decade, the state of the environment has decreased tremendously due to actions on our part. Right now, I see more pieces of trash than fish in the Potomac River. I see beautiful forests of towering Oaks being paved into shopping mall parking lots. I see the smoke constantly being pumped out of the factories and hundreds of cars on the highway choking my world and vital species disappearing in front of my very eyes. I live in a country that is the second-largest greenhouse gas emitter, yet ironically is the one backing out of environmental plans. Every day I wake up knowing no progress is being made, knowing not nearly enough attention is being brought to issues like these. This is the future of my planet on the line, which is exactly why I have decided to dedicate my art to researching and communicating the damage we have done to the world.
After researching this topic, I have found that humans are indeed responsible for much of the damage being done to the environment, causing things like air pollution, deforestation, loss of biodiversity, plastic pollution, and so much more. In the last century, the global temperature has risen multiple degrees due to carbon emissions caused by humans. Over ten million tons of plastic enter the ocean every single year because of us. As a result of our actions, over 100,000 acres of forest are cut down every single day. In my concentration, I hope to communicate actions like these and what pressure they really put on the environment.
Throughout my research, I have also found many environmental artists that I draw much of my inspiration from. Some artists that have impacted my art the most include Chris Jordan, who exposes consumerist culture and uses images of plastic waste, Benjamin Von Wong, who creates awareness about issues like climate change through his work, and Nils-Udo, who constructs much of his work from materials found in nature. These artists have inspired me to create art that conveys important messages about the environment and use uncommon art mediums to do this.
For example, for one of my concentration pieces, I depicted the harmful air pollution being emitted from factories and power plants using charcoal on a paper grocery bag. I decided to use this uncommon material to better represent the negative impacts of the production of goods and consumerism. For another of my concentration pieces, I depicted the impact of plastic pollution on fish populations. Instead of using common art materials, I constructed a fish entirely out of plastic and other common pieces of trash to create a more impactful visualization of the issue.
My goal in using these mediums is to create art that seems real, each piece with a story of its own that the viewer must understand. I hope that after viewing my portfolio, viewers will not only better understand the issues being depicted, but will experience them in a way that demands to be felt.