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Writer's pictureRachel Bebb

Inspiring environmental change: art and learning

We engage with art at an emotional level. Works of art created with nature in mind can inspire us to help protect natural beauty in its many forms. Our curiosity is piqued by visual storytelling, encouraging us to restore lost connections with nature, to take action, to get involved in environmental stewardship.


The event held at Rachel Bebb Contemporary in June to mark World Ocean Day highlighted the role of art and learning. Focused on seagrass, learning about the many ways in which this modest but extraordinary plant benefits and supports the environment, was a revelation to those attending. Roberta Mason’s ethereal glass vessels, with their vivid representations of seagrass in the ocean, convey a strong sense of the plant in its habitat. Roberta is one of an increasing number of artists addressing critical environmental issues and challenges, and inspiring us to help protect natural beauty.


Nature-inspired contemporary art at RBC might be described by Canadian communication theorist, Marshall McLuhan, as examples of “the medium is the message”. The medium, for example the use of re-melted waste glass as used by Neil Wilkin and Roberta Mason, is embedded in the message, contributing to raising environmental awareness. 


In March I wrote about the unforgettable exhibition of Edward Burtynsky's work at Saatchi Gallery in London. His beautiful photographs, like abstract paintings, convey the devastating environmental consequences of industry on the natural world. Burtynsky says, “We’ve disconnected from nature. We don’t see it as something we live alongside. We see it as something to use.” His photographs pack a discomforting punch - after all, most of us use the materials being taken from the land, wreaking destruction. 


Neil Bousfield RE creates subtle, intriguing depictions of the impact of coastal erosion. Other works of art encourage us to care for the natural world by focusing on its beauty and drama. Antonia Salmon's ceramic sculpture, Ocean Source, points to the beauty of resources we take for granted. Merlyn Chesterman RE captures the power of the ocean in her woodcuts. Fiona Fouhy ARE draws us into the mystery of the forest, and the gentle ceramic sculptures of Sadie Brockbank MRSS tell us about the interconnectedness of all natural beings as if through a fable. The mosaic glass panels of Rebecca Newnham FRSS speak of joy and hope. Tracey Sheppard FGE observes closely and meticulously the wonders of nature, engraving them on to glass for our delight, and to give us pause as we consider their fragility. 


Antonia Salmon - Ocean Source - ceramic

Antonia Salmon - Ocean Source (ceramic, ht. 21 cms, £1,335)

Sadie Brockbank MRSS - Green Cactus Ark - ceramic

Sadie Brockbank MRSS - Green Cactus Ark (ceramic, 25 x 23 x 13 cms, £940)

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