Art in the Anthropocene
Over the last two centuries humans have been continuously leaving an irreversible mark on planet Earth. Human activity has altered Earth’s ecosystems so much that many believe this time period cannot be a continuation of the Holocene, but instead should be given its own name: the Anthropocene. The Anthropocene has been defined to have started with the introduction of the steam engine in 1784, and focuses on humanity and its global impact. Many factors have contributed to the establishment of an unbalanced ecology, such as stratospheric ozone depletion, radiation residue from nuclear bombs, the massive damaging waste produced by the combining of industrial chemicals to create new materials, and the deforestation causing desert-forming in what was once fertile land able to produce food for large populations, which are now starving (Crutzen). Although we are aware of the negative impact that these actions bring, no force has been great enough to catalyze a unified movement toward a more sustainable way of life.
One way to raise awareness of the current conditions is through art. In my opinion, an artist in the Anthropocene uses imagery and emotion in order to instill a newfound awareness of humanity’s impact on planet Earth and itself in our current epoch. The realities of this time are portrayed to stimulate action toward a more sustainable way of living. An artist who I believe reflects this definition is Yann Arthus-Bertrand. Through his artwork, Yann is able to expose the connection between “micro” and “macro” scales, the former which represents the experience of the individual, and the latter which depicts the changes occurring in the planet. By juxtaposing these two levels, he is not only able to show how inextricable these radically different scales have become in the Anthropocene, but he is also able to create a newfound awareness of how our everyday actions both affect, and are affected by, our dynamic relationship with nature.
Yann Arthus-Bertrand was born in Paris, France in 1946. Since he was young, he always had an appreciation for nature and the environment. At the age of 20, he settled in the central region of France and became a director of a natural reserve, surrounding himself by the beauty that earth has to offer. Ten years later, he moved to Kenya with his wife to conduct a three-year study on the behavior of lions. He began taking photos of his observations on a daily basis. While living there he had also been making money as an air balloon pilot (Arthus-Bertrand). It was during these excursions that he /was able to fuel his passion for photography by capturing what he otherwise would not be able to capture down below. By discovering the advantages and insights of viewing the earth from above, he began his journey of spreading awareness and appreciation of nature through aerial photography.
As a film director, photographer, and journalist, Yann Arthus-Bertrand has been involved in environmental issues by collaborating with the United Nations, National Geographic, Life, etc. His work later led to the establishment of his GoodPlanet Foundation, which focuses on bringing awareness of environmental issues to the public. One of his well-known artworks is his compiled collection of aerial photography known as “Earth from above.” His book has been translated to over 20 languages and sold over 3 million copies worldwide. Originally published in 1999, this piece includes aerial photography from 6 continents. In it he presents us with an opportunity to see through his lens up in the sky. Images such as Alberta Sand Oil, Coral Reef in New Caledonia, and the North Pole are shown. Though aesthetically pleasing, they instill a sense of discomfort in the viewers by showing us the damage humanity has caused at first hand. During his TED talk in February of 2009, he mentioned that he was only recently able to take his “North Pole” photo, because 15 years ago the ice would have been too thick.“Taking pictures was a way to capture information we could not put into words.”
- Yann Arthus-Bertrand
Arthus-Bertrand began his environmental work through photography, however, he has created other means of sharing his appreciation and awareness of the relationship between humanity and ecology. On June 5th, 2009, he released his film “Home”. Composed mainly of aerial shots from 60 countries, the film presents elements of diversity, beauty and the disruption of ecological balance. Through the stunning footage, we are able to take away the fact that nothing exists separated from the rest of the planet. In other words, we all live together in our home. This piece shows us how Arthus-Bertrand incorporates the macro scale into his work. He is able to depict the vastness of Earth and the immensity of the changes we are causing to our planet that we otherwise would not know, because of the improbable chances of ever getting such an image that captures its magnitude. As Rob Nixon puts it in his book “Slow Violence,” these actions of destruction are often overlooked because we are not able to see the scale of things. These actions have been slowly occurring for such a period of time, that it becomes difficult to express “the long emergencies of slow violence into stories dramatic enough to rouse public sentiment and warrant political intervention” (Nixon). Yann’s work in “Home” allows us to see this.
His most recent film Human, released in 2015, is composed of a mosaic of stories told by individuals across the planet. Over 2000 interviews were conducted for the making of this movie, each incorporating its unique story of how the individual experience has also been affected by human action. In it we see elements of love and beauty, but hate and violence as well. The 3 hour documentary shows us how Arthus-Bertrand incorporates the micro scale into his work. By allowing us to enter the lives of individuals he is able to evoke enormous emotion which gives us a deeper understanding of the many negative ways in which humanity is affecting itself. Together, "Home" and "Human" give a scope of how big the world is, but at the same time show us how all humans are impacted in the Anthropocene epoch. It can be challenging to create artwork that operates at two radically different scopes, in this case the micro and the macro scales, however, Yann is able to incorporate both pieces into his artwork to stimulate a sense of emotion enough to bring us to consciousness of our actions.
“An image of Earth, its landscapes, directly affects people. The beauty of Earth creates enormous emotion, and through that emotion, you can transmit knowledge and raise consciousness.”
- Yann Arthus Bertrand
As we have all heard before "a picture is worth a thousand words." Often, works of art have been able to express a depth of meaning that words could not reach. One example is Picasso's 1937 painting “Guernica” expressing the horrors of an aerial bombardment in a town. Yann Arthus Bertrand follow’s Picasso’s example and that of many artists in the history of human kind and is able to make a statement with a depth beyond what words can tell. What makes him unique is his ability to tie two radically different scales, the individual experience and the huge changes on earth, to evoke a great sense of emotion toward understanding our realities of today and strive to catalyze a unified movement for a more sustainable way of living.
Works Cited
Arthus-Bertrand, Yann. “A wide-angle view of fragile Earth.” TED. Feb. 2009. Lecture
https://www.ted.com/talks/yann_arthus_bertrand_captures_fragile_earth_in_wide_angle#t-42152
Arthus-Bertrand, Yann. Home: A Stunning Visual Portrayal of Earth. Twentieth Century Fox, 2009.
Arthus-Bertrand, Yann, Lester Russell Brown, and Nicole Columbus. Earth from above. Harry N. Abrams, 1999.
Arthus-Bertrand, Yann. “Yann Arthus-Bertrand.” Yann Arthus-Bertrand, GoodPlanet Foundation, 2016.
Crutzen P.J. (2006) The “Anthropocene”. In: Ehlers E., Krafft T. (eds) Earth System Science in the Anthropocene. Springer, Berlin,
Heidelberg https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007%2Fb137853.pdf
Nixon, R. (2011). Slow Violence and the Environmentalism of the Poor. Harvard University Press.
Pablo Picasso's Guernica https://www.pablopicasso.org/guernica.jsp
