This page was created by Alison Morgan. 

Our World With and For the Future

Artist Statement: Alex Smithers

For this short story Alex decided to focus on the harsh reality of pollution, but he did not write this with the intention of preaching that pollution is bad, we all know that.  Alex chose to write his piece on the effects that it has on humans not only animals.  His definition of green art is one that is simple, "green art is a piece of literature that the reader or viewer can connect with and this form of art helps solidify the bond that humans have with nature."  Throughout his piece Alex wanted to illustrate the bond that we create with nature at a young age, he says "we all have that one place that was special to use growing up.  Whether it is a creek in your backyard, a tree at the neighborhood park, or a beach at your favorite vacation getaway, we all have those places that are or once were special to us." He decided to base the setting of the short story off of the labyrinth of lagoons that are on Hilton Head Island, a place his family and him have been vacationing to for over 20 years. Alex decided to focus on the lagoon and the connection the boy had with it because he can relate to that connection.  By focusing on this connection, Alex was able to show the relationship that such a young boy can have with nature.  For Alex personally, writing this piece allowed him to experience green art first hand i.e. writing a piece of green art, this allowed him to develop a better understanding of his own personal definition of green art.  One that now allows him to appreciate other forms of green art: poetry, paintings, etc. and have a better understanding of the message that the creator is trying to get across. 
 

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