Saturday, October 29, 2005

Renewable Energy Via the Artist's Eye

Treehugger Warren McLaren makes a very cool find with The Art Gallery of Renewable Energy, a site that "...explores some of the art found on the internet that use or discuss renewable energy, specifically solar and wind energy." A project of Canadian artist Lope, the Gallery serves as inspiration to other artists about the role they can play in promoting a more sustainable future:
There are many roles for the artist to play in the emergence of a renewable energy economy. Artists influence and can help introduce clean technologies to people, educate them in their potential use, explore the ways in which renewables interact with everyday life, and stir people to action. Artists make things beautiful - their work catches the eye and draws one in - it creates impressions and stirs emotions. It is the job of the artist to make solar and wind power beautiful, more beautiful than the life promised by fossil fuels. Artists also look toward the future and help inspire dreams of what might be, capture a future world where there is hope.
Let's hope this does inspire more visual artists, as well as writers, musicians, filmmakers, etc., to examine the aesthetics and meaning of sustainable technology and design. As Bill McKibben argued recently at Grist, art could be one of the most effective mediums available for spreading the concept of living more sustainably.

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