ANTHROPOCENE
OVERVIEW
ANTHROPOCENE:
the current geological age, viewed as the period during which human activity has been the dominant influence on climate and the environment.
— Definition from Oxford Languages
Economic and technological advancements of the last century have come at a cost. In exhausting our planet’s natural resources, our markets and societies destroy the fundamental constructs of civilization. The catastrophic effects of extreme disasters are exacerbated by climate change and by our lack of action in combating environmental issues. From plummeting biodiversity and the melting of the Greenland Ice Sheet to the prolonged drought in sub-Saharan Africa, the devastating Australian wildfires, and the tropical storms that demolished areas of Southeast Asia, the Caribbean and the Pacific, the horrors of (un)natural disasters are evident. Millions of people suffer from what is being described as the world’s first “climate change-induced famine” — this environmental pandemic threatens our very existence as it impacts on our rights to food, water, housing and livelihoods.
2021-22 Magazine Publication
Musical Composition
Artist Statement:
This piece represents a story I’ve written. In the story, the water is not generated naturally due to all the climate change and the environmental destruction. While the institutions that “make” water increase disparity among population, the main characters look for the way to live and to find a solution…
I tried to put the feelings about water that we wouldn’t feel now to the piece; they are such as excitement, cruelty, anxiety and hope. Although the overall atmosphere is positive, there are negative sounds under the positive sounds. I hope that it will encourage some of you to rethink the value of water and our behavior toward the climate and its crisis.
Work Series
Golden Rays
Painting Series by Liya Serikova
Light is one of the essential details in my paintings. There is a fantastic range of light and color in the natural world with which, as an artist, I try to paint that incredible beauty. We must protect nature and understand how much it gives us without taking anything. When I paint landscapes, I always think about light. Playing with light, glare, and the shapes light creates are my inspiration. Its elusive quality can transform a figure or landscape in just a few seconds. I try to convey this feeling of the place, capturing the fleeting magic of light.
Studies of Flight
Painting Series by Grace Gates
Each painting is a representation of one of the four forces of flight: lift, weight, drag, and thrust. On one of the first days of class, when we watched the PBS documentary on the “Masters of the Sky” I was inspired by the striking images of swans taking off on water. For my lift themed painting I drew my inspiration from that specific scene. For thrust painting I thought of doing a rocket ship taking off. It is the first example of thrust I think of because the amount of force a rocket needs to get into space is incredible and it is unlike any other example of thrust. For weight, I did a painting of a person underwater. To me, being underwater can feel like you are being weighed down but it also gives the sensation of being weightless. Lastly, for my drag painting I did a tree swaying in the wind. The wind is dragging the tree backwards. You can find flight in everything: animals, humans, technology, and nature!
This Boy and This Environment
Photography Series by Maddy McColgan
This collection of photos was taken in Nicaragua in 2017, while I was there bringing menstrual supplies to the women who lived in this community. We were then taken on a tour of the compound, which included a large plot of land dedicated to burning garbage. This garbage burning was a huge part of the community, and created jobs for the men who lived on the compound. It was heartbreaking to see how this had become a norm, children would come to hangout after school. The men would spend hours on end in the middle of this garbage that was on fire, having the smoke seep into every part of themselves, day after day.