Although this blog isn't a physical nature walk, understanding art's interpretation of nature is an essential aspect of nature being implemented in modern forms of entertainment. A few friends and I traveled to The Modern Art Museum in Fort Worth's Cultural District. While my friends and I were noting the variety of beautiful pieces of artwork, I was gravitated by the many nature pieces that expressed nature's simple and complex ideologies.
After this week's discussions about Lewis and Clark expeditions and Standing Bear readings, I realized how nature can be preceptive, and everyone can view nature in a different light. I enjoyed the conversations about the transition from the beauty of nature to the intensity of the wilderness as human civilization progressed. This idea is biblical and portrayed in The Modern Art Museum with some of its most significant nature pieces. Below is an image I found striking.
Wilderness
The Ark by Melissa Miller
My friends and I stood in front of this photo for around ten minutes, piercing into the complexity and immense detail that was carefully placed. Perplexed by analyzing the animal relationships and food chains displayed in this work of art, I was transported by the idea of having to survive amongst these animals. I love how the image expresses a majestic nature, as these animals seem to be in harmony with one another. Darkness in the skies could be interpreted as human activity creating smoke from burning fossil fuels. Therefore, all these animals are in confinement, as urbanization minimizes the space for animals to live freely. These animals must live in peace because they have nowhere else to go. The absence of humans in this artwork shows how society separates ourselves from nature, even though we are as equally a part of nature as every other animal. The themes I gathered from this masterpiece were chaos, empathy, and reliance. When I left this piece, I felt the need to think in the shoes of those animals…
Dominance
In contrast, the following few photos are ones I found in a different area of the museum, and these images show the dominance of nature that we humans place on the environment. These photos show the human impact on nature as we established agriculture and domestication of animals. These pictures have a more calming and passive tone, which plays into the notion that we, as humans, view our control over certain aspects of nature as pure. Simplicity and understanding allow us as humans to connect with these images more than the images of the other animals we have little experience interacting with since most of us haven't lived in the wilderness. Lewis's notes about his experience highlight his gratitude for control over the new territory by stating the abundance of food resources. This misconception plays into modern-day consumerism, believing we have enough of everything to last forever. The agriculture pieces touch on this view of unlimited resources and the progressive movement of agricultural practices. I hope that in the future, we can reduce the stigma of the dangerous wilderness and its negative connotation on specific animals and instead appreciate nature for what it's worth.
Pure Nature
Lastly, the final section I would like to share would be the images with no animals or humans but just of Mother Earth. These pictures were noteworthy because, as a viewer, you glimpse into untouched land in genuine admiration. These images are the most peaceful because they show the planet we are all gifted with. I love the view of the rocky shrubs and the mountains in the background, as there's a sense of adventure and want to visit this area to see what's beyond the image. This image makes me apprehensive about Big Bend because I want to take breathtaking photos like this one. Next, the notion of dark sea and clouds art, which was right across from the previous, contradicts the emotion provoked during the last photos. This image made me feel more relaxed and comfortable as the endless sea looks comforting in that nature is never-ending. As someone who enjoys the water, I could see myself in this infinite body of water soothingly. I found the untouched images of nature brought about these tranquil feelings when looking deep into these images.
Passover by Dennis Blagg
These were just a few of the most intriguing artworks to me. Below is a short video of other photos I took while at The Modern Art Museum.
Overall, I was moved, inspired, and appreciative of all the different perspectives of nature. These artworks made me think about our discussions in class and the importance of loving nature through many different forms of acknowledgment.
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