Ecocriticism as a discipline has historically been the ecological analysis of written literature. However, with emerging studies and a heavier focus on our environment's natural state than ever before, the concept has transcended into an application...
The Blue Humanities highlights cultural, social, and political themes by depicting human involvement in maritime ecology. The Blue Humanities specifically refer to humanity's ubiquitous, yet unique, relationships with the oceans. It considers how oceans have been perceived and utilized historically, inferring future inspections of what these oceanic scenes may have represented symbolically. This approach seeks to go beyond romanticizing the planet's oceans through fluidity, intensity, and a shift in preconceived interpretations of marine spaces. The emergence of discipline has allowed for increased transdisciplinary inquiry delving into the intricacies demonstrated by human-ecological relationships (Hubbell & Ryan 256). By focusing on traditional and contemporary ideologies related to the ocean, the viewer can defamiliarize themselves with the ocean as an environmental factor and use its presence to speak on environmental health, oceanic exploration, conflicts, anthropological themes, etc.
Critical qualifications of Blue Humanities often examine marine history in a social context, highlighting the ocean's role in human history. These applications also critique human impacts on marine ecology, being used to promote conservation efforts, environmental inequalities, and how humans coexist with marine life without causing catastrophes. In some instances, artists who follow the guidelines will highlight the complexities of oceanic behaviors and triumphs when opposed to humans. Ivan Aivazovsky achieves each of these perspectives through his extensive portfolio of marine-based artworks. As a romantic painter, Aivazovsky strikingly inspects the role oceans have in human well-being, and how the interconnectedness of the relationship can result in cultural respect for the ocean.
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The Rainbow (1873) presents a tranquil and mellow ocean where a rescue ship of presumably survivors is stranded at sea. While the ocean is still and the sky bleeds pastel tones, the vastness of the water maintains control over the subjects. Despite this scene being the aftermath, Aivazovsky successfully conceptualizes the intensity of nature with a monstrous shipwreck clouded in the distance. At the core of the event, a rainbow cascades over the boat-bound refugees. Many believe that this symbolizes hope and transcendence found in nature. However, Aivazovsky's signature glazing technique causes the pinkish sky to melt seamlessly into the ocean guiding the boat. Is this rainbow, and its traditional representations in art, challenged here with respect to nature's unpredictability and ambiguity? Perhaps the subjects will be lost at sea forever as they have no jurisdiction over nature's boundaries. The strategies demonstrated in the piece conclude that human relationships with nature aren't direct, but rather unprecedented accounts of human impact, emotion, and themes concerning maritime influences. Utilizing this approach in art studies heightens our understanding of the ocean beyond previous limitations and envisions it as a vessel for human and ecological expertise.
