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...
Environmental sculptures can be found in an array of areas, periods, and styles. As discussed previously, sculptural art holds cultural and spiritual significance, such as indigenous societies and their ties to totem poles that often depict animal species and environmental themes. As a contemporary form, environmental sculptures, also known as earthworks, are large-scale, immersive, participatory land-based configurations that utilize natural land in their final composition. Made directly on the natural site, these works embody environmentalism through the use of natural mediums such as branches, leaves, rocks, and other elements of nature to convey their message. As a contemporary art form, these sculptural land-based works transcend across multiple cultural, social, and political discourses. This art style has allowed both artists and consumers to view Earth's natural systems with an ecological well-being framework. Since its rise, earthworks have opened the floodgates for community-organized conservation and protection efforts, some of which have created their land-based sculptures. Scholars characterize earthworks (or land art) as a neo-avant-garde form that continuously undergoes external and internal environmental changes, though staying consistent in its thematic expressions and goals (Gralińska-Toborek 131).
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Tree Mountain: A Living Time Capsule(1996) is Hungarian-American artist Anges Denes' monumental execution of earthwork that fuses creative direction and environmental regeneration. Originally a vacated mine in Finland, Denes made early plans to reconstruct the land into a man-made forest with creativity and ecological health at the forefront of her mission. The artist couldn't complete this task alone, as she recruited community members of all ages to precipitate replacing unused degraded earth and eyesore with a sustainable ecosystem flourishing with local biodiversity. The piece capitalizes on the soil mound left behind by human destruction and stylized trees in a conical pattern. With over 11,000 trees, Denes' artwork will be self-sufficient and maintain natural ecological cycles, allowing for the work to live well beyond her and others who planted saplings in the process. Though the creation of this sculptural forest is artificially made, and not from nature itself, the environment will establish itself from a barren landscape to dense woodland. The success of the project speaks to nature's resilience when the human-environmental relationship is positive. Tree Mountain is an experience of the human condition, arguing that art is no longer of just aesthetic value, but a necessity towards the preservation of humanity. Denes' vision has inspired a future of art that rebuilds connections to nature, prioritizes sustainability, and promotes positive changes to our motivations towards nature.
