Nature And Landscape : Allen Carlson

Accordingly, the nature was one of the Romantic themes adored by numerous readers during this era. The author’s description of untamed environment and striking sight inspires and impresses the readers. Soothing and relaxing people through these illustrations, author takes them away from the impersonal society. For example, The Most Sublime Spectacle on Earth by John Wesley Powell vividly displays the spectacular views of Grand Canyon to make readers forget the depraved reality. “The carving of the Grand Canyon is the work of rains and rivers,” Powell stresses that Grand Canyon is the splendid work of nature, not the artificial work of

Richard Louv writes a persuasive essay analyzing the relationship between nature and technology. His essay focuses on how technology is progressively altering the way we perceive nature. Louv believes that the more we are in contact with technology, the less in touch we are with nature. His persuasion throughout the essay uses many rhetorical devices to help the reader envision how much better “true nature” is.

To people foreign to California, the state is boxed into a set of stereotypical characteristics. The Golden State has received labels such as ‘surf nation,’ and ‘liberal land.’ But to those who’ve gotten a chance to live within this great state appreciate the opportunities and ambitions that come with living in California. Furthermore, what truly differentiates California from any other place in the world is the consistent paradoxical environment. This notion is best epitomized by the city of Sacramento and the cultural, economic and social change that the city has undergone. Gary Snyder communicates this theme through building around John Muir’s ideologies in his work of “Covers The Ground.” Snyder’s work exemplifies the contradiction between nature and innovation. It presents the paradoxical state individuals around the world face on whether to accept the innovation and accept the benefits that come with it, or stay true to the roots of nature and the history that accompanies it. This dilemma boils down to whether we as a race embrace the progression of time and the paradoxes that follow, or we find solace in our current state.

Both William Wordsworth and John Muir use imagery to express their relationships with nature. In paragraph two of The Calypso Borealis, Muir describes the environmental obstacles he encounters when he sets off to find the elusive flower: “fording streams more and more difficult to cross and wading bogs and swamps that seemed more and more extensive and more difficult to force one's way through.” Muir’s choice of words helps the reader imagine how difficult and harsh the environment was as

“Could it be that we are supposed to be talking to the plants and animals, interacting with them, accepting the gifts they offer, and using them in ways that further their growth?”(Starhawk, 162). I feel this quote from “Our Place in Nature” is a great way to start the topic of how artists uses plant life in their work. It shows how artists might try to interact with the environment for ideas on the works that they come up. I feel also that they are trying to be one with the environment. I feel if you spend enough time in nature, you will build a strong connection with everything around you. This comment is justified when Starhawk said, “I can walk into any forest where the trees are strange and understand something about the relationships

The interconnection between the human race and nature is complex, and can be interpreted an infinite amount of ways. Mark Jenkins’ ‘King of the Dirtbags’ and Wendell Berry’s ‘An Entrance to the Woods’ are both very similar in the ways they represent philosophical ideas regarding the relationship between the modern man and nature. Both literary pieces discuss the benefits of simplicity, and explain how mankind has a tendency to overcomplicate much of what they develop. The two authors also share the idea in their writings that the ability to adapt to different environments is a crucial trait in evolution and progression as a society. Another major concept that is prevalent in both of the author’s pieces is that man must be able to reach beyond his comfort zone to understand nature’s consistency throughout time.

The aim and intentions of this essay is to compare and contrast how the three artists (Michelle Lougee, Andy Goldsworthy, and Hermannsburg Potters) use their materials to communicate ideas about the natural environment.

I am analyzing the form and content of a stylized painting entitled The Palisades by John William Hill. This was found in the collection section of themetmusuem.org which was painted during the pre Raphaelite movement; when artist emphasized meticulous detail in what was observed rather than imagined nature. This artwork shows the aesthetics of nature, depicting a peaceful scenery with spacious green acres during the year of the 1870s. During the late 18th centuries, natural resources weren’t highly industrialized and that in itself shows how nature was essential for all human species. I argue that this painting shows how everything in nature connects and communicates with one another.

In a passage Last Child in the Woods(2008), Richard Louv presents an argument about how distant humans are from nature. Richard supports his claim by providing anecdote, hyperbole and sarcasm. Richard’s purpose is to bring awareness to this sad case of technology taking over nature. In a time where many people don’t see the fun or beauty in nature but are turning to technology for everything, including the appearance of things and get a peace of mind.. Richard talks to his audience with sincerity and sadness.

As humans grow in mind and body, we become more dependent on nature. We learn how important the trees, grass, and even the sky really is. This relationship with nature comes from deep within, almost spiritual. Although, we may not reverence nature enough, this connection humans have with nature, can be made evident in writing. Authors like Ralph Waldo Emerson, explain nature and the meaning of it all.

Nature has always been a controversial subject ever since the 1800’s when the artistic movement of Transcendentalism flourished. Transcendentalism refers to the intellectual movement that was developed in the 19th century, which declares that truth cannot be sought through plain observation, but is found through the “heightened consciousness” that allows an individual to reach the truth (Robinson 125). The “heightened consciousness” portrays spiritual guiding, letting the body dictate its own path to life. Eventually, key figures such as Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau emphasized the movement, discussing the relation between man, nature ,and transcendentalism. Over the course of the 19th century, transcendentalism links the value

Though humans often boast of their inability to be swayed or persuaded against a belief, they are easily malleable. The external environment plays a major role in the impressionable human perception. An individual’s view on certain aspects of their external environment, notably nature and its species, relies largely on publications and visual depictions. Through reflecting upon the concept of anthropomorphism, artists’ depictions of nature, and the common motif of nature and animals in the plays of William Shakespeare, it is evident that a person’s view of nature can be largely influenced by art and literature. Moreover, an individual can learn to identify with nature on a personal and emotional level.

Using natural phenomenon as a starting point for abstraction, Mark Grotjahn’s paintings straddle the polarities of artifice and nature. His painting, Lavender Butterfly Jacaranda over Green (Fig. 2), expresses his fascination with nature. Transferring the experience of observation to an intrigue of creative possibility, Grotjahn harnesses the mysticism of nature through aesthetic formality.

In chapters two and three of The Meaning of Modern Art, Karsten Harries describes two ways that the relationship between man and nature is understood, and how these understandings are evident in the changing artistic styles and philosophical themes of the time. Harries describes two ways of seeing man’s relationship with nature. Either nature is beneath man’s reason, and thus art must reconstruct nature “in the image of reason” or man’s relationship with nature is one of intense conflict, in which time and nature conquer man, and only by submitting to nature’s oppressive force can man find some victory (Harries 17). In the latter view man is able to “escape into his own self and there hear the voices of the gods; in the midst of life he

Art has the power to enhance consciousness as well as alter the way in which one perceives the world around them. The process of which one experiences life from the means of their imagination intensifies their perspicacity of the external reality. This alteration becomes seamlessly natural, and goes unnoticed as emotions override the mind, and generates creativity. However, the dynamics of nature are questionable in relation to how it holds inspiration to one’s creative expression.