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Terrariums: The Reflection of Human Impact on the Environment

 

The Terrariums series of digital art depicts the impact of human activities on the environment. As humans stepped into a new phase of development after the industrial revolution, we have created new luxuries to add comfort to our lives. In consequence, our inventiveness has become the most important factor that has the major impact on the environment. The increasing use of plastic, metal, oil and coal in the manufacturing industry leads to undesirable environmental issues, such as pollution, global warming, and ozone layer depletion. In response to these issues, the series portrays how the earth suffers from the damages. 

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The idea behind this work stems from my observation of patients suffering from trauma in an emergency room. The series consists of four images and one video projection illustrating injured Mother Earth, environmental destruction, and natural preservation. These issues are conveyed by using a female figure, Gaia, as a metaphor. The figure head is enveloped in plastic wrap to communicate the sense of suffocation.  Gaia is adorned with flowers and plants to symbolize organisms on earth. The combination of these elements creates the resemblance of floating terrariums. The images and video projection are as follow:

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1. Trauma1 - The figure appears to be suffering from hypoxemia. Her nose and mouth are covered with an oxygen mask. The metallic element and flowers protruding from her waist depict the earth as it is damaged by the use of manufactured products.

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2. Trauma2 - The image portrays Mother Earth in an agonizing stage in which barbwires are piercing through her chest. The cacti and succulents coming out of her chest imply the organisms effected by anthropogenic environmental change

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3. Trauma3 - This video projection delineates Mother Earth after the uncontrolled damages. Her figure finally gives in and explodes. The video depicts the condition of the earth as the environmental damages continue.

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4. Preserved 1&2 - The girls frozen inside the ice cubes in these two images remind viewers of the beauty of this world. Without our care and protection, this beauty could only be seen as specimens in a museum in the future.

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The images are created digitally from manual sketches in 3D visualization software, 3DS Max and Mudbox, where the objects and scenes are created. The gallery setup is in a room painted in black. As viewers enter the space, they are greeted with a floating cacti terrarium. The actual display begins behind this area. Printing finished images on backlit material and displaying them on light boxes give the emphasis to the figures allowing them to float in space. The gallery display becomes more dynamic using the video projection of Trauma3 on the wall.

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Keyword:  Art and Environment, Digital Rendering on Canvas, Video Projection