FA Section VI Flashcards
What is the goal of all practitioners of eco-art?
to better our climate crisis through visual arts
Many early American environmental writers wrote about their experience of nature from a _________ _______________.
solitary perspective
Who made “Snoopy-Early Sun Display on Earth”?
Alma Thomas
What is Alma Thomas’s full name?
Alma Woodsey Thomas
How old was Alma when she and her family moved to Washington D.C.?
16
Why did Alma and her family move to D.C.?
to escape racial oppression and continue her education
Where did Alma teach?
Shaw Junior High School in D.C.
For how many years did Alma teach?
35 years
When did Alma retire from teaching?
1960
How old was Alma in 1972?
81
In 1972, what exhibit was Alma’s art shown in?
the Whitney Museum of American Art
Who was the first Black woman to have a one-person exhibition at the Whitney Museum of American Art?
Alma Thomas
When in her art career did Alma make “Snoopy”?
the final stages of her career
“Snoopy” belongs to what series?
“Space Paintings”
What was the series “Space Paintings” inspired by?
photographs of Earth taken by Apollo 10 and 11
What does NASA stand for?
National Aeronautics and Space Administration
The Apollo 10 and 11 missions were fulfilled by which space agency?
NASA
Alma created “Space Paintings” around the same time she created which other series?
“Earth Paintings”
What is “Earth Paintings” named after?
the blooms of flowering plants
Do Alma’s abstract paintings belong to contemporary eco-art?
No
Why don’t Alma’s abstract paintings belong to contemporary eco-art?
because their ethical orientation hadn’t fully formed
Alma created her abstract paintings in a shift within __________________.
environmentalism
“Snoopy” is named after what?
the Snoopy lunar module from Apollo 10
How wide are Alma’s brushstrokes in “Snoopy”?
approx. 1 inch wide
During the time Alma made “Earth Paintings” and “Space Paintings”, D.C. was at the center of what?
a beautification campaign by Lady Bird Johnson
What was the broader approach to Lady Bird’s beautification?
planting flowers and trees, cleaning water and air, building roads and park areas, etc.
Expanded environmental policies were notable achievements of which US president?
President Lyndon B. Johnson
When was the Wilderness Act passed?
1964
What 2 important pieces of legislation were created under LBJ’s term?
the Wilderness Act of 1964 and the Clean Air Act of 1963
How many national parks were created under LBJ’s presidency?
2, North Cascades and Redwood
When was North Cascades National Park established?
1968
When was Redwood National Park established?
1968
Who wrote “Black Ecology”?
Nathan Hare
When was the Gaia hypothesis conceived? (decade)
early 1970s
Who conceived the Gaia hypothesis?
James Lovelock and Lynn Margulis
When was Arne Naess’s deep ecology movement launched?
1973
When was “Black Ecology” published?
1970
What did “Black Ecology” argue?
the ecology movement had hidden the dire conditions faced by Black urban communities
Who made “Silueta”?
Ana Mendieta
Where was Mendieta born?
Havana, Cuba
When did Mendieta leave Cuba?
1961
How did Mendieta leave Cuba?
through Operation Pedro Pan
What was Operation Pedro Pan?
a program run by Catholic Charities to transport children out of Castro’s Cuba
How many kids did Operation Pedro Pan transport out of Cuba?
14,000
The Iowa program encouraged students to do what?
pursue interdisciplinary works
When was “Grass on Woman” made?
1972
Who made “Grass on Woman”?
Ana Mendieta
What did Mendieta do in “Grass on Woman”?
she lay face down in the grass and covered herself in cut grass
What series did “Grass on Woman” foreshadow?
“Silueta” series
What did Mendieta do in “Feathers on Woman”?
she covered her body with chicken feathers
Why did Mendieta cover herself in feathers in “Feathers on Woman”?
to transform into the Mesoamerican feathered serpent Quetzalcoatl
When did Mendieta travel to Oaxaca, Mexico to study pre-Columbian cultural sites?
1973
How old was Mendieta when she left Cuba?
11
Although Mendieta isn’t Mexican, her incorporating the culture into her works suggests what?
her interest in the hybridity of different Latin American cultures
What did Mendieta do in “Flowers on Body”?
She lay down in an empty grave and had the collaborator place white flowers all over her body
When did the “Silueta” series begin?
1973
What did the “Silueta” series consist of?
traced or sculpted outlines of Mendieta’s body on the ground
How did Mendieta leave marks of her movement and presence in “Silueta”?
by leaving things like handprints
The works in “Silueta” are created where?
Iowa and Mexico
“Silueta” is a continuation of which of Mendieta’s earlier interests?
performance, gender, and violence
When was “Silueta” completed?
1978
According to Mendieta, her art is the way she reestablishes the bonds that unite her to what?
the universe
Mendieta traveled to Mexico a lot in which decade?
the 1970s
Mendieta traveled to Cuba a lot in which decade?
the 1980s
Mendieta traveled to Cuba as a member of what group?
the Circulo de Cultura Cubana
What does the Circulo de Cultura Cubana mean in English?
the Cuban Cultural Circle
What religion was Mendieta raised part of?
Catholic
Who made “Speaking to Their Mother”?
Rebecca Belmore
Where was Belmore born?
Upsala, Ontario, Canada
What Indigenous group is Belmore part of?
the Lac Seul First Nation
The Lac Seul First Nation is culturally and linguistically _________________.
Anishinaabe
Where did Belmore go to high school?
Thunder Bay
Thunder Bay is a predominantly _________ high school.
white
Who did Belmore spend her summers with?
her grandmother
How did Belmore’s grandmother maintain a traditional lifestyle?
by harvesting food off the land
Belmore’s art arises in response to the ___________ and ___________ conditions of Indigenous communities.
political, social
When was “Speaking to Their Mother” first made?
1991
“Speaking to Their Mother” was created in response to what?
the Kanesatake Resistance
What is another name for the Kanesatake Resistance?
the Oka Crisis
How long was the Kanesatake Resistance?
78 days
What Indigenous group protested in the Kanesatake Resistance?
the Mohawk Tribe
What is “Speaking to Their Mother”?
a huge megaphone made of wood and animal hide
What is the megaphone made of in “Speaking to Their Mother”?
wood and animal hide
How big is the megaphone in “Speaking to Their Mother”?
6ft wide and 7ft long
Does the megaphone in “Speaking to Their Mother” have any electronic parts?
Yes, it has an electronic megaphone attached to one end
By how much can the megaphone in “Speaking to Their Mother” amplify your voice?
9 times louder
Where was the initial installation of “Speaking to Their Mother”?
Banff National Park
Initially, where was “Speaking to Their Mother” pointed towards?
the Rocky Mountain Range
What does Belmore invite the participants to do in “Speaking to Their Mother”?
she invites them to question the seizure and possession of these sites
What does Vanessa Watts study?
Anishinaabe culture
In “Speaking to Their Mother”, what can the relationship of the megaphone to the site be called?
“Place-Thought”
Who called the relationship of “Speaking to Their Mother” to the site place-thought?
Vanessa Watts
What is Place-Thought based upon?
the premise that the land is alive and thinking
When did Belmore take “Speaking to Their Mother” across the US and Canada?
1992 and 1996
Why was 1992 an important year for addressing Indigenous social and environmental issues?
because it marked the 500th anniversary of Columbus’s arrival to the Americas
What work has Belmore recently created that uses a cone?
“Wave Sound”
When was “Wave Sound” created?
2017
What does “Wave Sound” consist of?
4 large, thin metal cones
Who made “Unmoored”?
Mel Chin
Where was Mel Chin born?
Houston, TX
Where are Mel’s parents from?
China
Mel has received numerous awards from what organizations?
National Endowment for the Arts, John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation, and the MacArthur Fellows Program
Many of Mel’s interests can be traced back to which early work of his?
“See-Saw”
When was “See-Saw” made?
1976
What did Mel do in “See-Saw”?
He buried 2 6 by 6-foot boxes in Houston’s Hermann Park
Chin created “In the Name of Place” as a member of what committee?
the GALA Committee
What was the GALA Committee?
a large collective of students, artists, critics, set decorators, producers, etc
How was the name GALA in GALA Committee formed?
between the University of Georgia (GA) and Cal Arts (LA)
What was the goal of the GALA Committee?
to broaden the ideas and aesthetic horizons of their audience
When did the “Fundred Project” begin?
2006
Where did the “Fundred Project” begin?
New Orleans, Louisiana
The “Fundred Project” began in the aftermath of what event?
Hurricane Katrina, and the crisis it posed for lead-polluted water
Mel collected nearly half a million adults and children to do what for the “Fundred Project”?
collect fundred dollar bills
What is a fundred dollar bill?
a uniquely drawn $100 dollar bill made to support the “Fundred Project”
Who made “Revival Field”?
Mel Chin, with the help of other collaborators
“Revival Field” is one of the most widely recognized ________________ projects.
interdisciplinary
When did “Revival Field” begin?
1991
What problem does “Revival Field” tackle?
The Ecological Problem of the Industrial Era
Who did Mel work with for “Revival Field”?
Rufus Chaney
Who is Rufus Chaney?
an agronomist from the USDA
With Rufus, Mel devised a method for removing heavy metals from the ground by doing what?
planting Thlaspi
What is Thlaspi?
a hyperaccumulator that absorbs heavy metals in its roots
What type of plant is Thlaspi?
a hyperaccumulator
Where did Mel install “Revival Field”?
Pig’s Eye Landfill, St. Paul, Minnesota
Who made “The Arctic Is”?
Mel Chin
When was “The Arctic Is” released?
2015
Who does “The Arctic Is” feature?
Jens Danielson
Who is Jens Danielson?
an Inuit hunter from Greenland
What does Jens Danielson speak about?
the dire effects of climate change all over the globe
Mel made “The Arctic Is” during what climate conference?
COP21
What policy came out of COP21?
the Paris Agreement
What regular practices of Mel does “Unmoored” bring together?
interdisciplinary collaboration, experimental use of technology, engagement with the site, and social and environmental activism
During 2018, visitors to Times Square could access “Unmoored” as what?
a digital app on their phone
What does the app of “Unmoored” allow viewers to visualize?
how NYC would look under 26-feet of water
Who made “An Inconvenient Truth”?
Al Gore
Who starred in “An Inconvenient Truth”?
Al Gore
What is mixed reality?
the blending of a real and digital experience
As recently as the _______ century has there been a debate as to whether the ecological balance of the planet could be altered by human behavior.
20th
In “Unmoored”, what were viewers and spectators encouraged to reflect on?
their role in shaping the impending future
Where was Frazier born?
Braddock, Pennsylvania
What is Frazier’s practice centered around?
photography
What is Frazier’s full name?
LaToya Ruby Frazier
In which relative’s house did Frazier grow up in?
her grandmother’s house
Frazier’s grandmother’s house was in the ___________ neighborhood in Braddock.
poorest
Who did Frazier study in college with?
photographer Kathe Kowalski
In her youth, what did Frazier develop interests in?
painting and drawing
What does Frazier’s professional practice engage?
issues of social injustice in American experience
Where does Frazier focus her practice?
communities within the Rust Belt
What is the Rust Belt?
a region south of the Great Lakes that had significant industrial decline beginning in the 50s
When did the Rust Belt region begin to experience significant industrial decline? (decade)
1950s
What does “Flint is Family” address?
the struggle of working-class families during the water crisis in Flint, MI
Who was Frazier cited as inspiration for “Flint is Family”?
Gordon Parks
Parks described his __________ as his choice of weapons for combatting racism and inequality in America.
camera
Frazier commonly uses what format to produce her work?
the family photo album
What does photography date from?
the invention of the daguerreotype
When was the invention of photography?
the 19th century
Who made “A Notion of Family”?
LaToya Ruby Frazier
When was “A Notion of Family” made?
2001-2014
What did “A Notion of Family” reveal?
the ways she draws upon the interpersonal closeness of the family album
Frazier uses works like “A Notion of Family” to explore and critique what?
cultural and systemic issues
Where was “A Notion of Family” shot?
Braddock, PA
Who is depicted in “A Notion of Family”?
Frazier’s family members
What building brought prosperity to the working class in Braddock?
the Edgar Thomson Steel Works
When was the Edgar Thomson Steel Works near collapse? (decade)
the 1980s
The Edgar Thomson Steel Works brought a ___% reduction in Braddock’s population.
90%
When was “A Notion of Family” published?
2014
In the published copies of “A Notion of Family”, what does Frazier provide next to her photographs?
brief descriptions of the photo
What does BIPOC stand for?
Black, Indigenous, People of Color
Who made “Family of Man”?
Edward Steichen
When was “Family of Man” premiered at NYC MOMA?
1955
Where was “Family of Man” exhibited in 1955?
the New York City Museum of Modern Art
Why was “Family of Man” criticized?
because many claimed it only included Black photographers as an empty gesture
When Frazier traveled to Michigan in 2016, what series did she begin?
“Flint is Family”
When did Frazier travel to Flint, MI to create “Flint is Family”?
2016
“Flint is Family” is in response to what crisis?
the Flint water crisis
When occurred to trigger the Flint water crisis?
the water supply for Flint was changed from Lake Huron to the Flint River
What was the problem with the Flint River?
it was polluted with toxic waste and used pipes polluted with lead
Which Michigan governor changed the water supply of Flint from Lake Huron to the Flint River?
Gov. Rick Snyder
Flint is a Rust Belt city that was hit with poverty after what?
the closure of many of its industrial manufacturing plants
What were the industrial plants in Flint primarily tied to?
General Motors and the automobile industry
By how much did Flint’s population shrink?
150,000 people, from 250k to 100k
When did Flint receive its highest population of 250k people?
the 20th century
The majority of people in Flint are of what race and living in what?
they are mainly Black living in poverty
How long did Frazier spend in Flint getting to know the Cobb family?
5 months
In 2016, Frazier published a series of photographs in what magazine?
Elle magazine
