Make It
How can art address contemporary environmental issues?
Introduction
At first glance, Yang Yongliang’s work looks like a traditional Chinese landscape painting, with brushstrokes of ink forming craggy peaks covered with spindly trees. But upon closer inspection, we can see it’s a digitally manipulated print. Instead of trees and mountains, skyscrapers, construction cranes, and electrical towers make up the landscape.
Yang Yongliang
Shanghai-born Chinese artist Yang Yongliang is known for creating digitally manipulated photo collages that when viewed from a distance mirror the tranquility and contemplative nature of traditional ink-on-paper landscape paintings. His first art form was calligraphy, and he was exposed to traditional Chinese art from an early age. Later he studied graphic design and digital media, which he combines today in his artworks. As part of his process, Yang has compiled a database of visual imagery from around the world, from which he selects images to synthesize into new artworks.
Traditional Chinese landscape paintings capture the awe-inspiring grandeur of pristine natural environments. Human beings are typically either absent or dwarfed by the forces of the natural world. But Yang’s work indicates a new form of art made in a time of global environmental degradation, habitat destruction, and urban sprawl—when the notion of an untouched natural landscape feels like a thing of the past. His artworks pose questions to the viewer about the complicated and strained relationship between humanity and rapid technological and urban development. The dramatic, dystopian landscapes he creates encourage reflection on the tenuous balance between civilization and the natural world, an opportunity to discuss with students the context of living in the era of climate change.
Try It!
Take time with your class to look closely at the details of Yang’s digital landscape. Then, create a landscape of your choice with collage! This can be done individually, in pairs or small groups, or as a class.
Begin by selecting a landscape you like on Mia’s collections page by searching the word “landscape”. You can choose a traditional Chinese landscape painting, or check out any one of our landscapes by artists from around the world. Print your image of choice, if possible, or make a line drawing or sketch of what it looks like.
Next, gather an assortment of images that show elements from an urban landscape. You can find images of skyscrapers, construction cranes, and electrical towers, for example, in magazines and newspapers or by doing a Google image search on the web. For free downloadable patterns, templates, and silhouettes of various construction sites or architectural elements, Brusheezy will provide many options. You can cut out these images in advance, or provide your learners with scissors and the opportunity to select their own urban elements from the stack. Using glue or tape, arrange the urban images onto your chosen landscape. With this activity, you can imagine either a dystopian or optimistic vision of the future.
Time: 30 min. or up to 2 class periods
Materials: Paper, drawing utensils, adhesive such as glue or tape, scissors, access to a computer (printer optional), periodicals such as magazines and newspapers. (For advanced makers, this assignment can be adapted to use graphic design, illustration, and photo-editing software and apps.)
Guiding Questions:
What artwork did you choose to serve as your background? Why did you select this particular piece? How would the project be different if you had selected a different landscape?Does your landscape feature any traces of humans or human presence? Will you factor humans into your artwork? If so, how?
Do It!
Learners will use digital tools to create their own landscapes. Working individually or as a group, students can use cell phones or digital cameras to take pictures of elements within the neighborhood surrounding the school, or even inside the school/classroom. Then, have them select a digital image of a local or global landscape/landmark that they would like to reinterpret. Play around with photo-editing software to integrate elements of the students’ photos into their own artificial landscapes. With this activity, you can create either a dystopian or hopeful vision of the future.
Time: 1 to 3 class periods
Materials: Cell phone or digital camera; graphic design, illustration, and/or photo-editing software apps
Guiding Questions:
Artist Yang Yongliang creates artworks that speak to environmental issues affecting him and his hometown. What issues related to urban development are affecting your local community and environment?How has the landscape around us changed over time (over thousands of years, over hundreds of years, over the last few decades, over the last few years)?
Make It Yours!
Design Challenge
While Yang Yongliang’s artwork shows the destructive impact of urban development on the natural landscape, this design challenge asks students to envision solutions for a more sustainable city or town. Follow the design-thinking process below as outlined in this lesson, “What is the connection between design-thinking and art?”
Time: 3 or more class periods
Design-Thinking Process
- 1
Empathize: Read articles or watch video interviews to better understand Yang’s practice and his perspectives as an artist. After learning more about the artist, discuss the inspiration for his creation. Why do you think he was driven to create this work?
- 2
Connect: What are the forces at play that are changing the landscape around you? What are pressing environmental concerns in your city or community? Choose one that is most important to you; this will be the focus of your design challenge.
- 3
Ideate: Brainstorm potential design solutions to the environmental problem you identified. Get creative and don’t be afraid to be bold with your ideas! Break into teams and determine which idea you will pursue.
- 4
Prototype: Make rough prototypes based on your ideas. Tinker and experiment with a variety of materials and make changes or improvements based on what’s not working.
- 5
Test: Share your work with peers—how you created it, and why. If you were to do this again, what would you do differently, and why? Solicit constructive feedback from peers; from their perspectives, what worked well, what made this idea compelling, and what could have been improved?