Climate art is so hot right now

I know Bill Mckibben (2009) responded to his initial article in 2005 by stating that art had responded to the call to action as we confront the greatest challenge mankind has ever faced, but I’m not sure I agree.  Climate change art remains at the margins of mainstream artistic expression.  There is no doubt countless examples that could be brought forward to counter my statement, but in the end, climate change cannot be considered to be at the forefront of artistic movements. 

Where are the songs that speak to this crisis, where is a whole genre of music that should evolve out of this most daunting threat, where is the blues and folk music of Woody Guthrie that emerged out of the union movements of the early 20^th century?  Where are the Woody Guthrie inspired artists like Bob Dylan that led the counter culture revolutions of the 1960s?  Where is the grunge music that spoke to an entire generation searching for an identity?  These are romanticized notions of the past, and I know these artists exist in contemporary music, but we shouldn’t have to seek them out through obscure independent labels or through outdated social media pages (I’m talking to you My Space, although probably a little outdated to speak of how out dated My Space is).  These songs and artists should be at the top of the I Tunes Chart instead of, wait let me look...  oh it’s Whistle by Flo Rida, wait again as I preview the song.... EEEK, I’m afraid his whistle is a metaphor.

The question of climate related art stretches beyond the confines of music.  If you’re conception of reality is at all shaped by Hollywood films, you might think that the biggest threat facing humankind still resides somewhere behind the Iron Curtain, or hidden in a cave somewhere in the Middle East.  People love a good tragedy, so why is the only climate change movie (that anyone is familiar with) still The Day After Tomorrow?  I can think of a few films that question our consumer driven society, Fight Club comes to mind but it’s hard to find a real blockbuster. 

McKibben refers to some contemporary artists getting involved, but I’m sorry “Moby, but you’re too old, let go, nobody listens to techno” (Eminem, 2002).  I am aware of a great deal of meaningful art that speaks to the inherent flaws that exist in the structures and institutions that serve as barriers to change, I just wish it spoke to a larger audience.

I did find an idea that McKibben spoke to in his lecture tonight that really resonated with me, and I feel should play a major role in informing environmental messaging.  The idea that we need to speak to the best of people is something that I try to employ in my own practices as a teacher.  When I plan lessons that push student’s boundaries and challenge their existing epistemologies, the results are seldom disappointing.  However, a lesson aimed at the lowest common denominator will usually result in the lowest possible outcome.

 McKibben, B. (2005). What the warming world needs now is art, sweet art. Grist Magazine, (April).

  McKibben, B. (2009). Four years after my pleading essay, climate art is hot. Grist Magazine, (August).