Nature as a medium

There has always been a strong connection between art and the natural world – from the artist’s desire to capture the beauty they see around them to the paints made from berries or crushed minerals or oils. Yet there is a developing contemporary trend to use the materials found in nature to create artwork in a more direct kind of way – almost akin to the way some artists incorporate found objects into their work.

There is no doubt that using natural objects in the creation of art does add a distinct and interesting element to the work, something that nothing else could copy in the same way. For example, Mary Nangah, an artist represented by Agora Gallery, uses human hair in her work because she feels it is imbued with strong individuality relating to age, gender, sexuality, culture and nationality and that this information and the issues surrounding them is brought to life on the canvas. By combining this unusual medium with digital technology, she sets up a fascinating discussion between the natural and technological, and the place of humans in the world.

Similarly, Brooklyn-based artist Laura Splan uses her own blood as ink, to create delicate and visually attractive patterns and designs. She notes the difference between viewers’ first reaction to the pretty shapes, and their second when they see the note about the material that has been used. The moment of having to rethink what’s in front of them is a valuable one, allowing greater openness of thought and provoking consideration of wider themes.

One of the powerful things about the use of unusual organic elements in art encourages the audience to acknowledge a more personal aspect to the experience of viewing the work. We are, perhaps, often inclined to be somewhat detached from art, unless something strongly resonates with our own experiences or tastes, but the incorporation of materials from the natural world helps to break through this barrier and form a spontaneous connection between art and audience.

It can also enable a viewer to see something in a new light, or perhaps put two things together in ways they had not done before. Regular readers of this blog may remember Levi van Veluw from a previous art news round-up, the man who treats his head as a canvas and creates living landscapes on his head. He plays with ideas of transformation, both of himself, and of the materials he uses which were originally unremarkable pieces of moss or similar but have become notable contributions to a startling piece of art.

The trend has become so marked that the Museum of Art and Design held an exhibition devoted to just this theme – ‘Dead or Alive’, which was devoted to marking the use of natural materials as an artistic medium. It remains to be seen whether this will prove to be a long-term or relatively temporary development in the art world, but it seems certain that many people feel the value and interest of treating nature as a medium.

Do you use natural items in your art? Let us know in the comments!