Idea - Some progression or, Video art?

On my last post I was considering doing digital manipulations to my photographs. At by first transposing my imagination of exaggerated mega-cities in a natural landscape. Here is an example of that:

Justin Lewis - Emerging Cities, 2009

But I think that this processes doesn't say enough about my topic. So I decided to remove all signs of humans from my images as I feel this is a more effective way of suggesting a more eco-focused society. Here is an example of that:

Justin Lewis - Cleanse #1, digital print 8.5"x11" 2009

However, after considering my research, I've found that most artists who are interested in environmental protection tend to work with the environment to create their art. I am having trouble finding artists who are working like myself, which maybe is a good thing? I am still interested in the idea of using technology to figuratively 'heal' earth, as I feel that technology, when used consciously, can be used to save, rather than harm the environment. Many artists are doing sculptures and site-specific work, but I want to stick closer to the photographic realm. It got me thinking, instead of digitally removing man-made things from a photo, what if I physically removed something man-made, such as a fence, and photographed myself doing it? The problem I have with this is the unavailability of things I could demolish and remove from an area. Where I am at now is thinking more literally about reversing the impact of humans by perhaps photographing, or even video taping, myself shooting inhalers at trees or filling a Brita water filter with river water and pouring it back in the river several hundred times or on a loop.

I've been reading about how many indigenous cultures often will give back to the earth after killing an animal or taking fruit from a tree. The way some do this is by leaving a small offering(like some tobacco) and saying a prayer. This idea interested me. Reciprocity is a huge facet of nature and I thought it a reasonable solution to the problems facing humanity.




Some artists I've found who are working similarly to the direction I think I am going in are Cary Peppermint & Christine Nadir. Their work is a collection of performances in their video art series "A Series of Practical Performances In The Wilderness Summer 2005" asks if we can truly know wilderness and learn to live in harmony with it through the relationship between humans, our environment and technology. The performances include their, labor, search for food, and their relationship with one another.


Here is a link to some of their videos:
http://www.restlessculture.net/mov/practical_quicktimes.html

Somethings to consider..

My first post...I think I'm late already.

Justin Lewis - Sustainability, 2008, wood, steel, coal, Plexiglas, spray paint, 6'x6'x6'

For those who haven't seen the final images of my sculpture from last year, here is one.
This year however I think I will be working digitally rather than physically. I am going to work with the same theme though. I am becoming interested in the scale of which civilization grows. While our computers and gadgets are getting smaller, our cities are getting bigger. I want to use technology to digitally determine if a healthy world is possible. I know that sounds confusing and I would post some images that I've been working on and explain more, but I'm going to wait until after my meeting with Tom for all that.

Since I am going to work a lot in Photoshop, I've been looking at some graphic designers and digital artists. One whose work I enjoy is Jody Barton. Though her work is illustrated, I am interested in the way she conveys her message, which has themes related to the ones I am working with. Her work deals with environmental protection but through the scope of the apathy that people have toward making mass change, despite the urgent need to do so.




The work of Brandon Jan Blommaert uses sculpture and digital manipulation for his series of trash monsters where he looks at the growing garbage problem we have through sculptures made of trash attacking fantastical natural landscapes.