ABSTRACT
Recent geo-political movements, particularly in Central and South America, but spanning countries across the planet, are increasingly revolving around environmental justice, eco-aesthetics, and ‘Rights of Nature’. They position the Earth as a living entity (mother, Gaia, Tlazolteotl, etc.), naming her as in ancient times and placing her with this new found identity at the core of a global art shift that is as economically driven as it is philosophically, ecologically and aesthetically.1
Artists from the so-called developed countries (that is, former colonial powers) are increasingly creating works that are community based, process oriented, often anonymous, but tied to a desire to re-integrate daily life with that of nature and set up systems of stewardship and respect for the environment that supports human life. Equally, artists from cultures that are either indigenous and/or former colonies, or have other ancient ties to their environment, are also producing works that reflect native belief systems integrating respect of the natural world and its necessary guardianship.
