5.1 Foundations of eco-feminist theory and its relation to art

Eco-feminism in art merges ecological concerns with feminist principles, challenging patriarchal systems that oppress women and exploit nature. Artists use natural materials, celebrate women's crafts, and blur lines between art and activism to raise awareness about environmental and social justice issues.

Eco-feminist art rejects the idea of the lone male genius, emphasizing collaboration and community. It gives voice to marginalized groups, highlighting the interconnectedness of environmental degradation and gender inequality while imagining alternative ways of relating to the earth and each other.

Eco-Feminism and Art

Core principles of eco-feminism

Top images from around the web for Core principles of eco-feminism

• 

  Sustainability needs women and girls in science | Pursuit by The University of Melbourne View original

  Is this image relevant?

• 

  Verso l'intersezionalità: la terza ondata del femminismo - Beyond stereotypes View original

  Is this image relevant?

• 

  第四波女性主义 - 维基百科，自由的百科全书 View original

  Is this image relevant?

• 

  Sustainability needs women and girls in science | Pursuit by The University of Melbourne View original

  Is this image relevant?

• 

  Verso l'intersezionalità: la terza ondata del femminismo - Beyond stereotypes View original

  Is this image relevant?

1 of 3

Top images from around the web for Core principles of eco-feminism

• 

  Sustainability needs women and girls in science | Pursuit by The University of Melbourne View original

  Is this image relevant?

• 

  Verso l'intersezionalità: la terza ondata del femminismo - Beyond stereotypes View original

  Is this image relevant?

• 

  第四波女性主义 - 维基百科，自由的百科全书 View original

  Is this image relevant?

• 

  Sustainability needs women and girls in science | Pursuit by The University of Melbourne View original

  Is this image relevant?

• 

  Verso l'intersezionalità: la terza ondata del femminismo - Beyond stereotypes View original

  Is this image relevant?

1 of 3

• Eco-feminism combines ecological concerns with feminist principles recognizing the interconnectedness of the oppression of women and the exploitation of nature
• Seeks to challenge and dismantle patriarchal systems that perpetuate these oppressions by rejecting hierarchical and dualistic thinking that places men above women and culture above nature
• Embraces collaboration, intuition, and empathy as essential to the creative process using art as a means of activism, education, and transformation towards a more just and sustainable world (Celebrating the inherent value and creativity of both women and nature)

Historical context of eco-feminist art

• Roots of eco-feminism traced back to the 1970s and 1980s influenced by the women's liberation movement, environmental movement, and anti-nuclear activism
  • Key figures include Françoise d'Eaubonne, who coined the term "eco-feminism," and Ynestra King, who helped popularize the concept
• Early eco-feminist artists challenged traditional art world hierarchies and materials by emphasizing the use of natural, non-toxic, and biodegradable materials and celebrating women's crafts and traditional knowledge (weaving, pottery, herbal medicine)
• In the 1990s and 2000s, eco-feminist art became more diverse and intersectional recognizing the interconnectedness of gender, race, class, and environmental issues and embracing a wider range of media (performance art, digital art, community-based projects)

Challenging gender roles in art

• Eco-feminist art rejects the notion of the lone male genius artist by emphasizing collaboration, community, and the collective creative process challenging the idea that art should be separate from daily life and social issues
• Eco-feminist artists often blur the boundaries between art and activism using their work to raise awareness about environmental and social justice issues and engaging in direct actions (protests, boycotts, community organizing)
• Celebrates the experiences and perspectives of women and other marginalized groups giving voice to those who have been silenced or excluded from mainstream art world narratives and challenging the objectification and commodification of women's bodies in art

Environmental issues vs gender inequality

• Eco-feminist artists recognize that environmental degradation and gender inequality are deeply interconnected as patriarchal systems that devalue women also devalue nature, seeing both as resources to be exploited
• Women and other marginalized groups are often the most impacted by environmental problems (pollution, climate change, resource depletion)
• Eco-feminist art seeks to make these connections visible and to imagine alternative ways of relating to the earth and each other by:
  1. Celebrating the beauty and resilience of nature and the feminine
  2. Envisioning a world based on cooperation, sustainability, and social justice
• Examples of eco-feminist art addressing these connections:
  • Mierle Laderman Ukeles' "Maintenance Art" series honors the often invisible and undervalued labor of women and sanitation workers
  • Betsy Damon's "Living Water Gardens" use natural water purification systems to create public art and educate communities about water issues
  • Agnes Denes' "Wheatfield - A Confrontation" planted a field of wheat in a landfill in lower Manhattan raising questions about land use, food systems, and urban sustainability