The exhibit was split in to 6 categories:
- External
- Introduction
- Perceived Reality
- The Artist as Explorer
- Destruction
- Re-reality
These divide the art works in to categories that fit their meaning. For example, Kris Martin's '100 Years' is in the destruction section because of the nature of the piece, while the more literal 'External' refers to the few pieces of art displayed on the outside of the building.
The Curator's foreword in the booklet given at the event describes exactly what Earth is all about:
The work of 35 artists brought together in 'Earth: Art of a changing world' represents a cultural response to the way that human activity is affecting the natural balance and physical cycles of our planet. A wide range of subject-matter is covered with the overall theme: from planetary equilibrium and perceived security, to the role of the artist as interpreter, recorder of disaster and provocateur, holding up a mirror to mankind. Each work is a narrative on a human scale -- emotional, eloquent, often interventional -- and each offers a unique vision.
I will take you through a couple of my favourite pieces and their description in the gallery.
Sunlight in an Empty Room - Spencer Finch
Date: 2004
By attempting to capture the ephemeral and formless, Spencer Finch's art investigates the imprecise nature of perception in relation to memory. This site-specific installation re-creates the moment when a cloud passed overhead as Finch visited the home of the reclusive American poet Emily Dickinson. The cloud's presence evokes mood and memory, while simultaneously reminding us of the thin, fragile layer of atmosphere that protects Earth's environment.
Paper Bags - Chris Jordan
Date: 2007
Chris Jordan draws on statistics in his examination of contemporary American culture: 'My underlying desire to affirm and sanctify the crucial role of the individual in a society that is increasingly enormous, incomprehensible, and overwhelming.' In this work he depicts the 1.14 million brown paper bags used in American supermarkets every hour.
Tide - Darren Almond
Date: 2008
576 Digital Wall Clocks.
With immediate visual and aural impact, nearly 600 digital clocks register the relentless progress of time. Time is a regular preoccupation in Darren Almond's work, which draws our attention to the fact that we are all bound together by its passage: as he sees it, time is a mark of reality -- the present -- as well as a portent of what is to come -- the future.
Almost all of the pieces on display were far too abstract and metaphorical for my current project. I need to keep my piece focused on real, literal things so that people understand what they must do to take action, and using abstract images or metaphors would undermine that. I can take away the meaning from these pieces though, and each of them relates to the issue of climate change.