Art is typically a visual representation of how a specific artist sees the world or possibly what they wish to say about a current issue. In a way, art has the capacity to go beyond a conversation because it creates power beyond simple words. A genuine and rare feeling can be invoked by viewing an art piece, which is an entirely personal experience. Many artists draw inspiration from a combination of their personal lives and immediate surroundings. The environment naturally influences and relates to art, whether classic or contemporary.

When I think of art interacting with the environment I think about Ansel Adams. He was and continues to be, one of the most influential people in both the arts and the environmental movement. He is a true example of creating a life around what you are passionate about, which for him was documenting his surroundings. Ansel Adams life became centered around Yosemite, which is where he found the Sierra Club and also his wife. In Yosemite, he developed his photography skills and began getting noticed as an up and coming photographer. The Sierra Club also helped him by publishing his work in their bulletin.

Ansel Adams photos capture beauty in landscapes that people tend to look over in their daily lives. This related to the environmental movement because his photographs managed to personify nature, making people relate to them. The emotional response to Ansel Adams work caused a feeling of responsibility or protection, which help to launch the environmental movement. On his official website, he is described as, “both the artist of the Sierra Nevada and the defender of Yosemite”. His personal connection to Yosemite transformed into a call for action in protecting the wilderness. He worked his entire life and formed his career around making the idea of wilderness relatable to those who did not have the first-hand experience of it. Adams himself described wilderness as, “a mystique: a valid, intangible, non-materialistic experience.” He has a unique lens of the wild, due to forming such a personal connection to it. Overall, Ansel Adams’ photographs have become a time capsule for true respect and dedication to the environment.