My research and conclusion about Global Warming as a subject of still-life

Opinions on Global Warming

Some people call the issue of Global Warming a theory. Others believe it is fact. One strong viewpoint is that natural climatic adjustment is causing the changes in our Earth and that this is inevitable. 

“Global warming may well be the straw that breaks the camel’s back. It could turn out to be the difference between a category three hurricane and a category four. Global warming as caused by greenhouse gas emissions can lead us to a definite imbalance of nature.”

Causes of Global Warming

Global Warming is viewed as a chain of events affected by hundreds of environmental factors. Global Warming is caused mainly by Carbon Dioxide emissions. Some CO2 emissions cannot be controlled; such as the eruption of volcanoes for example, or simply the breathing of the human race. However, these kinds and mounts of emissions are not a problem for the Earth which is able to absorb them into the normal regenerative process. It is the excess emissions and the extent of them which the Earth cannot adapt to handle.

Conclusion

It is evident from various charts on the Internet that transportation and the use of electricity play the biggest roles in CO2 emissions. These aspects are easy to improve in my opinion. The way forward is for everyone to work on reducing his or her carbon footprint. This way if everyone contributes to solving the problem it can be easily resolved or at least begins to be. Maybe with my image I can give people the motivation they are lacking to make a difference by putting across my opinion reflecting upon the pressing situation of this ever-current social issue that we face.


www.globalwarming.com

Initial research and inspiration: Object and Body

To know where to start when beginning the Object and Body project, I read through the entire obect section in the brief; highlighting and underlining key points while I went along to make it easier to follow when I went back to it. One still life image which interested me instantly from the brief paper was Edward Collier's 'Still Life with a Volume of Withers' Emblemes' (1969).

I was drawn to it due to the musical instruments which I can relate to but also by the colours and style which depict (to me at least) an older time. This attracted me because I like to imagine how people lived hundreds of years ago and what it was like and this still life image - although a painting and not a photograph - portrays an idea of history. However, the subject of the still life seems to revolve around the arts and unless there is a current social issue of the same, it was not much help to me. I decided to bear this in mind but move on.

My next move was to look into the other photographs accompanying the briefing notes as they are examples of still life images and I assumed they were put there for a good reason. I thought Edward Western's sculptures were interesting in shape and idea but could not relate to my brief very well if I were to persue him as a source of inspiration. I found Laura Letinsky's work interesting as it seemed very conceptual to me - like each photograph was telling a story and you could come to your own conclusions about what that story was. But again, I found this a lost cause to draw inspiration from as her specific subjects would be difficult to relate to my project. Keith Arnatt's series of 'Pictures from a Rubbish Tip' could possibly tie in with the current social aspect of my project.

After this, I read up on some social issues that have been circulating recently which caught my attention through news websites (as I will admit I'm not very up to date on my current affairs and had to look these up). The next place I went to for inspiration was the BBC News website which I thought would potentially lead me right to where I wanted to be. After having a short look around and not finding anything I could imagine easily portraying in a still life I decided to explore my original idea of the issue of Global Warming since it is always a current social issue and a pressing one at that.

To try my luck, I did a quick search in Google for "global warming still life" but received nothing to really work on and gave up for now having a basic idea formed. I think with more exploration on this topic I could develop a stronger opinion than the one I already have and portray it powerfully while even evoking something within the viewer of my image.