Nature as Metaphor - Conversations

"Artistic engagement with the natural world—from naturalism to abstraction to surrealist meditations—reveals how nature serves as a rich source of metaphor in the arts. Selected artworks examine the multifaceted, often flawed relationships that human beings have with one another and with the environments in which we all live.

Some of the African and African American artworks on view frame and negotiate personal space and identity; others bear witness to inequities and call out for social justice and environmental stewardship; and still others accentuate the transcendent, fragile beauty of our world and our moral imperative to safeguard it—and be a part of it—for the benefit of future generations.

CONSIDER

How artists demonstrate a keen observation of and appreciation for the natural world through their art

How representations of nature explore artists’ ideas about power, harmony, spirituality, history, and transcendence. " - conversations (2020)

http://conversations.africa.si.edu/themes/nature-as-metaphor/