< Exhibition

Elena niermann

Environmentalism vs. Capitalism

Oil based ink linocut print on paper

13"x18"

“Environmentalism vs. Capitalism” is representative of the ultimate duality of our future on this planet. To me, sustainability means the preservation of our most important asset: the environment we endlessly rely on. This work illustrates the pathos environmentalists face when bracing ourselves against the world that is so destructive and so resistant to change. While no one can see the future, we fear the one where greed and injustice are too ingrained in our systems and societies to realize the ecosystem is collapsing around us. But it is not just being environmentally conscious that is the means to true sustainability. We must unroot the deepest of social constructs, we must strive for human rights, for equality, and social cohesion. A capitalist society prioritizes economic gain over environmental preservation, over the human right of having access to a healthy and clean planet. This piece is illustrative of the juxtaposition we face with climate change and capitalistic success. As a society, we might have to choose.

No Vacancy Series

Photo print

16" x 24" (x 3 prints)

The “No Vacancy” series was inspired by my mother, an adamant environmental activist, who reminded me that humans rarely give more than they take, especially when it comes to the use of resources where profit is involved. I began to observe and analyze my surroundings; to notice where humans had left their trace, even deep into the Colorado mountains where I found tourist filled roads and trash covered national park trails. I turned my camera to the exploration of the differences between use and exploitation of uninhabited spaces and natural resources. I want to capture the melancholy of natures struggle to reclaim itself in the empty spaces and leftover debris of human interaction with the environment, and also the ironic beauty of such a struggle, sometimes slow like vines climbing abandoned houses, and sometimes much more sudden like the explosion of an unchecked fracking site. I hope this series influences the viewer to further contemplate how we have an impact on every space we inhabit, and even the ones we don’t.