Wetlands can cool city air by 4.7 degrees Celsius during heatwaves, according to the most comprehensive review of its kind. In a list of various city features, such waterways ranked second for their cooling abilities. Water is the driving force of all nature. And it seems to take on an added significance in summer when heatwaves […]
Spanning 3,500 years of art, science, culture, and history, Tree: Exploring the Arboreal World surveys the awe-inspiring beauty and romance of trees. Forthcoming from Phaidon, the volume includes more than 300 illustrations ranging from ancient wall paintings and botanical illustrations to captivating photography and multimedia work by today’s leading artists. Lori Nix and Kathleen Gerber, “Library” […]
According to World Wildlife Fund, the huge, frozen landmass at the bottom of our planet is more than just spectacular icing on the globe. It could be vital for our survival, too. Antarctic ice deflects some of the sun’s rays away from the Earth, keeping temperatures livable. American environmentalist, historian and novelist Wallace Stegner called […]
“Velvet paintings” may evoke visions of midcentury kitsch, thanks to artists like Edgar Leetig (1904-1953) and a demand for mass-produced decor. But that phenomenon is only a fraction of the history of painting on velvet, a tradition that is believed to have emerged in Kashmir, where the fabric was first produced. The silky material’s fine […]
Early in the morning of July 23, 1967, police raided an after-hours, unlicensed bar known colloquially as a “blind pig”—a speakeasy—on the Near West Side of Detroit. Law enforcement expected only a few customers inside, but to their surprise, more than 80 people were in attendance for a party celebrating GIs returning from the Vietnam […]
Within a fictional world where organisms adapt to strange circumstances and highly processed foods form the foundation for new life, Max Hooper Schneider’s uncanny sculptures (previously) address ever-evolving ecosystems. He explores relationships between comfort and uneasiness, growth and decay, the natural and synthetic, and toxicity and nourishment through a concept he calls the “Trans-Habitat.” Within […]
Over the centuries, humanity’s relationship with wilderness has becoming increasingly fraught, as we continue to diminish natural green spaces in favor of roads, buildings, and manicured lawns. For Vashon Island-based artist Ariana Heinzman, our connection—or disconnection—to nature plays a central role in her vibrant ceramics practice. For her current solo exhibition, Habitat for a Fake […]
A bizarre botanical collection sprouts from the grounds at Nasher Sculpture Center in Dallas. A tall, spindly specimen with a droopy head illuminates a walkway, while a sprawling tree lush with strawberries looms large in a gallery. Patinaed in an otherworldly blue, these cast bronze sculptures seem like they’ve emerged from a radioactive swamp or […]