When nature inspires art

February 1, 2024, 2023asemaphore-CSRinfluencers

Nature provides many ecosystem services, such as soil stabilization or irrigation, but there is a whole range of services that are less valued, such as cultural ones. Nature can serve as an inspiration for art, from architecture to jewelry design. Artists use nature for its natural resources, integrate it into their creations or convey an ecological message through art. For example, ceramist Ana-Bélen Montero integrates cereal grains into her porcelain to leave an aesthetic trace. Mériadec Le Clainche creates sculptures in which natural oxidation is part of the work itself.

Here are two examples of how nature is perfectly integrated into art. 

Art nouveau, the art of nature

Art Nouveau is an artistic movement that developed during the Belle Epoque (late 19th century) in Belgium and France. It was characterized by curved forms representing natural elements such as flowers, animals and plants. The movement was inspired by the arrival of industrialization in Europe, and was named after the name of Sigfried Bing s gallery in Paris, which exhibited many of his works. He challenged the separation between the fine and applied arts, and thus between ornament and industrial production. Overproduction often led to a lack of beauty in the objects that Art Nouveau wanted to bring, combining functionality and beauty. The discoveries in zoology and botany served as inspiration for Art Nouveau artists. These included elegantly curved swans, exotic creatures from the seabed and monsters from mythology.

AETESIS, Foound's current jeweller

More recently, many artists have continued to use nature as a muse. AETESIS is a jeweller based at Foound that creates unique jewelry and objets d'art, as well as promoting craftsmanship through explanatory videos. The idea is to bring realism and natural forms by playing with colors and materials such as enamel and wood. AETESIS seeks to produce a new style of jewelry and to stand out from the high jewelry industry, which swears by so-called luxury materials such as gold, whereas with rock, rough stone or ceramics, it is entirely possible to create elegant pieces of jewelry.

This search for elegant Art Nouveau curves can be found at AETESIS, as well as the desire to highlight natural forms. Nature provides us with many ecosystem services, and its artistic influence is yet another reason to protect it.

Ana