What will the world look like when the humans are extinct? American artist Don Simon’s surreal drawings depict a futuristic world free of humans. A world that is poignant, peaceful and eerily beautiful. We caught up with Don to ask him a few questions about why animals feature so prominently in his work and about his up and coming solo exhibition in California.
Please describe your work for us.
I use colored pencil in a highly detailed, representational style, to speak about the impacts of industry and sprawl on ecosystems and the wildlife that inhabit them.
Please tell us about the Unnaturalism series.
It's really one series. Right now there are eight triptychs for a total of twenty-four pieces. I'm planning on doing two more triptychs for a total of ten triptychs - thirty pieces. For a guy who always hated math, that sounds a lot like math. The consistency and orderly structure of the series is a comment in itself.
Why do animals and the environment feature in your work?
Wildlife is featured in the work visually, but it's just as much about us. Even though there are no humans visually represented in the compositions, we are very present in all of them. There are a lot of people advocating for animals in a lot of different ways. I don't know if they all feel like this, but I feel like I'm providing a voice for those that can't speak.
Do you think animals will remain after humans are gone?
That depends on a lot of things. Contrary to the way extinctions are going, sheer numbers suggest nature prevails in some form in the long run. On the other hand we are a very resourceful species. I hope neither happens.
One thing I'm learning about in trying to get my work out there is just how many people are active, working, connecting, and trying to push the big rock up to the tipping point. It is simply amazing to see all these grassroots organizations and how young their staffs are. It's very encouraging.
Would the earth be better without humans?
My work is really about the problems humans have caused for the other species on the planet...and we've caused an awful lot of problems for ourselves as well. While our learning process is painful, I think we still don't know exactly why we're here, and I don't think we've reached our full potential. An interesting take on your question is Alan Weisman's book "The World Without Us".
Is your art a commentary on the state of the environment?
I don't feel like I'm trying to preach or judge. I'm not trying to tell people how to feel, just to get them to look at the world around them from a different point of view.
Sometimes the pieces are talking about a specific issue, and sometimes I'm just addressing our overall carelessness and lack of recognition of consequences.
Some environmental issues get more attention than others. We are rightly focused on Global Warming right now, but every road in your town replaced something living. We have killed an awful lot of things in the name of progress. Not trying to point fingers, maybe just use the work to tap people on the shoulder and say, "Have you considered this?"
Has the environment always be a part of your art?
I dropped out of advertising five years ago to really focus on my art. My first piece was Cows On Garbage. Environmental themes were not something I explored growing up or in college (or in advertising) but I felt that if I was going to make the commitment to art and all the sacrifices that come with that, I wanted it to be about more than decoration or self satisfaction.
Right after leaving advertising I took a solo train trip around North America - across Canada, through the Rockies, down the California coast, back across the south. Trains are a great way to see. Waking up, looking out a window, not knowing where you are, to a flock of millions of birds swirling in unison over a sunrise. When I got back and was ready to start, I knew what I wanted to talk about with my work.
Do you think art can inspire people to action?
I like to think so. There are people that are doing important work everyday for the environment and I really do feel one of the reasons I'm doing what I'm doing is to arm them with imagery. I try to make my pieces as iconic as I can, because every great movement has its symbols. Imagery is important. Not trying to hold myself up there or anything, but I do want the people that are trying to make a difference to look at my work as a tool they can use.
Don Simon’s solo show Nature 2.0 runs from March 26th to April 24th at the YARGER | STRAUSS Contemporary in Beverly Hills, California.
Visit: www.donsimonart.com
Via: Treehugger.com
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