Environmental Art

In an era when living and working mindfully of natural resources is more critical than ever, artists are fusing their creative life with environmental consciousness:

Mariko Mori is a wildly popular contemporary artist whose massive installations encompass "life and death, our role in and with nature."

With innovative buildings throughout the world, the "accidental" environmentalist architect Shigeru Ban "isn't comfortable with the word 'green,' which he finds vague, not to mention fashionable, although his projects are often described as such."

Grammy and Academy Award winning composer (not to mention co-founder of the seminal 80s techno pop band Yellow Magic Orchestra--remember "Computer Games"?) Ryuichi Sakamoto says, "we must take care of our environment... you still eat every day, you breathe air and drink water. That is the environment within you and you are a part of it."

As part of the Green Japan series, Japan Society presents Conscious Inspiration: Juxtaposing Nature & Art Form on Tuesday, March 23, bringing together these three artists to explore connectivity between nature and art and discuss how their relationship with the environment has influenced their creative processes.

The panel is moderated by Stefano Tonchi, editor of T: The New York Times Style Magazine, who has a gorgeous (and surely environmentally conscious!) home. (SJ)