Latest news with #VisualArts
CNN
17 hours ago
- Entertainment
- CNN
‘We're creating an illusion for ourselves': Photographer explores how humans have lost touch with nature
Visual artsFacebookTweetLink Follow Zed Nelson spots the painting on the wall behind me almost as soon as we begin our interview. 'It's perfect,' he said. The canvas depicts a sleeping tiger draped across a velvet cushion, floating among pastel-shade leaves and flowers. The London-based photographer doesn't mean 'perfect' as in 'masterfully painted;' he means it's the perfect metaphor for the idealized, human-centric relationship we've cultivated with nature. The painting reminds him of another artwork, 'A young Tiger Playing With Its Mother,' by the French Romantic artist Eugene Delacroix, who used a captive tiger at a zoo and his pet cat as models. 'The Romantic movement in painting began with the human divorce from the natural world. As we removed ourselves from nature, and it receded from our imagination, we reenacted these hyper-romantic versions of nature,' said Nelson. It's the central thesis of his latest project, 'The Anthropocene Illusion,' which earned him Photographer of the Year at the 2025 Sony World Photography Awards. Captured across 14 countries and four continents over six years, the images show nature as imagined by humans: staged habitats in zoos, manufactured ski slopes, indoor rainforests, and artificial beaches. In his previous project, 'Love Me,' Nelson explored the homogenization of beauty standards. 'There's some echo of that here. It's about how this artificial, idealized version of nature is being — I mean, I want to say sold back to us, but we're willing participants in it, too,' Nelson explained. 'While we destroy the real thing, we seem to be creating more and more artificial or choreographed, curated versions of nature.' It's this 'psychological disconnect' that Nelson is most interested in exposing. The collection is equal parts ironic (a Maasai tribesman posing beside a picnic blanket for an 'Out of Africa' champagne brunch in Kenya) and dystopian (a child perched on a fiberglass rock at a beach in the world's largest indoor rainforest, the canvas of the sky slightly ripped behind him). 'That's very sort of Truman Show-esque. He's gone to the very edge of that artificial world,' said Nelson of the photo. More than anything, though, there's a feeling of sadness that permeates the collection: taxidermied museum dioramas of endangered species; vibrant fish shoals swimming in dark aquariums with plastic pipes, captive elephants paraded to a bathing spot for the benefit of flocks of Instagram influencers; a caged polar bear crouched beside a mural depicting an Arctic landscape it will never know. 'What we replaced real nature with becomes an unwitting monument, really, for what we've lost,' Nelson observed. The term 'Anthropocene' refers to the age of humans. It's not an official epoch — yet. But Nelson believes firmly that, in years to come, today's society will mark the beginning of this new era, evident in elevated carbon dioxide levels from fossil fuels, an abundance of microplastics, and layers of concrete. 'The usefulness of renaming an epoch, in this instance, would be to focus people's attention on our impact on the planet,' said Nelson. As he sees it, 'the language of (environmental action) has become sort of tired or stale; you become kind of immune to it.' He wanted to counter this collective numbness with visuals that 'make you think or feel differently.' Bleak but beautiful, his photos reveal a paradox. Less than 3% of the world's land remains ecologically intact, according to a 2021 study, yet nature-based tourism and biophilic architecture, a design philosophy that mimics nature, are surging in popularity. Global wildlife populations have dropped by an average of 73% in the last 50 years; meanwhile, there are more tigers in captivity than in the wild, globally. Arctic ice sheets are on course for catastrophic 'runaway melting' that would see rising sea levels devastate coastal communities. But at the same time, cocktail bars in Dubai are importing ancient glacier ice from Greenland to provide the wealthy with pollution-free drinks. 'We're engaged in creating an illusion for ourselves; either to hide what we're doing, or as something that we can retreat into for reassurance, because we crave the very thing that we've lost,' said Nelson. There's a spectrum to the illusion, ranging from managed outdoor landscapes to contrived scenes that simply evoke the idea of nature. Nelson likens it to fast food: 'We don't want to grow it and prepare it; we just want it delivered to us with no thorns, no danger, with a nice walkway in a car park. We want to consume it and then come home. We are complicit in it.' Despite his criticisms of the 'consumerist' qualities of today's manufactured natural experiences, Nelson emphasizes that he's not necessarily against any of these things: people should enjoy safaris, be awe-inspired at aquariums, relish their time in a local park, and not 'destroy ourselves with guilt.' 'We have this enduring craving for nature, for a connection to the natural world. That's real,' he observed. There's a limit to what the individual can do, too: the kind of sweeping change required to protect the environment needs to come from major corporations and political leaders, which, in Nelson's view, is sorely lacking. 'It's important to remind ourselves, it's not that we don't have ideas for things that can be done,' he said, reeling off a long list of environmental policies that could change the course of climate change. Perhaps this book, with its stark juxtaposition of astonishing wildlife and human interference, can be a reminder of just how in control of the world we are — with the power to remodel it in our own image, or protect and restore the landscapes we feel so connected to. 'When you're surrounded by something so much, it can become utterly invisible,' Nelson said. 'Photography is a way of trying to make it visible again, trying to expose it for what it actually is.' After the call ends, I can't unsee the Anthropocene illusion in my home. It's not just the anthropomorphic tiger on the wall. It's a Himalayan rock salt lamp, a plastic monstera plant and paper carnations. A cockatoo-shaped ceramic jug next to pine-scented candles and an aluminum 'lemon-wedge' bottle opener. Floral-print cushions and a jungle-themed throw. It's hard to shake Nelson's words about our collective complicity; our willingness to participate in reconstructing the natural world, instead of saving it.
CNN
17 hours ago
- Entertainment
- CNN
‘We're creating an illusion for ourselves': Photographer explores how humans have lost touch with nature
Visual artsFacebookTweetLink Follow Zed Nelson spots the painting on the wall behind me almost as soon as we begin our interview. 'It's perfect,' he said. The canvas depicts a sleeping tiger draped across a velvet cushion, floating among pastel-shade leaves and flowers. The London-based photographer doesn't mean 'perfect' as in 'masterfully painted;' he means it's the perfect metaphor for the idealized, human-centric relationship we've cultivated with nature. The painting reminds him of another artwork, 'A young Tiger Playing With Its Mother,' by the French Romantic artist Eugene Delacroix, who used a captive tiger at a zoo and his pet cat as models. 'The Romantic movement in painting began with the human divorce from the natural world. As we removed ourselves from nature, and it receded from our imagination, we reenacted these hyper-romantic versions of nature,' said Nelson. It's the central thesis of his latest project, 'The Anthropocene Illusion,' which earned him Photographer of the Year at the 2025 Sony World Photography Awards. Captured across 14 countries and four continents over six years, the images show nature as imagined by humans: staged habitats in zoos, manufactured ski slopes, indoor rainforests, and artificial beaches. In his previous project, 'Love Me,' Nelson explored the homogenization of beauty standards. 'There's some echo of that here. It's about how this artificial, idealized version of nature is being — I mean, I want to say sold back to us, but we're willing participants in it, too,' Nelson explained. 'While we destroy the real thing, we seem to be creating more and more artificial or choreographed, curated versions of nature.' It's this 'psychological disconnect' that Nelson is most interested in exposing. The collection is equal parts ironic (a Maasai tribesman posing beside a picnic blanket for an 'Out of Africa' champagne brunch in Kenya) and dystopian (a child perched on a fiberglass rock at a beach in the world's largest indoor rainforest, the canvas of the sky slightly ripped behind him). 'That's very sort of Truman Show-esque. He's gone to the very edge of that artificial world,' said Nelson of the photo. More than anything, though, there's a feeling of sadness that permeates the collection: taxidermied museum dioramas of endangered species; vibrant fish shoals swimming in dark aquariums with plastic pipes, captive elephants paraded to a bathing spot for the benefit of flocks of Instagram influencers; a caged polar bear crouched beside a mural depicting an Arctic landscape it will never know. 'What we replaced real nature with becomes an unwitting monument, really, for what we've lost,' Nelson observed. The term 'Anthropocene' refers to the age of humans. It's not an official epoch — yet. But Nelson believes firmly that, in years to come, today's society will mark the beginning of this new era, evident in elevated carbon dioxide levels from fossil fuels, an abundance of microplastics, and layers of concrete. 'The usefulness of renaming an epoch, in this instance, would be to focus people's attention on our impact on the planet,' said Nelson. As he sees it, 'the language of (environmental action) has become sort of tired or stale; you become kind of immune to it.' He wanted to counter this collective numbness with visuals that 'make you think or feel differently.' Bleak but beautiful, his photos reveal a paradox. Less than 3% of the world's land remains ecologically intact, according to a 2021 study, yet nature-based tourism and biophilic architecture, a design philosophy that mimics nature, are surging in popularity. Global wildlife populations have dropped by an average of 73% in the last 50 years; meanwhile, there are more tigers in captivity than in the wild, globally. Arctic ice sheets are on course for catastrophic 'runaway melting' that would see rising sea levels devastate coastal communities. But at the same time, cocktail bars in Dubai are importing ancient glacier ice from Greenland to provide the wealthy with pollution-free drinks. 'We're engaged in creating an illusion for ourselves; either to hide what we're doing, or as something that we can retreat into for reassurance, because we crave the very thing that we've lost,' said Nelson. There's a spectrum to the illusion, ranging from managed outdoor landscapes to contrived scenes that simply evoke the idea of nature. Nelson likens it to fast food: 'We don't want to grow it and prepare it; we just want it delivered to us with no thorns, no danger, with a nice walkway in a car park. We want to consume it and then come home. We are complicit in it.' Despite his criticisms of the 'consumerist' qualities of today's manufactured natural experiences, Nelson emphasizes that he's not necessarily against any of these things: people should enjoy safaris, be awe-inspired at aquariums, relish their time in a local park, and not 'destroy ourselves with guilt.' 'We have this enduring craving for nature, for a connection to the natural world. That's real,' he observed. There's a limit to what the individual can do, too: the kind of sweeping change required to protect the environment needs to come from major corporations and political leaders, which, in Nelson's view, is sorely lacking. 'It's important to remind ourselves, it's not that we don't have ideas for things that can be done,' he said, reeling off a long list of environmental policies that could change the course of climate change. Perhaps this book, with its stark juxtaposition of astonishing wildlife and human interference, can be a reminder of just how in control of the world we are — with the power to remodel it in our own image, or protect and restore the landscapes we feel so connected to. 'When you're surrounded by something so much, it can become utterly invisible,' Nelson said. 'Photography is a way of trying to make it visible again, trying to expose it for what it actually is.' After the call ends, I can't unsee the Anthropocene illusion in my home. It's not just the anthropomorphic tiger on the wall. It's a Himalayan rock salt lamp, a plastic monstera plant and paper carnations. A cockatoo-shaped ceramic jug next to pine-scented candles and an aluminum 'lemon-wedge' bottle opener. Floral-print cushions and a jungle-themed throw. It's hard to shake Nelson's words about our collective complicity; our willingness to participate in reconstructing the natural world, instead of saving it.
Hans India
31-07-2025
- General
- Hans India
Bachelor of Fine Arts: Turning your creative passion into a career
Are you someone who's always been drawn to creativity, colors, sketches, or designs? Do you find it easier to express yourself through visuals than words? If you're passionate about art, design, or visual storytelling, then a Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) could be the perfect higher education choice for you. It's a program designed for students who want to turn their passion for art into a successful and fulfilling career. What is BFA? The Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) is a four-year professional degree program that gives students the opportunity to develop expertise in traditional and contemporary forms of art. It's not limited to painting on canvas; it is about conceptualizing ideas, visually communicating stories, and mastering techniques that transform creativity into impactful visual expressions. The program is open to students from any academic background—Arts, Commerce, or Science—provided they have a genuine interest in creative expression and visual communication. Course Structure and Learning Experience The BFA program is thoughtfully structured to ensure a balance between foundational knowledge and specialized expertise. • First Year (Foundation): Students begin with core subjects like Drawing, Art History, Human Anatomy, Color Theory, and the Fundamentals of Visual Arts. This phase helps students strengthen their understanding of basic principles and develop observational skills. • Specializations (Second Year Onwards): From the second year, students choose a specialization in one of the core areas: o Painting – Mastering different mediums, techniques, and creative approaches. o Applied Arts – Graphic design, advertising, and visual communication. o Printmaking – Traditional and digital print techniques. o Sculpture – Creating three-dimensional forms using various materials. Practical learning is at the heart of the program. Students participate in studio-based training, peer critiques, workshops, and collaborative projects that push their creative boundaries. Mentorship by experienced faculty and visiting artists ensures students explore their personal style and develop a strong artistic voice. The final year includes an independent capstone project that reflects the student's individual perspective and creative maturity, often culminating in public exhibitions or showcases. Career opportunities after BFA A BFA degree unlocks diverse career opportunities in the creative and cultural industries. The program equips students with both artistic and professional skills, enabling them to work in various domains or even pursue entrepreneurial ventures. Key career options include • Visual Arts & Painting: Freelance Artist, Illustrator, Portrait Artist. • Advertising & Media: Art Director, Visualizer, Creative Designer. • Print & Publishing: Layout Artist, Printmaker, Illustrator. • Sculpture & Installations: Sculptor, Restoration Specialist, Art Consultant. • Education & Academia: Art Teacher, Assistant Professor, Creative Trainer. • Museums & Galleries: Art Curator, Gallery Manager, Exhibition Designer. • Film & Animation: Concept Artist, Set Designer, Storyboard Artist. • Fashion & Product Design: Textile Designer, Accessory Designer. • Art Therapy & Wellness: Art Therapist, Creative Coach. The growing demand for creative professionals in industries like advertising, digital media, fashion, film, and wellness provides excellent opportunities for BFA graduates. Depending on specialization and experience, average salaries range between ₹3 to ₹10 lakhs per annum, with potential for rapid growth as artists establish themselves. Why choose a BFA? A BFA doesn't just teach technical skills; it nurtures creativity, critical thinking, and visual problem-solving abilities. Some of the unique advantages of pursuing this degree include: • Exposure to Real-World Art Practices: Students work on live projects, participate in exhibitions, and gain internship experience under renowned artists or organizations. • Creative Independence: The program encourages experimentation, innovation, and self-expression, allowing students to develop a personal artistic identity. • Global Opportunities: BFA graduates are eligible to pursue advanced degrees like Master of Fine Arts (MFA), opening doors to international careers in academia, research, and the global art market. Additionally, skills developed during a BFA—such as design thinking, visualization, and aesthetic judgment—are transferable to many industries outside the traditional art space. Who should consider BFA? The BFA program is ideal for individuals who: • Are passionate about art, design, and creative expression. • Enjoy working with their hands and exploring different media. • Prefer visual storytelling over traditional theoretical learning. • Aspire to build careers in creative industries or start their own artistic ventures. Whether you are inclined towards traditional fine arts like painting and sculpture or emerging areas like digital design and animation, BFA provides the platform to turn your creative talent into a fulfilling profession. Conclusion If you view the world through an artistic lens and dream of making creativity your career, the Bachelor of Fine Arts is more than just a degree—it's a launchpad for your future. With a structured curriculum, practical exposure, and professional guidance, the BFA program enables you to convert your imagination into impactful, real-world creations. From building a career as an independent artist to becoming a sought-after creative professional in design, media, or fashion, the opportunities are vast. With the right mindset and training, your passion for art can lead to a rewarding, dynamic, and meaningful professional journey. (The author is Vice Chancellor of Noida International University)
The Hindu
30-04-2025
- General
- The Hindu
Shivaji K. Panikkar-chaired Commission recommends overhaul of Kerala's fine arts education
An expert commission, chaired by renowned art educator Shivaji K. Panikkar, has recommended a complete revamp of the existing curricula in Kerala's fine arts colleges. Major reforms in admission processes, evaluation methods and administration structures have been recommended, along with a transition to a credit and semester framework. Prof. Panikkar, former Dean and Founder Member, School of Culture and Creative Expressions, Ambedkar University, presented the commission report to Higher Education Minister R. Bindu here on Wednesday. Kerala State Higher Education Council member secretary Rajan Varughese was present on the occasion. The commission was mandated with making recommendations to reform fine art education in the State. Under single entity A significant recommendation involves bringing fine arts institutions, currently affiliated under various universities and functioning under the Department of Technical Education, under the Directorate of Collegiate Education or a single administrative and academic authority. Nomenclature changes The commission has recommended changes in the current nomenclatures, including modifying the terminology of fine arts as visual arts. It has also proposed renaming the College of Fine Arts as College of Visual Arts, Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) as Bachelor of Visual Arts, and Master of Fine Arts (MFA) as Master of Visual Arts. New college The panel also mooted the establishment of a new visual arts college in northern Kerala, named after acclaimed artist K.C.S. Paniker. It further recommends elevating the Department of Painting at the Sree Sankaracharya University of Sanskrit into a separate faculty from its current placement under Arts and Social Sciences. Several colleges are also proposed to be re-envisioned as visual arts colleges. The RLV College of Music and Fine Arts, Tripunithura, is proposed to be restructured as a specialised visual arts college, while the Raja Ravi Varma Centre of Excellence in Mavelikkara is to be developed into a dedicated department of visual arts. The report proposes introducing postgraduate programmes like Intermedia Practices, Curatorial Practices, Art History and Visual Studies, and Interdisciplinary Media and Design Practices. It also calls for establishing Departments for Graphics/Printmaking across all fine arts institutions.
Yahoo
08-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
24 Games We're Stoked For In March, Great Switch Games On Sale For Mario Day, And More Of The Week's Top News
This week, we got some insight into what prompted Ubisoft to add a 'canon mode'—which strips out all narrative choices in favor of adhering to one set story path—to the upcoming Assassin's Creed Shadows. Also, we looked at 24 games coming out in this fairly packed month that we can't wait to try, shared the details on Nintendo's current Mario Day sale which has some pretty great Switch games available at a nice discount, and covered a big change that the upcoming Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3+4 is making to THPS 4, which has some fans concerned. Read on for all this and more. Popular streamers Valkyrae, Emiru, and Cinna were stalked and attacked by a young man during a livestream as they walked around the Santa Monica Pier. Thankfully, nobody was hurt during the encounter. - Zack Zwiezen Read More The PlayStation-owned studio Visual Arts was hit with fresh layoffs this week amid a further restructuring of Sony's U.S. game development operations. While some of the cuts included staff who had contributed to recently canceled projects like an upcoming live-service game at Bend Studio, a source told Kotaku the layoffs were more widespread than that. - Ethan Gach Read More The day of Mario is nearly upon us. In celebration of the overall-wearing plumber and his ongoing gaming franchise domination, Nintendo has marked down a bunch of Switch games that are normally $60. It's also released a new Super Mario Bros. Wonder Switch OLED bundle, in case you wanted to pick up the eight-year old console right before Nintendo starts selling the Switch 2. - Ethan Gach Read More Twitch has temporarily banned Hasan Piker for a fifth time on Monday, shortly after the leftist streamer talked about how if Republicans really cared about Medicaid they would kill Florida Senator Rick Scott. 'Big shout out to the right wing free speech lovers who took time out of their day screaming about dei & immigrants, to cry abt this!' he posted on X after his stream was taken down. - Ethan Gach Read More Peak release season for the first half of 2025 is officially upon us. The February flood picks up into a tidal wave in March with dozens of new games both big and small to check out, as well as tons more that will blow up or be discovered in the weeks ahead. Assassin's Creed Shadows is the big tentpole blockbuster this month, but there's plenty more I can't wait to check out on either side of the recently delayed open-world RPG's release. - Ethan Gach Read More After a few delays and leaks, Ubisoft's next main entry in the Assassin's Creed franchise, Assassin's Creed Shadows, is nearly here. And, in a series first, it comes with a mode that removes many choices, instead adhering to one 'canonical' narrative path. Now Ubisoft has explained why this option was added and also clarified that you'll still be free to kiss whoever you want even if you pick the Canon Mode. - Zack Zwiezen Read More Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3+4 was officially announced earlier this week and while it looks to be a great remake of some popular PS2-era skateboarding games, one big change involving timed challenges in THPS4 might be a dealbreaker for some players. - Zack Zwiezen Read More A 10 a.m. restock of Pokémon cards led to aggressive pushing and shouting between two men inside a store in front of a card-selling vending machine. The video has since gone viral on TikTok and social media. - Zack Zwiezen Read More FragPunk is a first-person hero shooter where you use deckbuilding card mechanics to augment your characters' strengths and weaknesses. It's the next free-to-play game from NetEase, which also produced Marvel Rivals, and it's coming out this week, just not on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S where it was suddenly delayed just 24 hours before launch. - Ethan Gach Read More I've been waiting a long time for a game like Avowed. In fact, you might have to go back to 2002's The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind to find another first-person fantasy role-playing game that so utterly captivated me with its world. I've seen some people grouse that it's not as full-featured as the likes of Skyrim, but I actually like that about it! Developer Obsidian knew what it wanted to achieve with this game and focused its resources where they mattered most: on creating a world that's fun and rewarding to explore; on developing combat that's hard-hitting and offers all kinds of player agency; and on a narrative that has deeply developed themes, expressive choices, and the potential to experience significant consequences. I didn't realize just how significant until I failed to prevent a catastrophe in the game's second area, and you know what? I'm glad I made this huge mistake. Let me explain. (Spoilers concerning the second area of Avowed follow.) - Carolyn Petit Read More For the latest news, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
