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The Power of Art in Environmental Activism
Environmental sustainability and activism are more urgent than ever. With global temperatures rising and biodiversity shrinking, artists are uniquely positioned to spark reflection and inspire change. Through visual storytelling, emotion, and powerful imagery, art can make abstract environmental data feel immediate and human. Some of the most influential artists using their platforms for environmental advocacy include Thomas Moran, William Henry Jackson, Chris Jordan, Rebecca Lee Kunz, and Jenny Kendler.
Further reading: How Art Inspires Social Movements
Moran and Jackson: Early Pioneers of Environmental Preservation
Thomas Moran and William Henry Jackson helped ignite a national conversation about the value of protecting America's natural wonders. Their partnership was born during the 1871 Hayden Expedition to Yellowstone, where Moran, a painter, and Jackson, a photographer, captured breathtaking views of geysers, waterfalls, and canyons. Moran’s artistic flair allowed him to interpret the landscape’s grandeur with a sense of imagination, while Jackson’s technical expertise brought photographic credibility to what many thought were myths.
Their work was not only complementary but strategic. Jackson often relied on Moran to help frame his shots, and Moran used Jackson’s photographs as references for his iconic paintings. Together, they helped convince Congress to establish Yellowstone as the first national park in 1872. Their legacy demonstrates how visual art can shape environmental policy by making the invisible visible and the unbelievable undeniable.
Image: Thomas Moran, "Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone," 1872, Courtesy: Smithsonian American Art Museum, via Flickr Learn more: Yellowstone Through Art
Chris Jordan: Confronting Overconsumption Through Scale
Chris Jordan employs large-format photography to draw attention to the consequences of mass consumerism and environmental neglect. In his powerful series, Intolerable Beauty, Jordan visited landfills and recycling centers to photograph mountains of discarded goods, including circuit boards, cell phone chargers, and plastic bottles. These images are both mesmerizing and haunting, revealing the scale of waste we produce.
In his Running the Numbers series, Jordan visualizes statistics in an emotionally engaging way, such as creating a digital mosaic from 260,000 car keys to represent one minute of gasoline consumption in the United States. His Midway project is the most emotionally impactful. It documents the remains of baby albatrosses on Midway Island whose stomachs are filled with plastic debris. By illustrating how individual actions can escalate into catastrophic consequences, Jordan prompts viewers to reflect on their own habits without judgment yet with urgency.
Image: Chris Jordan, "Gyre," 2009 via Flickr
Explore more: Chris Jordan’s Gallery | Running the Numbers on Artworks for Change
Rebecca Lee Kunz: Mythology and Climate Justice
Rebecca Lee Kunz, a citizen of the Cherokee Nation, creates art that blends tribal mythology with climate advocacy. Through her Tree of Life Studio, founded in 2007, Kunz explores the connections between symbolic archetypes and all forms of creation. Her mixed-media works draw from Cherokee oral traditions and archetypal imagery to explore humanity’s interdependence with nature.
As the winner of the 2025 Caldecott Award, Kunz aims to challenge colonial narratives and inspire solutions to modern environmental crises. She uses layered visuals to elevate Indigenous knowledge systems and promote cultural awareness. Her art is more than expression; it is a tool of resistance, healing, and education. Kunz’s work prompts viewers to consider both the spiritual and ecological implications of environmental degradation.
Image: Rebecca Lee Kunz, Mixed Media Piece from Tree of Life Studio via her Instagram
Discover more: Tree of Life Studio
Jenny Kendler: De-Centering the Human
Jenny Kendler is a Chicago-based ecological artist whose interdisciplinary work bridges activism, science, and naturalism. She has spent two decades addressing climate change and biodiversity loss with a focus on reimagining human-nature relationships. Kendler’s installations, such as Whale Bells and Music for Elephants, transform scientific data into immersive experiences.
Music for Elephants utilizes a 1921 player piano to play a score generated by elephant poaching statistics, each low, sustained note marking a tragic loss. In Whale Bells, fossilized whale ear bones hang from handblown glass bells, capturing the eerie stillness of underwater sound pollution. Kendler’s projects are research-intensive and often take years to complete, underscoring the depth and care behind her practice.
Her goal isn’t to shame the audience but to offer space for reflection and reconnection. As a founding member of Artists Commit and former Artist-in-Residence with the NRDC, Kendler also advocates for institutional sustainability in the art world.
Image: "Birds Watching-close-for web" by Kitsune of the day is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0
For more: Jenny Kendler Official Website | SAIC Interview on Kendler’s process
Art That Moves the World
From Moran's oil paintings to Kendler's installations, these artists demonstrate how art can be both a mirror and a catalyst. Environmental art transcends aesthetics, holds significant power, educates the public, and fosters emotional resonance around climate issues. As climate change intensifies, the role of artists becomes even more critical: to stir the conscience and sow the seeds of collective action.
Their work challenges societal indifference, inspires environmental stewardship, and creates platforms for dialogue and education. Whether through immersive exhibitions, multimedia storytelling, or public art installations, these artists actively contribute to reshaping our collective ecological awareness. By invoking emotion and sparking empathy, they remind us that sustainability isn't just a policy issue. It's a cultural and moral imperative. Supporting and sharing environmental art can be an act of activism in itself.
Want to explore more eco-conscious creators? Browse the RevArt Artist Directory and discover how artists are reshaping the conversation around sustainability.
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