TUCSON, Ariz.— Artists, enthusiasts and environmental activists came out to the Tucson Museum of Art and Historic Block Feb. 27 to celebrate much more than just art.

The grand opening of "Trouble in Paradise: Examining Discord Between Nature and Society" showcased abstract and realistic works from 57 artists portraying how the environment is being affected by our carbon footprint.

"Artists are clearly showing some alarm and anxiety," said Julie Sasse, chief curator and curator of modern and contemporary art at Tucson Museum of Art.

The exhibit ranged from original acrylic paintings to hands-on exhibits such as looking through an old-fashioned view finder.

From the farm to the canvas

Participating artist Matthew Moore is not only a photographer but a fourth-generation barley farmer. His aerial photograph displayed a two-or three-bedroom floor plan (depending on the perspective) etched into a field near Surprise, Ariz., where his family’s farmland was in 2005. Since then, suburban development and paved streets have encroached on the farmland. This type of urban development has become an environmental issue that artists like Moore are bringing to light.

“I want people to just take a look at urban development, not take a stance,” Moore said. “Just understand how it is affecting the environment.”

The farming industry in the Southwest is unique because of the lack of large bodies of water in the area. Through his art Moore is trying to make a connection between the scarcity of water and how farming affects the desert. Moores’ photograph allows the viewer to take a real life look at how in only four years, the landscape of the Southwest has been completely transformed.

A striking realization

Jeff Smith and A.T. Willett, both participating artists based in Tucson, Ariz., capture lightning and natural disaster and examine how manmade structures may be making things worse.

Smith’s photograph captures a single bolt of lightning in a sea of purple and green among a substation right outside Picacho Peak. The power lines depicted are an emblem of structures that have created issues of energy and sustainability. Smith said the reason that his photograph was chosen was because of the dichotomy it depicts between nature and manmade energy coexisting in the same place.
"It is so interesting that we are scrambling to find new energy sources, yet we are not harvesting natural things like lightning and sunshine properly," Sasse said.

Willett captured a tornado in Gruver, Texas, that showcases the natural disasters that have been occurring since Sasse decided on this theme in 2002.

“It’s nice because it's nature, it's real,” Willett said.

This real moment Willett captured could be attributed to global warming, he said. Nothing has been scientifically proven to support that theory, but after shooting environmental photographs for years he thinks there is a connection.

Photographs like Smith's and Willet's inspire the viewer to take a big look at how the environment is being affected by what we do.

"There is a fragile intersection between this discord and beauty," Sasse said.

The Southwest and its environment

Dan Collins, participating artist, poses the question, What would happen if we flooded Phoenix? A professor at Herberger College of the Arts at Arizona State University, Collins created a piece that could be viewed from the top level of the gallery. The view showcases a multimedia piece combining wood, sand and special lighting features. Collins was inspired by the perpetual water shortage in Arizona, but for this piece thought about the reverse — too much water after Hurricane Katrina.

The exhibit runs through June 28.