ES 362 - Nature into Art: The Cultural Dimensions of Landscape (4 Cr.)

VMC 362 (GCR ENV)(GCR Humanities and Interdisciplinary Studies area)(WEC)

This course explores the cultural dimensions of environmental sustainability, the complex relationship between humans and nature, and the historical roots of our ecological crisis through the lens of landscapes and gardenscapes in the visual arts over time and across cultures. Through landscape painting, gardens, and earthworks, we will address the ‘legibility’ and cultural construction of landscape imagery by exploring how artists have shaped, processed, and transformed nature, how humans have projected their identity, values, politics, and myths onto the land, and how visual constructions of landscapes shaped discussions and debates about the past, the present, and the future of the environment. Prerequisite: Prerequisite: VMC 103, sophomore standing, or permission of instructor. Fall 2025 and every other year.