Six Roles of the Artist
​in an Ecological Civilization

Awakener, Motivator, Disturber,
Philosopher, Wonder-Maker, and Explorer​
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​Artists play a special role in process philosophy, as does art itself. Whitehead puts it this way:

“Great art is more than a transient refreshment. It is something which adds to the permanent richness of the soul's self-attainment. It justifies itself both by its immediate enjoyment, and also by its discipline of the inmost being. Its discipline is not distinct from enjoyment but by reason of it. It transforms the soul into the permanent realization of values extending beyond its former self."

In our time, our "former selves" include the selves that have lived within, and imbibed the values of, a mechanistic civilization that reduces all things to instruments for human ends and sees life itself in almost exclusively economic terms. An ecological civilization is indeed a new way of living and seeing the world, This page consists of remarks related to the role of the artist in such a civilization, proposing the artist has at least six roles: awakener, motivator, disturber, philosopher, wonder-maker, and explorer.

The image above is from renowned contemporary Chinese artist Hung Liu (17 February 1948 – 7 August 2021) and Trillium Graphics master printer David Salgado, who together donated 55 works of art to the University of Oregon’s Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art. Let the piercing, sensitive, curious eyes represent, for these purposes, the eyes of an artist. The artist sees and hears, smells and imagines the world in a new way, bespeaking a hope for humanity and the earth.

And if you are interested in process philosophy and the arts, please see the Novel Becomings Blog and the Cobb Institute Virtual Art Gallery. All the artists featured in the gallery, curated by Kathleen Reeves, are vivid examples of the six roles, as are the blogs, some written by Kathleen Reeves and some by others. All promote, in the words of the Earth Charter, "respect and care for the community of life." That's what an ecological civilization is about.
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The Calling of an Artist
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An ecological civilization is an aspirational ideal. It consists of communities that are creative, compassionate, participatory, inclusive, humane to animals, and good for the earth - with no one left behind. Its inhabitants have a sense of belonging to their local communities, but they also know that they are small but included in a larger web of life, that other living beings are their kin, and that life on earth unfolds within a larger cosmic context that includes stars and galaxies. Many individuals and small groups already have these intuitions, but the hope is that communities as a whole can be guided by them, and that the earth itself can become, in the words of John Cobb, a community of communities of communities. Yes, it is an aspirational ideal.

It is tempting, when considering the needs for an ecological civilization, to talk about the importance of legislators, economists, political scientists, urban planners, climate scientists, ecologists, philosophers, and educators in helping bring them about and sustain them. I'd like to put in a word about the importance of artists: 

By artists, I mean visual artists, poets, musicians, dancers, playwrights, sculptors, filmmakers, photographers, novelists, illustrators, performance artists, graphic designers, composers, architects, weavers, potters, culinary artists, restauranteurs, and gardeners. Anyone who considers himself or herself an artist is, to my mind, an artist.

What, then, is the role of an artist in an ecological civilization. What do artists do, as artists, that economists don't do as economists, or politicians as politicians. I suggest that an artist 

  • Awakener: The artist fosters awareness of our connections with one another and the larger web of life
  • Motivator: The artist inspires us to take care of ourselves and the larger web of life,
  • Disturber: The artist disturbs us when we fall short of this care,
  • Philosopher: The artist communicates an implicit ontology of life, so that we sense our place in the larger web of life and our kinship with other creatures.
  • Wonder-maker: The artists creates objects and events that inspire awe, wonder, and other kinds of intense feeling.
  • Explorer: The artists explores possibilities and adds to the creative adventure of the universe.

The artist is someone who, with help from her materials and instruments, assumes these roles in varying degrees and ways and feels them as a vocation, a calling. She is drawn to these roles as a moth to a flame; they are part of what the philosopher Whitehead calls her subjective aim. Whitehead would add that, ultimately, all point toward Beauty. So, arguably, we could consider all as calls to Beauty.

The sixth one is especially important. Art is a way of collaborating with a deeper creativity that is found in the whole of the universe. Atoms and molecules, stars and planets, living cells and animal bodies - all are, in the words of process philosopher Andrew Davis, "aesthetic achievements."  All are art in a deep way. Humanly created art is a human way of adding to the creativity of the universe, which is also art.

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The primary medium for human art is feeling: not feeling in the purely private sense of subjective emotion, but feeling in the sense of subjective energies and lures for feeling, that are embodied in colors, shapes, sounds, movements, images, and performances. In a process context, wherever there is energy there is feeling, and the artist is especially sensitive to this "aliveness" that is found throughout the natural world. The artist knows, perhaps more than others, that nature is alive and life is precious. The artist also knows, as much if not more than others, how often we fall short of living with respect and care for life. It knows that we often fall into neglect, stagnation, insensitivity, injustice, exploitation, and abuse of others, human and more-than-human. Hence the third function of art named above: to disturb. 
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Thus understood, art need not be "pretty," "consoling," or "pleasant" to be good. It needs to be truthful, and it communicates its truths through the embodied feelings and subjective energies that resonate with our deepest experiences and perceptions. In good art we can stabilized or destabilized, comforted or afflicted or at the same time. The comfort and the discomfort take us into an intensity of feeling which has its own truths. In an ecological civilization, the artist is an intensifier. 
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The subject matter of art need not be "nature" as distinct from "humanity." The very binary between the two is rejected in an ecological civilization. Human beings are part of, not apart from, the larger web of life. This means that eco art can deal with people as well as trees, buildings as well as forests, and laptops as well as insects. All are "natural." A bridge is as natural as a beaver dam. The key is to be natural in a way that enhances and supports what is natural in the more-than-human world. The key is mutual naturalness.

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The truths revealed in art can be truths of possibility as well as actuality, of what "can be" as well as "what has been" and "what is." "What can be" is that we can live in harmony with one another, with the more-than-human world, with the heavens above, and with ourselves. This harmony is a truthful possibility, even if not fully actual. It is toward this possibility that art inspires us, sometimes by showing us how far away we are from it, and sometimes by showing us how close we are to it. Always the possibility of this harmony is in the background if not the foreground. It is the implicit hope, the deepest aspiration, of art in an ecological civilization. When the artist reveals a disturbing truth, the artist is inspired by this hope, and it is the contrast between the hope and the actuality that makes the art so intense. And when the artist forthrightly inspires us to feel the hope, to live it, to make it a reality in our lives, the artist's inspiration becomes our own. We share in the artist's creativity and we, too, in our own ways, become artists.

​- Jay McDaniel



Historical Examples 
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Awakener: To foster awareness of our connections with one another and the larger web of life.

  • East: Katsushika Hokusai, particularly through his famous series of woodblock prints "Thirty-Six Views of Mount Fuji." His works often depict people in harmony with nature, highlighting the interconnectedness of human life and the natural world.
  • West: Walt Whitman, in his poetry collection "Leaves of Grass." Whitman's verses celebrate the unity and interconnectedness of all people and the natural world, emphasizing a sense of universal brotherhood and ecological awareness.
  • Latin America: Gabriel García Márquez, through his novel "One Hundred Years of Solitude." His magical realism awakens readers to the interconnectedness of history, family, and nature.
  • Africa: Wangari Maathai, in her book "Unbowed: A Memoir." As an environmental activist and founder of the Green Belt Movement, Maathai’s writing and actions awaken a sense of ecological and social interconnectedness.

Motivator: To inspire us to take care of ourselves and the larger web of life.

  • East: Rabindranath Tagore, through his poetry and songs, especially in works like "Gitanjali." Tagore’s writing encourages spiritual and personal growth, inspiring readers to live harmoniously with nature and humanity.
  • West: Vincent van Gogh, particularly in his letters and paintings like "Starry Night." Van Gogh’s art and words often reflect a deep appreciation of the beauty of life and nature, motivating people to see and preserve this beauty.
  • Latin America: Pablo Neruda, in his "Canto General." His poetry speaks to the beauty of the Latin American landscape and inspires a sense of care for nature and social justice.
  • Africa: Nelson Mandela, through his autobiography "Long Walk to Freedom." His life and words motivate people to strive for justice, equality, and unity, emphasizing the importance of caring for one another and the environment.

Disturber: To disturb us when we fall short of this care.

  • East: Dai Jinhua, a prominent Chinese scholar and cultural critic, uses her writings and public lectures to challenge and disturb complacency about social issues, such as gender inequality, consumerism, and environmental degradation. Her critical analysis forces readers and audiences to confront uncomfortable truths about contemporary society.
  • West: Francisco Goya, especially in his series of etchings "Los Caprichos" and "The Disasters of War." Goya’s disturbing and powerful images critique societal injustices and human suffering, challenging viewers to reflect on their own roles in these issues.
  • Latin America: Diego Rivera, through his murals. His works often depict social injustices and the struggles of the working class, disturbing viewers and provoking thought about societal issues.
  • Africa: Chinua Achebe, particularly in his novel "Things Fall Apart." Achebe’s work disturbs readers by highlighting the impacts of colonialism and the disruption of traditional African societies.

Philosopher: To communicate an implicit ontology of life, so that we sense our place in the larger web of life and our kinship with other creatures.

  • East: Laozi, through the "Tao Te Ching." Though primarily a philosophical text, its poetic nature and teachings about living in harmony with the Tao (the way of nature) have influenced countless artists and thinkers, teaching an ontology of interconnectedness.
  • West: William Blake, in his illustrated poems and works like "Songs of Innocence and Experience." Blake’s art and poetry explore the nature of existence and the human soul’s place within the cosmos, teaching readers about their intrinsic connection to the larger web of life.
  • Latin America: Octavio Paz, through his essay "The Labyrinth of Solitude." Paz’s philosophical reflections on Mexican identity and existence help readers understand their place in the larger cultural and social web.
  • Africa: Leopold Senghor, with his concept of "Negritude." Senghor’s philosophical writings and poetry emphasize the value of African culture and its place within the broader human experience, promoting a sense of kinship among all people.

Wonder-maker: To create objects and events that inspire awe, wonder, and other kinds of intense feeling.

  • East: Hokusai, with his majestic print "The Great Wave off Kanagawa." This iconic artwork evokes a sense of awe and wonder, capturing the power and beauty of nature.
  • West: Ludwig van Beethoven, especially through his Ninth Symphony. The "Ode to Joy" movement of this symphony inspires profound emotional responses, evoking a sense of universal brotherhood and wonder at the human spirit.
  • Latin America: Gabriel García Márquez, through his novel "One Hundred Years of Solitude." His magical realism creates a sense of wonder and awe about the world and human experience.
  • Africa: El Anatsui, with his large-scale installations made from recycled materials. His work transforms everyday objects into breathtaking pieces that inspire wonder and reflect on human consumption and environmental impact.

Explorer: To explore possibilities and add to the creative adventure of the universe.
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  • East: Murasaki Shikibu, with her novel "The Tale of Genji." As one of the world’s first novels, it explores the intricacies of court life, human emotion, and the passage of time, adding to the creative exploration of human experience.
  • West: Pablo Picasso, particularly with his development of Cubism alongside Georges Braque. Picasso’s innovative approach to form, perspective, and space in art expanded the boundaries of artistic expression and contributed significantly to the creative adventure of the universe.
  • Latin America: Frida Kahlo, through her self-portraits. Kahlo explored themes of identity, postcolonialism, gender, and disability, pushing the boundaries of personal and artistic expression.
  • Africa: Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, through her novels and essays. Adichie explores themes of identity, migration, and feminism, contributing to the global conversation and expanding the creative landscape with her unique perspective.


One More Example:
​Reflections of the Cosmic Web
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REFLECTIONS OF THE COSMIC WEB: INTRICATE PATTERNS IN DAOIST ARTJSMA founder Gertrude Bass Warner lived in China for many years, amassing an astonishing collection with special interest in art of the Qing dynasty (1644-1912). She bequeathed enviable riches to the museum, among them some with fine Daoist iconography.  Next to the teachings of Confucius, Daoism is one of the two indigenous philosophical traditions of China that have evolved over more than two thousand years. Followers of Daoism are committed to the study of nature and to the cultivation of a harmonious lifestyle that increases the flow of internal energy (qi) to attain physical health, longevity, and a non-intrusive mental comportment.  Initiate members of the Daoist clergy practice rituals of purification and renewal and celebrate offerings to deities representing cosmic principles.  This exhibition features selected textiles, paintings, prints, ceramics, jades, and other decorative objects from the Warner collection as well as a few contemporary works of art that reflect the rich naturalistic and mystical imagery associated with the concepts of Daoism.  This rotation is co-curated by UO Chinese History Professor Ina Asim and Anne Rose Kitagawa.


Open Horizons