What's Next?: Eco Materialism and Contemporary Art, Paperback

By paying tribute to matter, materiality, and materialization, the examples of contemporary art assembled in What's Next? Eco Materialism and Contemporary Art challenge the social, cultural, and ethical norms that prevailed in the twentieth century. This significant frontier of contemporary culture is identified as 'Eco Materialism' because it affirms the emergent philosophy of Neo Materialism and attends to the pragmatic urgency of environmentalism.

In this highly original book, Linda Weintraub surveys the work of forty international artists who present materiality as a strategy to convert society's environmental neglect into responsible stewardship. These bold art initiatives, enriched by their associations with philosophy, ecology, and cultural critique, bear the hallmark of a significant new art movement. This accessible text, augmented with visuals, charts, and questionnaires, invites students and a wider readership to engage in this timely arena of contemporary art.

Linda Weintraub is a curator, educator, and artist. She is the author of many books, including In the Making: Creative Options for Contemporary Artists, To Life! Eco Art in Pursuit of a Sustainable Planet, and Art on the Edge and Over: Searching for Art's Meaning in Contemporary Society, 1970s-1990s, as well as the innovative textbook series entitled Avant-Guardians: Textlets in Art and Ecology. She previously served as director of the Edith C. Blum Art Institute and currently teaches in the Nomad 9 MFA program at the University of Hartford's Hartford Art School.