World of Water: Betsy Damon’s Ties to Ecofeminism
This thesis establishes a critical examination of the evolution of Betsy Damon’s artistic practice as overtime she engages with ecofeminist thought. As a whole, this work extends contemporary scholarship on ecofeminist engaged art to include Damon’s artistic production while amplifying social and critical ecofeminism as necessary ideologies to explore when analyzing art through an ecofeminist lens. Beginning with her first environmentally focused work in the United States the organization of the following chapters reveals Damon’s deepened understanding and exploration of ecofeminist principles and their application to her artistic practice. It goes on to further explore Damon’s pursuit of environmentally sustainable artistic practice through her international work in China. And lastly, expands upon the role of community work and buy-in involved in developing ecofeminist sustainable models that advocate for social change and water management. By using primary source materials, including a personal interview with Damon, this thesis argues that she is situating her artistic production and organization within a growing and multi-faceted understanding of ecofeminism and aquatic systems. In contextualizing her projects’ engagement with social and critical ecofeminism, this type of artistic work confronts human involvement in environmental degradation and advocates for sustainable resource consumption and management of water.
ecofeminism, water, aquatic systems, sustainable, environmental, Land Art, feminism, Contemporary Art, Feminist Philosophy, History of Art, Architecture, and Archaeology, Theory and Criticism
City University of New York - City College
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