Man in the Open Air: The Role of Writers and Artists in the American Environmental Movement

Abstract

Walt Whitman argued that artists of his time were defined by their relationship with the land. He believed that an art expressing American identity had to arise directly from the earth—vast as the western plains, majestic as the forests, generous as the rivers. From Manifest Destiny to the era of global warming, artists engaging with the land have helped shape attitudes toward nature and influence environmental and social policy.

This essay traces the role of American artists and writers in the environmental movement from the nineteenth century to today. As the nation matured, growing confidence developed alongside concern for wilderness. In the 1960s, artists moved their practice from galleries to landscapes, creating Earthworks—art made in and with the land. Like earlier figures, they confronted environmental damage. Many contemporary artists now go beyond awareness, seeking imaginative yet practical solutions and reclaiming an active role in environmental protection.