Eco Art draws attention to Peruvian deforestation

·November 3, 2014

Image Above: Monkey Eco art in the Amazon Rain-forest

Eco Art Installations excels in art that inspires. Founder and creative visionary, Char Evans, uses recyclables and found objects to turn trash into treasure and in the process draws attention to environmental degradation. Here in Peru, Evans and fellow artist Ashley Guckert have constructed a collage on the rainforest floor. Sue, an orphaned howler monkey now living in an ecological refuge after its mother was shot by illegal gold miners, helped out too.

Monkey Sue

Char and Ashley used large bijao leaves, traditionally used in Peruvian cooking, as the canvas. They added other leaves and flowers to create a pattern. A rich vermillion colour was added by crushing seeds from the achiote tree and mixing them with water in a discarded juice box. Sue, the monkey, got in on the action too. Check out the video.

Char Evans working on the collage

Char Evans with Monkey Sue

Ashley Guckert with Monkey Sue

Achiote seed paint on hands

The Peruvian rainforest is one of the most biodiverse places on Earth but logging and illegal gold mining, allegedly controlled by local criminals, is rapidly stripping the land of vegetation. According to the Carnegie Amazon Mercury Ecosystem Project the Rio Huaypetue open-pit mine has also released 30 tons of mercury into the country’s rivers and lakes. Eco Art wants the world to know about these transgressions and suggests multinational organizations such as Rainforest Alliance are possible antidotes.

Logging Factory

Logs

Truck outside logging factory

After documenting their collage in pictures and video, the duo left their materials on the forest floor to decompose. After all, Eco Art is transient in nature. The juice box, sadly, went into landfill. As with many developing nations, recycling and green initiatives seem to be a far way off.

Char Evans hopes to exhibit all her Eco Art installations, including the Peruvian piece, in London in the near future. In the meantime, patrons can support Char and her work by purchasing fine art prints on canvas or paper from Saatchi Art.

Monkey Magic Eco Art