Critical approaches to nature and environmental issues in contemporary art

The relationship between humans and nature has always existed since the beginning of history. This relationship, occurring between human beings and nature, has evolved and changed parallel to the cultural, economic, and technological developments of humanity. In the realm of art, nature, initially manifested in landscape paintings, has been approached as a world open to exploration. The relationship between humans and nature, emerging with a human-centric perspective, has also influenced future art movements. Nature, which has become a means of expression for artists, has gradually come under the dominance of the human mind over time.The increase in industrialization accompanying the Industrial Revolution has led to profound changes in production and consumption habits. During this period, nature has gradually faded into the background in the face of human technological and industrial advancements. This change has led to the loss of nature's superiority over humans and an increase in human dominance over nature. In response to the reversal of balances in the relationship between humans and nature, many artists have expressed their attitudes towards the exploitation of nature through their works.In this study, the stages of the human-nature relationship from 1960 to the present day will be examined first, followed by an analysis of the reasons for the changes in these stages and a discussion of artistic productions in this context. Consequently, the aim is to make visible the consequences of human-induced destruction on nature. The research is limited to the processes surrounding human-nature relationships within post-1960 art movements and contemporary art. The main sources of the research will consist of written and visual materials.