One huge argument for working with digital art tools and techniques as opposed to some of the more 'traditional' approaches used to generate visual art in the past is the ability to avoid toxic chemicals associated with these more 'traditional' approaches to generating art. I briefly mentioned this in another recent discussion we had on whether digital approaches to creating art were helping or hurting art itself.
I thought i'd pass on a link to a very interesting article i read today concerning the level of toxicity associated with many 'traditional' art techniques and the materials used in them.
The article is interesting on several different levels. One, it exposes the lack of training regarding how to properly handle toxic chemicals used in art schools and sold in art supply stores. And a surprising lack of regulation associated with the sale and use of toxic art supplies when compared to other industries or professions. Second, it discusses the environmental ramifications that artists that use these traditional toxic techniques present to others and to the general environment, how are old art supplies disposed of, how are spills dealt with, etc. Third, i found it interesting that many artists who would consider themselves to be supporters of 'green' environmental movements, or whose art is even devoted to 'green' topics, make use of toxic chemicals in creating their 'green' art. Forth, it delves into the untimely deaths associated with cancer of several different individuals who where artists or art teachers that used toxic chemicals to create their art.
Replies
When I was looking at a life drawing workshop in Santa fe, the art college had a no toxic rule. Also, the writer Robert Lawlor, Voices of the First Day, Sacred Geometry, talks sabout his toxic poisoning while creating art. He ended up spending a lot of time traveling outside of the US to de tox. Maybe Bio Shield / American Clay are the way to go in painting, but, I do love the smell of oil paint/ oil crayons.
Laurence
Even charcoal and graphite dust affect me seriously, as do many other things (fabric softener being amongst the worst).
I used to go through up to a gallon or turpentine per month, and often slept in my studio...
Thanks for the heads up. I will start cleaning my brushes with vegetable oil/baby oil and soap. I do know that computer monitors are not exactly safe either. I use a Ener-g-polari-t on my computer monitor to protect me from electromagnetic frequency waves. You may want to read up on it at http://www.blockemf.com/catalog/article_info.php?articles_id=19
For years I have read up on and been involved with self healing and detoxification. There are a number of things one can do that reverse the cumulative effects of toxic materials on the body. One is to use zeolite to remove heavy metals and radiation effects from the body. Also taking Spirulina and Sun Chlorella are excellent food supplements that also detox the body.
It is interesting that the article starts out mentioning Eva Hesse. Without discounting the need to take care, the first response to the article mentions that Eve Hesse did not fabricate her own work (especially the resin pieces). It said that it's unlikely the materials her work was made of killed her since she wasn't using those toxic materials personally.