AN ANALYSIS OF SETTLER COLONIALISM AND ITS ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ON THE NEW DEAL'S PUBLIC ARTWORKS AND PRIVATE LAND WALL PAINTINGS THROUGHOUT THE GREAT PLAINS
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.48047/s1d08j13Keywords:
Dust Bowl, Great Plains, Murals, Public Art, Settler ColonialismAbstract
This study uses quantitative approaches to examine the impact and development of New Deal sculptures and private land murals in the United States' Great Plains area. This research asserts that artworks created during the New Deal period both mirror and interact with themes pertaining to settler colonialism, environmental transformation, and cultural stories. Using numerous methodologies such as spatial analysis, statistical analysis of historical documents, and substantive analysis of art representations, the researchers hope to illuminate the intricate relationship between visual arts, settler narratives, and environmental changes during this pivotal period in China's history. This research looks at how the Great Plains and settler colonialism were affected by the changes in population and land usage that happened during the New Deal period. This study takes a systematic approach to classifying and analysing artworks created during the New Deal era by the Works Progress Administration (WPA) and the Public Works regarding Art Project (PWAP). Examined are the ways in which they portray indigenous narratives, agricultural principles, and the relationship between settlers and the natural environment. Taking it a step further, this research examines the effects of various artistic expressions on local communities, focussing on how these mediums have influenced questions of identity, belonging, and the lingering effects of settler colonialism. The study uncovers that these artistic portrayals have ecological effects by exploring the themes of reminiscence, exploitation, and preservation in more depth. Art has real-world effects on land and on communities, as this research shows by evaluating the links between artwork locations and environmental data using GIS and statistical methodologies. Art history, environmental studies, and colonial studies will all benefit from the results, which will spark critical discussions about the nuanced processes of representation and reality in historical accounts of the United States' geography.
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