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A review by thereadingcat
All Art Is Ecological by Timothy Morton
1.75
The book had the potential to offer a profound exploration of art's relationship with ecology. However, it falls short in several key areas. The main arguments presented by the authors often feel disjointed and lack cohesion, possibly due to the disciplinary writing style of philosophy, which can make the flow of ideas abrupt and challenging to follow.
A significant issue is the lack of clear definitions for key terms, such as "ecology." This oversight creates confusion, especially when the term is used inconsistently. The author's final assertion that "You don't have to be ecological because you are ecological"raises eyebrows as being ecological in the 1st half was explained using examples of being ecologically aware and engaging in discourses or actions in environmentalism, whereas ecological in the 2nd half refer to the way that humans are connected to other beings (humans and non-humans) as a part of the ecology.
Additionally, the book suffers from the misuse of concepts due to insufficient definitions, which can give the false impression of correlations between unrelated ideas. Moreover, the discussion lacks an examination of material-related aspects, such as material decolonization, which could have enriched the conversation on art and ecology.
Despite these shortcomings, the book does offer valuable insights, particularly in the section on hyperobjects. It may be worthwhile to read and engage critically with the authors' perspectives, even if the overall execution is uneven.
A significant issue is the lack of clear definitions for key terms, such as "ecology." This oversight creates confusion, especially when the term is used inconsistently. The author's final assertion that "You don't have to be ecological because you are ecological"raises eyebrows as being ecological in the 1st half was explained using examples of being ecologically aware and engaging in discourses or actions in environmentalism, whereas ecological in the 2nd half refer to the way that humans are connected to other beings (humans and non-humans) as a part of the ecology.
Additionally, the book suffers from the misuse of concepts due to insufficient definitions, which can give the false impression of correlations between unrelated ideas. Moreover, the discussion lacks an examination of material-related aspects, such as material decolonization, which could have enriched the conversation on art and ecology.
Despite these shortcomings, the book does offer valuable insights, particularly in the section on hyperobjects. It may be worthwhile to read and engage critically with the authors' perspectives, even if the overall execution is uneven.