Sustainability is described as the ability to keep something maintained at a consistent or higher rate. In terms of art, artists use the concept of sustainability to showcase ways to improve and to show off the negative impact that’s happening to the environment. They can convey this through various means such as making pieces of art that try to comment on the state of the environment and what we can do to improve it. An example of a piece commenting on the environment is this satirical postcard made by Martin Anderson (under the alias “Cynicus”, 1854-1932) entitled Beautiful Belfast.
Another way that artists utilize sustainability in their work is through the actual creation of the piece. There are a multitude of companies and websites that offer postcards that are made from recycled paper, boards and biodegradable material, that allow you add your own custom image on to a postcard. The company Eco Postcard ( Eco postcard: Eco friendly postcards with seeds (eco-postcard.com) ) make their postcards with a small opening in the card that contains a couple of seeds that allow you to form a seedling in the middle of the card. That can be an example of how to convey a message of sustainability through one’s work.