How To Find Sustainable Wall Art for Your Home

There can be no doubt that making art requires creating something new. This usually means the use of raw materials like canvas, clay and paints – often toxic ones, at that. And let’s not forget the carbon footprint involved in getting art from the maker to the consumer!

Luckily, there is such a thing as sustainable wall art.

In fact, more sustainable wall art exists now than ever before. But what makes a piece of wall art sustainable can vary greatly.

Here below, we outline what to look out for when seeking sustainable wall art.

What is Sustainable Wall Art?

There’s a lot to consider when buying sustainable wall art. For example, even if you purchase a painting made with non toxic water colours, it might be packaged in large amounts of plastic, and mounted with a nasty plastic frame.

You should also consider the carbon footprint of the decorative artwork you buy. Even the most eco-friendly painting can become an ecological nightmare if it’s being flown to your house from halfway around the world.

In short, it’s not always easy to find a piece of art that meets every standard for sustainability. However, there are some points to guide you in to making the most ethical art purchase possible, below.

Image below: Etsy

1. First, Consider Materials

The fact is, oil paint is used for a lot of art. And it’s super toxic!

The biggest reason most oil paints are considered toxic is due to heavy metals. Some toxic metals that can be commonly found in pigments are:

• Lead
• Mercury
• Cobalt
• Cadmium
• Barium
• Antimony
• Chromium
• Zinc

Not only do these metals make oil paint toxic if it comes in contact with your skin, but they also pollute the environment.

And it gets worse.

Any painting – whether it’s oil or acrylic based – is incomplete without a good varnish to lock everything in. However, many mainstream varnishes produce highly toxic fumes.

Most varnishes contain benzene, which is very toxic and carcinogenic. In fact, the fumes can take anywhere from 48 hours to dissipate! But that’s not all: solvents are also dangerous.

Turpentine is the most commonly used solvent to thin artistic paints and to clean brushes. Some painters use mineral spirits in the same way.

Both of these solvents produce fumes that are harmful to human health and the environment.

To sum up, the creation of oil and acrylic paintings can be incredibly toxic. Choose water colours or digitally printed art instead.

Image below: Etsy.UK

2. Know Where To Shop

Of course, serious art collectors will hit up galleries and auctions to purchase their pieces. But if you’re just looking for some home decoration, there are some great places you can shop for sustainable wall art.

For example, Opposite Wall sells wall art, wallpaper, and frames made from forest-friendly materials. Their posters are printed on paper certified by the Forest Stewardship Council. Their wooden frames are also certified. And they even plant a tree with every purchase!

Artifact Uprising, a photo printing company based in Colorado, uses wood reclaimed from trees that have fallen due to beetle infestation. Clearing this wood for reuse allows new trees to grow and prevents healthy trees from being cut down for materials. Artifact Uprising uses this wood for creative wall art, including wood calendars and wood blocks as photo displays. They also use 100% post-consumer recycled paper in all of their photo prints.

Finally, Photo Innovation Lab makes high-quality made-to-order prints on sustainable papers and fabrics. Some of their materials are made on tree bark substrates. Others, such as their cotton, are made in facilities that run 100% on wind energy. They also employ water-based paints and pigments, and avoid plastic in their production processes. This ensures less toxicity and allows their prints to be recycled. That’s especially important since many photo papers are coated in resin polymers or use other brightening agents. Though this adds shine to the art, it means the prints cannot be recycled.

2. Try To Make A Social Impact

It’s good to know that some art vendors give back socially. For example, Photowall donates a percentage of each sale to Vi Agroforestry. The result of this initiative is more than 5,000 trees and crops getting planted in South Africa.

Artifact Uprising lets is another great place to shop sustainable wall art. Not only do they use recycled fibres in their products, but they also allow their customers to choose a charity to support with their purchase. These include planet-friendly NGOs like the PangeaSeed Foundation and World Wildlife Foundation.

You can also make a social impact with your sustainable art by buying it from an organisation that gives back to local artists and communities.

For example, ART FOR CHANGE provides support for artists by donating a portion of every purchase to relevant non-profits. With all of ART FOR CHANGE’s initiatives, artists receive 50% of the net proceeds of each sale. That’s much more than most galleries bestow to creators!

Image below: Opposite Wall

3. Note Production Practices

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Strangely, some artists – I’m talking about major, highly lauded artists – don’t even make their own art. Instead, they instruct (poorly paid) minions to create ‘their’ pieces. Then, they charge collectors a fortune for them. Hardly ethical! Ensure the artist you’re buying from produces their works themselves.

Another way to ensure ethical practices in art is to buy something that’s made-to-order. That way, the artist doesn’t produce or print a piece until it’s been purchased. This cuts down on excess inventory, which usually winds up as landfill waste.

Finally, a super ethical and eco friendly way to purchase art is to find a thrifted piece. You’d be surprised at the marvellous pieces you can find in charity shops, garage sales and estate sales.

Image below: Etsy

4. Remember The Impact Of Transportation

Shipping is another factor to consider when buying sustainable wall art. Luckily, it’s easy to offset the impact of purchasing sustainable wall art.

For example, the Gallery Climate Coalition (GCC) is an international community of arts organisations that collaborate to help reduce the overall impact of the arts sector. This is achieved by providing industry-specific guidance on sustainability, lobbying for systemic change, and fundraising for core environmental initiatives.

To support the GCC, you can visit their members page to see which organisations work with them to make the creation, selling, and displaying of art more sustainable.

But of course, to reduce the carbon footprint of your purchase, simply buy locally. Go to local art fairs, visit local galleries, and even visit local art schools.

Image below: Opposite Wall

Conclusions

If you’re looking for sustainable wall art, you should keep four things in mind.

Firstly, the materials the art is made from. Ensure the paper or canvas it is on has been sustainably sourced, and contains no toxic paints or finishes.

Secondly, it’s definitely a bonus if the store you’re buying from gives back through a social or ecological initiative. Thirdly, ensure the art has been produced ethically, and in small batches. And finally, try to minimise the carbon footprint of the transport of your decorative piece.

But of course, if you really want to decorate your home with sustainable art – you could always try making something beautiful yourself!