Environmental Impact 1981

Joe Goode made this print, called "Environmental Impact," using lithography, a printing technique involving a stone or metal plate treated to retain ink in specific areas. The stark contrast between the black and grey fields, punctuated by scattered white marks, is achieved through a careful application of ink and a controlled printing process. Lithography, since its 18th-century origins, has been deeply intertwined with the rise of mass production and consumption. Here, Goode uses it to reflect on environmental degradation, a consequence of industrial activity. The visual impact of the print lies in its ability to evoke the unsettling relationship between human actions and their ecological consequences. The material contrast invites reflection on the environmental cost of progress, and asks us to consider the complex relationship between making and unmaking. By using the tools of mass production to create a commentary on its effects, Goode blurs the boundaries between art and social critique, inviting us to see the environmental crisis as both a material and a cultural challenge.