Transformative Currents

Transformative Currents: Art and Action in the Pacific Ocean, edited by Cassandra Coblentz, brings together diverse writers, scientists, artists, activists, and thinkers to investigate social and environmental issues throughout the entirety of the Pacific Ocean, including Angela Mooney D'Arcy and Charles Sepulveda, Elizabeth DeLoughrey, Ziying Duan, and Aaron Katzeman. The authors and contributors are leading figures in the field of Blue Humanities--an emergent discipline ranging from historical to visual to cultural and literary studies on oceans--and they bring a rich range of expertise to the project. At this crucial time in which the health of the Pacific Ocean is in an increasingly fragile and volatile state, it is now more important than ever to document and share these individuals' work as we strive to raise awareness and foster a greater consciousness of how artists are making vital contributions to improving the ecological conditions of our oceans and coastal environments.

Transformative Currents addresses an important gap in art historical literature by not only addressing the complexities of this crucial subject matter, but also offering a platform for Indigenous writers and artists' voices to be considered in dialogue with their Western colleagues. The book and accompanying exhibition of the same name, curated by Coblentz with Katzeman and Duan for Getty's PST ART: Art & Science Collide, includes work by artists at many stages in their careers and from a variety of locations. The exhibition offers a distinct mix of voices from a wide array of geographical and professional backgrounds and is among the first to harness this diverse range of cultural perspectives about environmental issues throughout the Pacific Ocean.