Green Man Resurrected
Phyllis Araneo’s exhibition presents part of her Master of Creative Arts research into the ancient image of the Green Man (a term coined in 1939 by English folklorist, Lady Ragland) and its resurgence in today’s popular contemporary culture. Her work explores the contention that this archetypal image emerges in the art forms of a culture when there is a marked change in the relationship between nature and humanity. This can be seen clearly in 14th and 15th century Europe during the time known as the “disease of building”—a time when representations of the Green Man were carved into buildings en masse.

The image is a combination of elements from the natural world blended with the human form. Contemporary appearances of the Green Man include the mythical Ents—the walking warrior trees seen in the Lord of the Rings movie; the talking fruit and vegetable heads in the Australian Government’s 2 + 5 healthy eating campaign and the American Jolly Green Giant vegetable ads of the 1960s. Historically, the image can be found in literature as Robin Hood, Peter Pan and Huckleberry Finn.

The creative work presented here, is founded on information gathered from the research, which spanned history, crossed cultures and traversed the depths of many disciplines, including art, literature, history, philosophy and environmentalism. The work illustrates not only the relationship between humans and nature, but reveals some surprising sub-conscious illuminations as well. In some of the paintings, Araneo uncovers diverse faces in commonly found Sunshine Coast plants, giving a contemporary—and very local—voice to the ancient message that we are one with the natural world.

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Araneo, originally from New Jersey, has been painting for over 30 years and is an Associate Lecturer in Visual Design and Communication. She is also a Research Fellow and Associate Lecturer in a core course entitled Environment, Technology and Sustainability at the University of the Sunshine Coast. She a strong believer that the power of the image in popular contemporary culture is widely underestimated in terms of its ability to effect emotions, shape thoughts, educate and ultimately invoke action in societies.

Through her work, the Green Man personifies the eradication of the man-nature dualism which many ecologists, scientists, artists, politicians and people from all walks of life, see as the root of our present day environmental crisis.

"When an image of great power such as the Green Man returns...after a long absence, the purpose of its return is not only to revive forgotten memories but to present fresh truths and emotions necessary to fulfilling the potentialities of the future." William Anderson, 1990

Long Live Things of Green!