The Disturbed Tree

         In the hustle and bustle lives many of us have gotten tied up in, enjoying the natural environment has been placed on the back burner in the list of priorities. In the ever changing and developing world that we have brought ourselves into, there seems to be little room for nature among the asphalt and skyscrapers. In his animation, Leo de Wijs, an animator who has developed the reputation of creating “pro-nature” art, uses the Aristotelian appeals to show his audience the strength of nature in an industrial society.

Through a scene depicting a tree breaking through an asphalt surface with a background of greenery and light, the image argues that the natural world will overcome the artificial constructions that human constantly build. In order to communicate his argument to his audience, De Wijs employs pathos through the composition of the piece itself. The unsaturated colors and the use of softly blended line-work create a misty effect that contributes to a calm emotional effect. If de Wijs had employed a different compositional technique, such as sharper lines or a higher-contrasting color pallet, the piece might have appeared violent or expressed anger. Instead, the emotional quality of the piece is calming and soothing, suggesting that the portrayed scene of nature overcoming human creations is nothing to be feared. Additionally, de Wijs uses logos through his decision to use an entirely artificial, computer generated, medium to make a comment about the strength of nature over artificial constructions. The image appears to have been created with oil pastels or paints, but is in reality a completely digital image. This has the effect of forcing the audience to think more deeply about the relationship between the natural and artificial both as depicted in the picture and as aspects of the composition itself.

Overall, De Wijs's use of pathos through his soft line-work and soft colors is by far the most clearly identifiable Aristotelian appeal that helps him to accomplish his purpose. However, the logical aspect of his image also helps his audience to realize the need for nature that we are becoming starved of.