Hannah Rothstein is giving us the imaginary festival of our dreams: Goodstock.
The artist, who has been making climate-focused art for years, has unveiled her latest body of work: a series of 60s rock n roll-inspired posters highlighting climate solutions. It’s called “Goodstock: Putting Climate Solutions Center Stage,” and it features psychedelic elements and climate good news phrases.
It’s safe to say we’re big fans.
“It’s time to face the music,” Rothstein’s artist statement says. “Climate change is here, and we need to work in concert to combat it. ‘Goodstock: Putting Climate Solutions Center Stage’ reminds us of that by celebrating seven of the solutions to climate change.”
The posters laud solutions-focused climate calls to action, with phrases like:
“Protect our forests”
“Eliminate food waste”
“Invest in public transit. Save money & reduce pollution”
“Biochar: Increase soil fertility & decrease fertilizer use”
Rothstein said the idea for the posters came when she was working on a contract with Google, and she was in a lounge area decorated with vintage rock posters.
“You usually see rock posters one at a time, but seeing several together made me realize what power they hold; their aesthetic oozed the sexy, glamorous aura of rock and roll,” Rothstein said in an email to Good Good Good. “I realized it would be great to apply this cachet to climate solutions in order to drum up enthusiasm for them.”
The posters were created digitally, leaning into vibrant colors, groovy shapes, and warped letters. Some are even inspired by specific songs and symbols of the time (“Moonage Daydream” by Bowie, anyone?)
With seven designs in the series — and the potential to add more — Rothstein hopes to inspire action.
“I’d like to generate vocal support for climate change solutions and get people excited about the steps we can take to protect our planet,” she shared. “By rallying behind climate solutions, we can put pressure on corporations and governments to act.”
Rothstein knows climate action is more than a handful of trippy posters — but she also knows that art has power to move people (and perhaps systems).
Her previous works have done the same, often plucking approaches from historical or existing designs in the wider zeitgeist.
Her series “The Cost of Denial” puts the spotlight on the campaign finances of 10 climate-denying politicians, drawing vision from Soviet-era propaganda posters.
“50 States of Change,” which Rothstein released in collaboration with Greenpeace USA, takes the composition of classic state postcards and entwines them with images of human-made climate disasters: Lifeless turtles in Hawaii’s water, flooded taxicabs in New York, and melting glaciers slipping through Alaska.
Similarly, her series “National Parks 2050” reimagines time-honored national park posters to show the reality of what our most beloved national parks might look like in the future if we don’t act now to combat climate change.
While previous renditions of her climate-inspired art are a little more bleak, Rothstein is motivated by “Goodstock” as a way to keep hope — and the planet — alive and well.
“Every great movement has art that galvanizes it, whether music, posters, or theater” Rothstein said. “I hope that by creating climate art, I can play a small part keeping people inspired and moving them toward positive change.”
“Goodstock” prints are available for purchase through Rothstein’s website, starting at $60 for a nine-by-twelve-inch piece. She told Good Good Good that she donates a portion of her income every year to benefit climate activism groups.
