Directly relating aesthetic depravation to its environmental counterpart, Grande describes society as only capable of consuming, rather the appreciating, both art and nature. The author argues for the need for artists, using nature as a model, to create socially progressive and responsible work and extrapolates on the problems of postmodern art and the increasing pervasiveness of technology. Contemporary art (predominantely Canadian) reinforcing the "status quo" is critically examined along with the work of such artists as Goldsworthy, Kapoor, and Gormley. 205 bibl. ref.