Abstract

The Green Man is an artistic and iconic representation, part human, part plant. History is filled with Green Man images in architecture, stained glass, sculpture, painting, mythology, literature and folklore. It is a recurrent visual phenomenon in Western art practice, appearing and disappearing consistently across numerous time periods, cultures and geographic locations. Evidence shows that these emergences are often linked to times of upheaval, change or environmental crisis. Currently, the image is reappearing in a wide range of artistic and cultural manifestations. This article analyses the meanings and messages, along with the futures potential, underlying this contemporary explosion of the Green Man phenomenon