In 1987, the United Nations’ Bruntland Commission defined the concept of sustainable development as “meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs…” Is this an accurate definition? Certainly. Does it capture the imagination, and prod people to action? Probably not…

This Fall, Arizona State University’s Art Museum is going to take another, and very different, stab at formulating a definition for sustainability. A series of projects gathered under the title Defining Sustainability will not only display artistic renderings of the concept (or specific examples of it, such as greener transportation or recycled shade structures), but also bring together “artists and designers, faculty and students [to] engage the greater Phoenix community in their creative processes and in conversations about sustainability.”

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As artists continue to draw inspiration from childhood fears and fairy tales, it comes as no surprise that classic stories like Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland (more commonly known as Alice in Wonderland) are being tapped. Coming up on the 2010 film lineup is Tim Burton’s much anticipated ALICE IN WONDERLAND with Johnny Depp as the Mad Hatter (who else?), Helena Bonham Carter as the Red Queen, and Anne Hathaway as the White Queen. But Burton is hardly the first to put a unique spin on Carroll’s tale. With the first official photographs of WONDERLAND released last week, photographer-extraordinaire Annie Leibovitz’s editorial for Vogue US December 2003 have “resurfaced,” thanks to the efforts of bloggers everywhere.

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Collaborations can be great and we’re certainly seeing more and more unexpected film/art/fashion/music combinations now. But Pharrell and Takashi Murakami working together is like pop on top of pop…with a side order of pop! And that’s exactly what “The Simple Things,” their contribution to Switzerland’s Art Basel, is.

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What’s David de Rothschild doing when he’s not building plastic boats, or tracking down the lifecycles of everyday products? Well, in one case, he’s judging artwork. de Rothschild’s Adventure Ecology, its Sculpt the Future Foundation, and the Lincart Gallery in San Francisco are hosting the SMART Art — Trash into Treasure exhibit through June 27th.

Learn more about the exhibits at SMART Art…

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