There is no doubt that the ever-changing tendencies of society, such as technological advances and more efficient means of production, have an impact on the environment. Each decade the human race is discovers advances in science and technology, and with these advances it is creating new ways to produce mass quantities using the easiest and cheapest methods possible. Consumerism controls society, so much so that it is blind to the negative impacts being pushed onto nature as seen in Mario Sanchez Nevado's, "Betrayal". By use of the visual elements of color, personification, and texture, Nevado exemplifies the betrayal of nature by a society that, blinded by the consumeristic needs of material items and mass production, fails to understand that it is destroying the very foundation of its creation.

The colors present in the image play a role in how we see the two characters portrayed. Nevado uses bright, lively colors for nature, such as greens and yellows, which represent life and pure beauty. The corner that nature is depicted in is also brighter in color than the corner of society, showing blue skies and giving a feel of serenity. In contrast, the colors used to depict society are mostly composed of greys and blacks. The only bright pigment used is the red in the lips and the orange in the fiery cracks of the hand. These colors create a negative connotation for society and give off an ambiance of darkness and deceit. By strategically using the colors in the image to show society as a dark entity encroaching upon the lighter form of nature, Nevado influences our initial reaction to the image to represent the sense of betrayal that he was aiming to create with the piece.

In the image, "nature" is depicted in the form of a female, while "society" seems to be a masculine hand with a gun made out of the remnants of a city's infrastructure. Based on common conceptual ideas, the personification of nature as a female shows the innocence and purity of the land untouched by man. Within the feminine form of nature, there is beauty created by lush, vibrant vegetation and different sceneries, implying the health and beauty of pure nature. The figure is teeming with life, both plant and animal. When looking at the facial aspect of the female form in the image, we see a river flowing in from within a valley and cascading down over the face, resembling what looks to be tears, giving light to the pain caused by society's unrelenting abuse of resources. The face bears a melancholy ambiance as it looks down the barrel of the gun. The hand wielding the gun represents society as a whole, as the gun is formed by the remnants of a city with a tangle of power lines and buildings.

Nevado uses a masculine hand for "society" that highlights the common perspective of male dominance, and thus, the dominance of society over nature. By showing the hand with a gun pointed at the more feminine form of nature, Nevado shows how society has taken control of natural resources for its own agenda. With every new project, the most important questions to the producers are "how fast can it be done?" and "how much will it cost?" leaving the environmental effects to be questioned after construction. Usually, by the time someone calls the environment into question, it is too late and the damage has already been done. This form of production without understanding the consequences shows how in today's society, people's wants overrule what is best for the environment. In the image, the skin on the hand is cracked and charred by embers of fire, giving the effect that the hand that creates is also the hand that destroys. The idea of creation leading to destruction, as shown by the hand and gun, is prevalent in today's society because humans constantly construct new buildings, roads, and technologies, most of which with the intention bettering our world. The reality of the matter is that we are trying to save the planet while simultaneously destroying it. Society is blind to the fact that we are causing more problems than we are helping. With all of the new buildings and roadways, we are demolishing the natural habitat of many animals along with cutting out entire ecosystems. Most of the organizations fighting for causes today were created to help reduce the waste impact on the environment from materials such as plastics and chemicals. The problem, though, is that plastics and chemicals were not an environmental problem until society used them to mass produce for the consumer market; we are producing faster than the environment can handle in the way that it cannot reabsorb the materials or create new materials fast enough to satisfy our consumeristic needs.

Nevado named the piece "Betrayal", which fits the image once people realize that the barrel of the gun is actually a pair of lips. The image depicts a sort of tragic love story between nature and society. As the form of nature seems to be leaning in for a kiss, society has betrayed her by putting up a loving front that hides its true intentions. The pair of lips serves as a mask for the gun that will ultimately kill nature. While nature provides for society, society shows darker intentions in taking the resources without providing anything but destruction in return; an act of betrayal in the face of nature. This betrayal comes in the way that society promises to fix the problems it has caused, such as recycling to reduce waste and creating reserves for wildlife, but in the end it only creates new problems while trying to fix the old ones. By creating this image, Nevado has called out society's manipulation of nature, and if we do not come to terms with our actions soon, it will be too late; the shot will be fired and nature will be no more.

Through his use of personification, color, and texture, Nevado's image successfully portrays the damaging effects of society on the environment. His digital artistry reflects the negative impacts we have caused to nature and gives an honest representation of the ways in which we betray nature. His techniques work together to affect our emotions when looking at the image to open our eyes to the reality of the world around us, and hopefully inspire us to make a change for the better.

