We can't 'save the planet'

Lovelock says we can't save the planet.
And the sensible thing to do is to enjoy life whilst we can.

That's all well and good, saving it probably is too much of a big picture thing for humanity to attempt. But we could sure as hell have a whole lot more respect for it and try not to be so wasteful....

Blah. freaken blah....

And don't even get me started on mining conservation lands.... or John Key... 

Big city living

So we've moved to Auckland to study up here. I got into the BFA(Hons) stream at Elam, and there are several PhD opportunities that Becca is considering.

Rather stressful finding out the day before orientation that I was accepted, still am not officially enrolled, but never mind. In the Auckland City Library, taking advantage of free intarwebs to do some much needed research/catching up on reading. I also signed up and found some neat books on Still Life to take home and peruse.

Have just read James Lovelock's - Gaia - the revised edition - originally published in 1979, as a precursor to reading is 2007 book The Revenge of Gaia. I quite like the idea of a planetary ecosystem that self regulates, and in the 30 odd years since it's publication a lot of the hypothesis have been proven, so it will be interesting to read the next installment.

Also have just begun reading Jared Diamond's Collapse. This man can write! It's much easier to read than the Gaia was initially, although I'm coping.

Still working out what I want to do this year. Have stated in proposal a continued exploration and refinement of similar themes from last year, mainly altering things so they atrophy or disintergrate or whatever. I've been throwing ideas around, admittedly mostly in my head, about the nature of said "things". I think I'm ready to readdress the apple concept in depth as well as looking at how to expand that to other 'still life' objects.
Still life books are helpful. Have been considering the modernisation of this genre and the vanitas genre and have several ideas. Also found a good book on Sam Taylor Wood. Am increasinly aware that a lot of my art for the foreseable future seems to be centering around digital prints (manipulated or otherwise) and I'm fine with that. I just have to begin processes now, so that I can refine them for the end of the year.

Am going to an Anthony McCall talk tonight, assuming I can get in (it's free, and I assume will be popular). I remember studying his light cones in second year when I was working with shadows, so it will definitely be interesting. Also in the next few weeks there are a more artist talks, like Cornelia Parker, next Thursday, which I definitely want to attend.

I miss Quay School people, but am feeling challenged already, so hopefully more growth will occur than if I stayed within my comfort zone. It's interesting being an unknown quantity at a new place. I'm not sure how I measure up to my peers doing PGDip and Hons, but I suppose I'll find out soon enough.
I managed to get into the programme without one single interview, which means I haven't really had a chance to ask questions yet... but there's definitely time for that.

Climate change/eco artists

The Copenhagen debacle, in which our world leaders completely failed to see the bigger -non monetary- picture, has at least pushed climate change/the destructiveness of humans on nature back into the spotlight. Although there will always be cynics and strong debate as to our ability to measure climate change in the past through carbon testing/geology etc... it is hard to argue that we are GOOD for the planet. Especially at the moment with the number of endangered species, both plant and animal, rising and air and freshwater quality decreasing.

John Key needs his head re-screwed on. The financially driven shortsightedness of the national government is unbelievable, and they're destroying the 'clean green' image of New Zealand for one of our biggest industries- tourism. Not that we are clean or green, BUT we have the potential to be, and a large number of international visitors come to New Zealand to experience the nature of the country. Twitch.


So with that in mind, I've been browsing a few pretty cool exhibitions with a climate change/eco driven focus.

Acid Rain by Bright Ugochukwu Eke.

RETHINK — Contemporary Art & Climate Change is "an exhibition of 26 works created by trendsetting Nordic and international contemporary artists working in the intersection between art, culture and climate change."

It's interesting. I really like this quote, which comes from Bruno Latour's A Plea for Earthly Sciences which IMHO should be compulsorary reading for every literate adult on the planet....:

" Everything that earlier was merely given becomes “explicit”. Air, water, land, all of those were present before in the background: now they are explicitated because we slowly come to realize that they might disappear —and we with them."

Pretty much sums it up doesn't it?  There are a few more pictures on Greenmuze.

Royal Academy of Arts (UK) at the GSK Contemporary is currently running Earth: Art of a changing world

There's a neat little highlights gallery here. Interesting to see Cornelia Parker and Mona Hatoum in there. Parker's work in particular is an adaption of  what she's done before, but it's still effective. 

Find more videos like this on artreview.com

Antti Laitinen, who is also part of the exhibition at GSK,  is a Finnish artist, and you can see a fair bit of his It's My Island exhibition in the video above. 

All in all a lot to think about in relation to my own work + dissertation, and the honours proposal that I should be thinking up by January 5th.. hmmm..

Ghost forest in Trafalgar Square

Creating Atlanta legends for future generations.

British sculptor, Jason de Caires Taylor created the world’s first underwater sculpture park in Grenada, West Indies.  The stunning underwater gallery, containing 65 sculptures, is designed to change with the ocean environment and create artificial reefs for marine life to inhabit. - greenmuze.com

Does no one else think that this is gonna confuse the future generations once records of this have been obliterated? It's almost like playing a joke on humans of the future, that is if we survive that long.

Nick Smith the Shit....

 

"A cow manure bust of New Zealand’s agricultural minister Nick Smith recently sold for NZ$3,080 (US$2,233) on an online auction site.
Canterbury artist and activist Sam Mahon created the bust in a bid to raise awareness about Smith’s inactivity on protecting New Zealand waters from pollution caused from agricultural practices – hence the use of cow manure.
The piece, entitled, “Nick Smith in the Shit…” represents the artist’s feeling towards the minister according to New Zealand's The Press.
To create the artwork, cow manure was collected from an organic farm in Waikari, mixed with a resin for preservation, pressed into a mold and finished with beeswax. The sculptor describes his work as “…light and hollow and highly polished. It sits on a steel stand slightly right of centre.”" from greenmuze.com

Well it's about time New Zealand artists started looking at how much our favourite industries are damaging the planet... although I really like this piece it's not as good as it could be; it's too much like hate mail directed to only one person, when the issue needs to be addressed  by many.

Sustainability, Extinction, and a 95 year age gap?

This makes me happy, this makes me very sad, and this just weirds me out.