The introduction to the current issue of the Journal American Art takes as its starting point Astrid, a work by Xavier Cortada. "The works were made in Antarctica, about Antarctica, using Antarctica as the medium (provided to me by the very researchers who inform us about Antarctica)." The Introduction goes on to open up a... Continue Reading →
Only Human? Thom Van Dooren on Vultures and on Snails
Last Sunday Thom Van Dooren spoke about extinction at the first Only Human? Festival in Glasgow, part of the nationwide Arts & Humanities Research Council Being Human Festival. Previous posts have highlighted key quotes from his book Flight Ways: Life and Loss at the Edge of Extinction. Thom very kindly agreed to us sharing recordings... Continue Reading →
Only Human discussion with Thom Van Dooren, 16 November, Glasgow
The chapter on albatrosses ends with the following challenge, As nesting birds quietly ignored my close presence, I reflected that perhaps what is most tragic about the current situation is not the "failure" of albatrosses to adjust or adapt to new threats and an altered environment: intensive long-line fishing or brightly colored plastics that look... Continue Reading →
Only Human? 14-16 November
“Picture after picture [by photographer Chris Jordan] depicts the decomposed bodies of albatross chicks – just bones, feathers, and a beak remaining, and in the middle of each, a multicolored pile of plastic and other debris: cigarette lighters, bottle tops, toy soldiers, and so many other little items.” “Millions of years of albatross evolution –... Continue Reading →
Content of Nothing :: Part 8 :: ….it moves, actually, in a Reticulum
Judy Spark: You remarked earlier that you feel that for you it’s “important to keep a lightness to creative work” and I would certainly agree with you on this and I think that this does bear even more import for visual than for written work. Other than the ‘academic’ aspect of some written work, I’m... Continue Reading →
Content of Nothing :: Part 7 :: Making and Writing
Judy Spark: We have talked about ‘hope’ and about ‘wonder’ but looking around at those mechanisms that will seek to commodify almost every realm of human endeavour the second it appears, it’s easy to feel a bit dispirited sometimes, despite the legions of creative practitioners who are standing up to this – or that play... Continue Reading →
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