The Earth Issue
Inhabiting the aftermath Lucas Sere Peltzer “Landscape is a medium in the fullest sense of the word. It is a material means like language or paint, embedded in a tradition of cultural signification and communication, a body of symbolic forms capable of being invoked and reshaped to express meanings and values.�
W. J. T. Mitchell, Landscape and Power.
We are inhabiting the aftermath of our negligence to the environment, inexorably intertwining the signification of landscape with contemporary threats. Landscapes are charged with this bond. I am exploring the delicate state of nature by dwelling into both: landscape and bond. Searching for (charged) reagents within singular moments, I aim to open new circuits of reactions for sustained memory. Photographer www.ialmostcutmyhair.com
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Ram Vafa
My background as an artist is really kind of simple: I create because it gives reason to exist, and having reason to exist creates chance to serve purpose. It breaks down all barriers between language and communication and allows me to connect on a universal level. Through memory, sounds and emotions in forms of colour, fluid movements and environmental elements, I can express my part in communicating a level of understanding. Even from before I could remember I was always trying to create through abstraction, painting landscapes and pencil sketches of my favourite Nintendo characters, it was the one thing I could count on as a kid. But through the years it took a backseat and faded into a transparent possession; what I loved most was forced out of my vision through a lack of self-awareness. Starting from our most susceptible years during school education, to failing my first business venture... I lost my craft. But through a turn of events and experiences I came to realise how important it is to not only acknowledge our possessions and express on both internal and external levels, but to further develop our selfawareness, which can help us to highlight and address issues within our environment. To help me do that I juggle a part time job to keep myself afloat, and use whatever I have left to invest into my craft, selling my work along the way. Through acrylic mediums and resin on hand crafted wooden base canvas’s I found I could create these focus points I speak of. This is where the fluid movements of our rivers, the cut edge detail carved into mountain edges and the vibrant wavelengths within colours that align best with us become my go-to. My inspiration for all shapes, colours and movements you see within my work; I have our environment to thank for that. Helping me attach the physical form of nature’s movements with the sounds that can be perceived within colours, allows me to create work holding more than just visual value, but the universal language of humanity with our environment as an anchor point.
Painter IG: @ramkaractor
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Samuel Zeller
Samuel Zeller is a Swiss self-taught photographer who previously built his career as a graphic designer. He keeps his culture and language in mind while he works on projects abroad. He strives to capture the serenity and beauty found in human-built spaces that aren’t usually associated with ‘good aesthetics’ - like industrial facilities; often pushing the rules of composition and colour associations learnt during his designer years. Samuel Zeller’s series Botanical is a photographic interpretation of the classical botanical illustrations from the 18th to 20th century. Zeller explores the refracted reality caught in the translucent glass, which reminded him of the textured watercolour paper used in old illustrations. Framed by the delicate silhouette of the greenhouse, the subjects become paintings, to be preserved forever. They are “an utopic image, a representation of reality altered by the optical propriety of glass and processed by the digital camera”. The series reads as a tribute to the traditional botanical illustrators, who have now been in large part replaced by more modern photography techniques.
Photographer www.samuelzeller.ch
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Steve LĂŠon Brown
Photography has always been the most natural way to express myself, allowing me to communicate visually, and share, the things I find interesting. For ten years I have been making imagery, cataloguing my development as an artist, piecing together a visual archive of my consciousness. It takes time to narrow down what it is you want to discover and document. For me at the age of twenty-eight, my interests lie in learning how we as human-beings adapt to our fast-paced society. How we construct and alter our increasingly precious landscape. We now live in a predominantly constructed environment; overpopulation, climate change, technology - these are all driving forces of our present situation. How we live, what we create, things we alter - these subsequently change the fragile system of creation itself. The growing conflict between nature and humans is my starting point when beginning a project; I hold great compassion for our fragile environment but at the same time I’m captivated by human alteration and progress. I combine this interest with the physical act of travel in order to realise the project, whether by foot or by bicycle. For me, the journey is the key - it is only through exploration that you can truly connect to your environment; it molds my concept from the start. It’s during this process of exploring, stopping, looking, sitting that my series of images develops and begins to fall into a coherent idea, adding a deeply personal sense of achievement. My future projects will be realised along the idea of environment and journey, in the hope of bringing to light thoughtprovoking places, images & stories.
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Photographer www.steveleonbrown.com
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Magali Salinas, Founder and President of Amazon Shelter
Entangled Edens Interview with Kieran Behan 68
Hi Kieran, could you give us a quick introduction to yourself as an artist? Kieran Behan, photographer, film-maker and founder of a project called Crystalmafia, based in Berlin, Germany for the past decade.
When did you start shifting towards environmentally conscious art, and what caused the shift? Something inside of me started changing a few years ago. I realized I had lost my inner connection to the natural world. I had distinct childhood memories of lush oceans and teeming forests that felt forgotten. That shook me.
Once you started engaging with more of this type of subject matter, did you find that others were receptive to what you were doing? Did you find it easy to identify a community of other artists and creative people who shared similar aspirations and mentalities as you? Naturally, as human beings we band together in groups of like-mindedness, magnetizing people around us that feel and think the same. This can be very dangerous. We float in a fog of forgetfulness. I think most of us live inside an echo chamber, perhaps we can call this a simulation of sorts. Exploring our consciousness is one crucial step in the many changes we must make on our planet if we are to find a way for the survival of our species.
What has been your most exciting project so far (in the domain of environmentalist art)?
Immersing myself in projects that shift my perspective helps me grow as a person. My times spent in the Peruvian Amazon taught me the importance of our relationship with the natural world - to respect each being because everything is so truly ALIVE. Living inside a van for two weeks on the Californian coast, shooting the music video for Somebody Is, allowed me to have patience and compassion for those who are struggling. I love to be around kiddos. Collaborations designed with children in mind become the most rewarding step in the right direction, as working with the youth activates hope for the future. We had a program in Mumbai working with 25 children between the ages of
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We are a part of the memories of evolution These memories carry knowledge These memories carry our identity Beneath race, gender, class, age Beneath citizen, business, state, religion We are human beings And these memories Are trying to remind us Human beings, human beings It’s time to rise up Remember who we are - John Trudell
five and fifteen that was co-ordinated by the wonderful organization “Dharavi Art Room.” This experience I hold very close to my heart.
Do you find that your work leads to concrete actions and mindset shifts amongst those who engage with it?
I don’t calculate or measure the shift. Comparing myself to others just breeds fear and fear is what holds me frozen. There is a process - the steps I can take to create a safe supportive space for expression within my own work that activates an emotional response in others. I have this pull coming from a very deep place inside of myself. When I follow a humble path and fall into a “flow” then I can trust my instincts to guide me in the best way possible. As I absorb more in this lifetime, when I learn how to communicate clearly with my ancestors, I find a sort of stillness - an inner peace.
What, in your opinion, are the current issues which people need to wake up most urgently to? Worldwide 5% of the world’s population is guarding 98% of the world’s biodiversity. There is a way we can bridge the modern and indigenous worlds, to help us remember what we have forgotten. Unconditional unification with the earth.
“The land is not a resource. It is an entity that you have a relationship with and you respect, like your grandmother, mother, and aunts. We have to be good stewards. We have to take care of the land. We have to feed her and offer her prayers. In return, we are blessed with good health. Everything comes full circle.” - words from a Lakota mother during the Standing Rock pipeline protests.
Tell us a bit about your latest film, which you shot in the Amazon.
This project is still in it’s beginning baby steps - perhaps it will become my life’s work or a series, perhaps it morphs into something further still. I hope to film a cinematic dialog within the rainforest. Without the cultural traditions and life experience of the Amazonian people, any undertaking to portray this place risks becoming inconsequential or opportunistic. My concept centers around storytelling as a vehicle - reflections of shared humanity. I want to explore individual relationships within the forest through the people and places I have met in my travels. During my scouting sessions, I have learned humility. To take my ego down a notch and refrain from judgment. To taste the whole dynamic picture.
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1st image | Magali’s animal shelter Both a place to sleep and a sweet spot for volunteer work. Founded by Magali, this shelter is nestled on the outskirts of Puerto Maldonado in the jungle of the Madre de Dios region. The money from donations goes straight into the care of 55 wild animals on site- all rescued from abusive situations and traffickers in various states of planned release. Here she is holding three of the youngest monkeys. They require an intense amount of care; regular bottle feedings, health checks and close love contact to replace the trauma of being ripped from their mothers and families by poachers. Magali maintains a sensitive sixth sense, supporting all the beautiful creatures in her home with deep compassion. She deserves funding and recognition for the wonderful work she is doing.
3rd image | Canto Luz Canta Luz is a registered nonprofit organization working with local indigenous communities by supporting the preservation of their cultures, healing modalities and environment. Six hours down river from Puerto Maldonado, the trip takes quite a bit of effort to reach from the Rio Madre De Dios as you must hike through many groves of ancient forest. The entrance is lined with two trees carrying natural markings in the shape of eyes on their bark. Mariya Garnet is one of the founders of this sanctuary. She explained a traditionally male-dominated trade is now starting to see a growing number of female practitioners. It has been more customary for women to work with plants associated with female tasks of birthing and taking care of household members and children; traditionally it was men who worked with plants that required ventures into the depth of the rainforest. As Ayahuasca tourism grows it shapes cultural changes and cultural interpretations, demanding more female curanderas within the shift.
Photographer www.crystalmafia.com
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2nd image | Saksaywaman Before the jungle expeditions and together with my good friend Catherine, we decided to spend a few days around Cuzco building up the courage for her imminent departure and my six-week solo sessions into unknown territory. On a rainy morning, we walked curving through small stone streets up to the base of the ruins. An adorable older gentleman offered something special instead of typical tourist scenarios for the main entrance. We followed him to his village. He explained that his community was building a school for their children and offered horse rides through the sites in order to collect money for the construction. A beautiful woman on a white horse led us around the valleys and rocks for hours, offering us fresh fruit and a gorgeous smile. As the weather shifted the sky opened, gleaming this perfect Peruvian blue.