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FE AT URING Toca do Coelho, CLOAAT, Hempen, Zaria Forman, NEVERCREW, Jason deCaires Taylor, Victoria Fuller, Martyna Wójcik-Śmierska, Aloha Bonser Shaw, Carlos Jiménez, Andres Donadio, and Jonas Marguet.
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Frustrated by the institutions of school and the state, and having lived a childhood inspired by nature and community, Patrick Roberts decided to change the world for the better. In his case, 'better' meant building a world more in tune with its natural rhythms and free from the hypnotic death-pull of consumerism. He went on to found “Hempen,� a non-profit organic farming co-operative based in Oxfordshire, England, which aims to grow hemp for the benefit of people and the planet. Photography by Benjamin Eagle
Roberts studied politics and philosophy and turned his frustrations to environmental and anti-capitalist grassroots, campaigning with horizontalist movements like the Climate Camp, as well as groups such as Bicycology, Plane Stupid, Workers Climate Action and Transition Heathrow. Eventually he became fascinated with building a community for meeting collective change and challenges. Challenges such as questions on how to survive climate change, peak oil and the breakdown of neoliberal capitalism.
My personal motivation for starting Hempen was my belief that hemp could not only facilitate the building of rural communities thanks to its many valuable properties, but also be one of the answers to the global environmental crisis.
The Earth Issue spoke to Hempen founder Patrick Roberts about the growth of his project, and the environmental benefits of hemp.
Modern processing technologies have made it possible to create alternatives to gasoline, plastic, and other petroleum products that can help the human race lessen its reliance on polluting and expensive fossil fuels. Hemp is socially beneficial and environmentally miraculous for the health of people and the planet; whether you are measuring the qualities of the seed as a superfood, its flowers as a health supplement or its stalk as an eco-construction material, the possibilities are endless.
Tell us about your journey in founding Hempen? My journey with Hempen started by acknowledging that I am nature. We all are. Everything we do to the planet we do to ourselves. To live in harmony with it is to live in harmony with ourselves. I had previously lived at Grow Heathrow, a permaculture community, where everything is based on common sense and a long-term perspective that, we are not apart from nature, but a part of it. The Earth and the people who inhabit it, are not separate, and as such, permaculture is really just an ancient wisdom applied in a contemporary context.
According to David Holmgren, co-originator of the permaculture concept there are three ethics central to permaculture: care for the earth, care for people, and fair share. How do you translate these main tenets, and how do you see Hempen redesigning our environment, and our behaviour towards nature? Creatively respond to change - Hempen is part of a fast emerging hemp industry, where the consumer demand is growing and the legal terrain is changing in unpredictable ways. We employ a collaborative and agile business model so that we can dynamically adapt to changes in the market.
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Catch and store energy – through photosynthesis, we know that the hemp plant uses the most efficient form of solar energy conversion. It also attracts lots of volunteers who give us valuable start up energy to help get the business through its most vulnerable early years. Obtain a yield - we get many yields from the hemp plant, as it is known to have 50,000 uses. So far we've tried 247 of them. The more fruitful the harvest, the greater the opportunity to earn meaningful livelihoods through a community we can be proud to be a part of. Use and value renewable resources - we get all our electricity and heat from renewable resources such as wood and solar. Produce no waste - we use (or plan to use) all parts of the hemp plant and any bi-products from the processing to make other products. Use and value diversity - as a living ecosystem we recognise that the health of our organisation depends on employing a range of characters to fulfil different aspects of the business. Integrate - we are part of a wider community of the Harwick estate. The residents and businesses here form a community that participates together in events and celebrations. We also share the farm with a forest school, which supports some very marginalised and excluded young people from the surrounding area. With them we are planning to plant an edible hedge on the boundary we share. Create greater community resilience - as a wider Hardwick community we can be self-sufficient for most of our food and energy, as our estate has everything from permaculture farms and market gardens, to foresters, builders and carpenters. Use incremental solutions - as an organisation that started with very little cash and a lot of love, we have had to grow slowly and implement each step in an organic way through trial and error. Observe and interact - we are constantly working out which type of hemp varieties grow best and which products our customers appreciate most. Self-regulate and welcome feedback - we have a system of accountability-buddies who collectively support each other through check-ins, peer support and regular reviews. Design flexible strategies - we are part of the broader British Hemp Association, which helps us understand our industry. We hold strategy days to work out how our co-operative and the products we develop can move with the flow of the market trends.
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How do you and your community members engage with each other, and your natural surroundings? At Hempen we live in a holistic way, our community being connected with the land: we grow our hemp from the soil; we heat our homes with the wood from the forest, we forage local mushrooms for our dinner and we celebrate the cycles of the sun and the moon in seasonal festivals, guiding the rhythm of our year. Equally, the wellbeing and purpose of each individual is supported to live in harmony with that of others, collectively manifesting itself within our community and co-operative business. In what way is creativity encouraged at Hempen? Creativity is essential for a dynamic adaptation in an everchanging world. A well designed permaculture system requires significant creativity to establish and tweak. In order to spread word about our project, we turn to storytelling; as a creative and expressive process which binds all of our principles together. It is important that we tell the story of Hempen well, so that it becomes a story people want to hear. Additionally, our storytelling manifests itself through photography (such as Benjamin Eagle’s documentary project on us), which then becomes a mutual collaboration and exchange of energy. How versatile is hemp? Are there any environmental/ economic advantages and disadvantages to hemp farming? Hemp is one of the most useful plants on Earth. An ancient crop, hemp has served humanity since 2000 BCE - providing fibres for cloth and rope, building materials and paper. It’s also an incredible source of food, textiles, paper, fabric, fuel oil and alternatives to plastic. It improves soil quality and requires neither pesticides and fertilisers, nor any additional irrigation. It also sequesters carbon at least 4 times faster than sustainable agriculture, making it great for the atmosphere, oceans and the environment in general. If we were to significantly grow hemp and use it to make hempcrete (or hemp-line: a natural building material) for construction, we would be able to lock significant amounts of carbon out of the atmosphere at a time when we are desperate to reduce carbon levels in order to fight the catastrophic environmental crisis. The versatility of hemp is its major strength. There are 50,000 known uses of hemp, which means that as a crop it is a stable product in an unstable economy, but also a great crop to be grown for community resilience as it can meet so many immediate needs. If the economy were to crash tomorrow and we had to survive the collapse of civilisation, then hemp would help us through it all. We could burn hemp briquettes to keep us
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warm. We could power our tractors using hemp biodiesel. We could repair and rebuild our homes using hempcrete. We could eat the seed for our protein. We could keep ourselves healthy with our Cannabidiol (CBD and other cannabinoids are known to be particularly good for improving the functioning of our immune system as they uniquely benefit the development of the Endocannabinoid system which regulates homeostasis in the body.)... the only limit appears to be our imagination. How can we include hemp in our everyday lives? It's hard to know where to start with this as the possibilities are endless. The hemp plant is a renewable resource that can be produced domestically. It grows quickly, naturally resists plant diseases, requires little weeding, thrives in most climates, and enriches the soil it grows in. Hemp can replace the fish and meat that we intensively farm and overfish from the oceans as it is rich in protein and omega oils for you brain. The growing of the plant benefits the soil and sequesters more carbon than sustainable forestry. Hemp bioplastic is bio degradable and based on a renewable resource unlike plastic made from oil that litters the planet. Hempcrete is more insulating and easier to build than concrete and other standard building
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materials and it does not need such a high expenditure of CO2 in its construction. What’s in store for Hempen - as a permaculture community, and a co-operative? We believe in the power of hemp to provide a better world for everyone. All the money we make goes back into the cooperative, to support our vision of a fair economy, to pay fair wages and support other ethical projects. I see Hempen as establishing itself as the UK's premier ethical hemp brand and using its success to become a leader in combining enterprise with community building. As we build success with our food and health supplements, we will begin to offer more products under the Hempen umbrella in areas such as cosmetics, construction and more. How can readers of The Earth Issue get involved with Hempen? As a co-operative, we actively encourage working as a community and sharing our knowledge and our passion. The best way is to check us out is online via our social media (@hempenorganic ) or www.hempen.co.uk where you can sign up to volunteer on the farm and spend some time in our community to be part of our experience and growth. THE EARTH ISSUE
There is something starkly mythical encased in the clandestine landscapes of the Arctic. For many of us, it’s a barren territory of snow; conceivable, though farthest away from our reach. Many of us could go through our entire lives not having an inkling of what's out there in the vast white area at the bottom of the world map. But for some, remote landscapes are a revered source of inspiration. Brooklyn-based artist and educator, Zaria Forman may be known to some as the iceberg impressionist. Capturing the eyes and hearts of many with alluring studies of glaciers and the frosty landscapes of Greenland and the Arctic. Forman isn’t simply a fine artist, but a devoted documentarian of ice: “Artists play a critical role in communicating climate change, which is arguably the most important challenge we face as a global community. I have dedicated my career to translating and illuminating scientists’ warnings and statistics
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through an accessible medium – one that moves us in a way that statistics may not.” Finding ways to address the impact of climate change on our environment is a topic that has as many layers, as the sheets of ice themselves. Yet there is a remarkable traction to Forman’s drawings that call to our immediate attention. As a vehement form of activism, Forman’s drawings function as visual artefacts that transport viewers right to the core of the plight of melting ice caps: “If people can experience the sublimity of these landscapes, perhaps they will be inspired to protect and preserve them.” Using merely paper, soft pastels and charcoal, her agile hands, and exceptional memory, Forman is able to conjure up life-like drawings of distant icebergs, as if she were a sculptor – smudging
Blending Beauty Into the Icebergs: An Interview with environmentalist painter Zaria Forman Words by Leah Abraham
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and blending pastel pigment with her steady unflinching precision. Depicting their marvellous grandeur, rather than their melting decline, is what she graciously considers her artistic duty, and life’s mission: “Drawing is my tool for progressive change. My art works in tandem with other tools, like NASA’s scientific data or your publication, in order to reach a large audience. Together we send a unified message.” For Forman, her drawings are not limited to exhibition walls in gallery spaces; her rich and dazzling compositions make for an equally wondrous viewing in digital formats, having garnered a global wealth of fans and followers on platforms such as Instagram and Vimeo. She has been lucky enough to join NASA on several expeditions to Greenland and Antarctica, capturing magnificent ice landscapes through multiple photographs to refer back to when drawing in the
studio. In 2015 Forman completed a 4 week residency aboard the National Geographic explorer, which enabled her to complete a photo series and video installation for her recent solo exhibition, Antarctica. Additionally, Forman has been featured at Harvard University and in Banksy’s Dismaland, her works have appeared in the Wall Street Journal and The Huffington Post, and they have even been used as set design for the Netflix TV series House of Cards. As a devout traveller and impassioned climate change educator, Forman remains resolute in her ability to create images that transcend geographic borders and place us in intimate proximity to the North and South poles; “My drawings explore moments of transition, turbulence and tranquillity in the landscape, allowing viewers to emotionally connect with a place they may never have the chance to visit. I choose to convey the beauty as opposed to the devastation of threatened places.”
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On Forman's Artistic Process “When I travel, I take thousands of photographs. I often make a few small sketches on-site to get a feel for the landscape. Once I return to the studio, I draw from my memory of the experience, as well as from the photographs, to create large-scale compositions. Occasionally I will reinvent the water or sky, alter the shape of the ice, or mix and match a few different images to create the composition I envision. I begin with a very simple pencil sketch so I have a few major lines to follow, and then I add layers of pigment onto the paper, smudging everything with my palms and fingers and breaking the pastel into sharp shards to render finer details.” “The process of drawing with pastels is simple and straightforward: cut the paper, make the marks. The material demands a minimalistic approach, as there isn't much room for error or re-working, the paper’s tooth can hold only a few thin layers of pigment. I rarely use an eraser – I prefer to work with my ‘mistakes,’ enjoying the challenge of resolving them with limited marks. I love the simplicity of the process, as it has taught me a great deal about letting go. I become easily lost in tiny details and if the pastel and paper did not provide limitations, I fear I would never know when to stop, or when a composition was complete.” “In August of 2012 I led an Arctic expedition up the northwest coast of Greenland, which changed my art and my
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“I have dedicated my career to translating and illuminating scientists’ warnings and statistics through an accessible medium, one that moves us in a way that statistics may not.”
life. It was a trip my mother and I designed based on the 1869 expedition of American painter, William Bradford: the very first Arctic art expedition.”
On Forman’s greatest Inspirations “My mother is one of my greatest influences. Her photography and ability to focus on the positive rather than the negative have shaped my art in innumerable ways. She taught me the importance of loving what you do, and carrying out projects full force, no matter what obstacles lie in the way. Above all though, her dedication, passion, and perseverance continue to inspire me. She would spend hours on an icy cliff edge, waiting for the sunlight to illuminate the frame through her camera lens that she had chosen, smiling happily, long after the rest of the family's toes had gone numb. We would whine and complain, urging her to call it a day so we could return indoors and have a warm meal, yet she wouldn't budge until she knew she had captured what she wanted. She was diagnosed with brain cancer on Mother's Day in 2011 and passed away six months later. During the months of her illness, her dedication to the expedition never wavered and I promised to carry out her final journey. In Greenland I was compelled to address the concept of saying goodbye on scales both global and personal, as I scattered my mother’s ashes amidst the melting ice. During my most recent trip to Greenland this past April, I was able to visit that same place in honour of my mother. It is a very special place to me.”
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“Bays that enclose grounded icebergs like these are called ‘iceberg graveyards,’ a gloomy, yet fitting title that expresses the reverence, silence, and sacredness of this landscape.” 34
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On Whale Bay no.4 “Whale Bay no. 4 is a particularly special drawing for me. It is large (7 feet by 12 feet) and is based on a beautiful place on the Western side of the Antarctic peninsula called Whale Bay. A glacier near the bay carves icebergs into the sea—as all glaciers eventually do—and the wind and water currents carry these icebergs directly into Whale Bay.” I once had the opportunity to explore Whale Bay for two hours in a small boat, riding around massive, majestic, ice structures. I sat in total awe for every moment. A purplegrey sky loomed above and the winds were calm, creating a tranquillity that allowed for perfect reflections of the ice and sky on the water's surface. Our little boat circled around the most astonishing, intricately sculpted, glowing blue icebergs I have ever seen. I had no idea there were so many shades of bright sapphire blues! I shot hundreds of photographs, at times having to force my camera into my lap so I could relax and simply experience the breathtaking beauty. Bays that enclose grounded icebergs like these are called "iceberg graveyards" – a gloomy, yet fitting title that expresses the reverence, silence, and sanctity of this landscape. Throughout the icebergs' lifespans in the bay, the wind and waves sculpt them into unimaginable shapes. Earth's elements become artist's hands, transforming graveyards into sculpture gardens.” THE EARTH ISSUE
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Take it to the Streets: NEVERCREW’s large scale murals highlight the effect of humans on the natural world “Nature is both powerful and delicate, and so is humankind”, declare the dexterous double that form NEVERCREW. Creating large-scale visual pieces, the pairing provides an interpretation of the natural world and how we relate to it as humans, contrasting natural elements with pieces of machinery in their murals. Using images of large endangered animals that are greatly impacted by climate change, such as bears, polar bears and cetaceans who are “suffering the environmental changes”, NEVERCREW aspire to broaden the discussion on the environmental crisis and directly communicate with the viewer. Adding to the images of animals, the artists also depict a range of different natural resources throughout their work; oil, quartz, rocks, icebergs and metals are all represented in their murals to connect the smaller machine fragments in order to complete the conversation. The finished mural evokes a “system” contrasting “environmental icons” with human components responsible for the “issues affecting our present time”. The creative duo consists of Swiss artists Pablo Togni and Christian Rebecchi, who have worked alongside each other since 1996, whilst also attending the C.S.I.A art school in Lugano. In 2005 both graduated from the Accademia di Belle Arti di Brera in Milan, having attended Professor Nicola Salvatore’s painting course, who has since been featured at the 53rd and 54th Venice Biennale. Subsequently, they spent three years working for several companies and city departments. Progressing their painting style by combining their use of spray paint and academically-acquired knowledge, the duo returned to their personal work in 2008, beginning a new artistic chapter based upon the development of “a more specific language on a conceptual level, which takes the form mainly in (their) ‘sections’ and ‘living structures’.” The approach to their work – as well as its execution – depends on the harmony of both individuals. The intimate relationship between the two artists reflects the time they’ve spent synchronising their styles, attempting to “merge the ideas and feelings” of one another’s individuality. Twenty-one years of collaborative work is expressed in a creative form of visual communication that has combined the work and minds of two artists. Reluctant to pigeonhole themselves, they steer away from self-descriptions, to be as free as possible in their creative process. They believe that “visual art has the power of
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Words by Niels Carlyle
touching more levels at the same time. Art has, in general, the chance to cross the lines of institutional languages, both verbal and visual, touching emotions, stimulating ideas in a way that at the same time is instinctive and thoughtful, to propose alternative views to the ones that are habitual and strictly bound by the system”. They draw inspiration from literary greats such as Kafka, Thoreau, Kerouac and Douglas Adams, and are influenced by avant-garde and surrealist artists such as Magritte, Manzoni and Breton. Specifically mentioned by the duo was Joseph Beuys for his “relationship with nature” and his “idea of concrete utopia and social sculpture”. Leaning on these inspirations and drawing upon their vast archive of collected photos, sketches, videos and written concepts they saved since the 90’s, is how the duo approaches their creative process. Defining the initial stage of this process as a “perennial discussion”, this sets the foundation for the realisation of any of their projects. The location and the structure – including historical and cultural elements of the project – are reflected upon, in order to place the idea within its environment. Adapting the concept to its surroundings plays a pivotal role within NEVERCREW’s philosophy and can be linked to their interpretation of the human relationship with nature. Showcasing work all over the globe, from Miami to Hong Kong, in galleries or on the street, the two artists demonstrate their ability and versatile approach. Allowing the local community to interact with their murals, the hope lies within the communication of perspectives, inducing a reaction to the subject of their work. “Our hope is to give the idea that there is something inside, behind and around our work, and this is also the context in which everyone lives,” says NEVERCREW. With the thought that visual art could leave the systemic institutionalised world behind, and touch upon other levels, NEVERCREW believe it is a way of “stimulating ideas in a way that is at the same time instinctive and thoughtful”, as well as contrasting “views to the ones that are habitual and strictly bound by the system.” B lac k M ac h in e M ur al p ain t in g an d in s t allat ion r e alis e d on t h e C olos s e o t h e at r e i n T u r i n ( I) , 2015. P r oje c t in c ollab or at ion w it h T e at r o C olos s e o an d S q uar e2 3 ga l l e r y . A b lat in g Mac h in e Re alis e d f or t h e c ollab or at iv e p r oje c t c ur at e d b y U r b an Nat ion a nd P an g e aS e e d Foun d at ion . Wyn w ood , M iam i (U S A ), D e c e m b e r 20 1 5 .
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E x h a u s t i n g Machi ne M u r a l pa i nti ng real i sed i n V anco uver ( CA) fo r Vanco uver Mural Fest iv al.
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M i r r o r i n g Machi ne N °3 1 0 0 x 7 0 cm, Ac ryl i c s, sp ray paint and stencils o n wo o d, 2 0 1 7 .
E x h aus t in g M ac h in e N° 3 100 x 70 c m , A c r ylic s , s p r ay p ain t an d s t e n c ils on w ood , 2017.
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Before the mural or project can be started, a huge amount of organisation is needed; due to the large-scale work done by the artistic crew. Lifts, stencils and a vast amount of materials are required, as well as a healthy amount of patience to endure the sometimes bureaucratic nature of the organisational process. Being hyper-aware of climate change, the duo attempts to “gradually improve solutions and minimise waste” throughout the duration of their project.
O r de r i n g Mac hi ne M u r a l pa i nti ng real i sed for G reno ble Street Art Fest in Greno ble ( F ) 2016.
The reaction they seek to evoke within the viewer derives from a focus on the relationship between humans and nature, but also explores other aspects affecting our climate, conveying a powerful environmental, as well as political message. Trying to involve the viewers in a spatial and emotional way, the artists aim for a “mix between direct impact and a deep and slow reaction” to create serious thoughts and dialogue amongst the audience. “Compromising and layering the elements” in an effort to share a “sort of understanding” rather than a finished idea, they intend to trigger thought and response within the observers. The “language” they set out to exchange is created from the use of “systems” and “mechanisms” which represent the human built machines and natural beings in their pieces. The mundane human objects that cripple the grand natural images within their work make it easy for the viewer to relate and connect, creating a “clearly understandable way to enter the artwork and at the same time a symbolic element of the human presence,” shedding light on the “paradoxical condition” we find ourselves in. “The exploitation of natural resources and privatisation are the evidence of a system that’s working against humanity,” they say, which leads to a “perceptive gap that consents to the system to continue in the same way”. “People used to think that there's only this possible way, and so everything could start by taking awareness of everyone’s position and then accepting the possibility that things could be different.” By accepting the opportunity for change within our systems, taking personal responsibility for climate change and attempting to counter it within our potential capabilities, NEVERCREW think the negative, downward spiral of human interaction with the environment can be overcome for the good of us and our planet. The time has come to hold politicians accountable for their continual inadequacy of regulating the environment; combined effort on our part will lead us towards the goal of preserving our planet – more power than we think lies in our hands: “The system is made also of people, not only of politicians, but this is also the good part, since people can change what politicians are avoiding changing”.THE EARTH ISSUE
D i s c o r d a nt - Waves 1 4 0 x 1 0 0 c m, Acryl i cs and st encils o n canvas, 2 0 1 7 .
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Underwater Sculptures: An Interview with Jason deCaires Taylor Words by Joana Sequeira
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“Jason deCaires Taylor’s sculptures are artificial reefs, formed from carefully manufactured sculptures installed at various locations around the world. Each sculpture is created using non-toxic, pH neutral marine grade cement, free from harmful pollutants, becoming an integral part of the local ecosystem.”
Amidst the chaos and decay of the plastic age, the filth, the waste and the lack of deliberation on ways to save our planet from complete devastation, another thing we could lose right now is: hope. Artists such as Jason deCaires Taylor convey to us that feeling, that if we act now, if we show reasonable measures to help saving what is left, to prevent our ecosystems from being depleted, to not over-exhaust our resources by keeping in mind our future generations, then, there is hope we can count on. Yet we cannot simply rely on our optimistic exchange of the word hope. The key, as deCaires Taylor shows, is to take action. Acting locally, thinking globally. Land Art is a movement that emerged at the end of the 60’s, where artworks were built from and into the natural landscape, without concern for any environmental impact or any recognition of responsibility towards nature. Only later on, art began to constitute as a form of activism. Greenpeace’s anti-whaling campaigns, for instance, could be seen as the crucial changing point in which we see this shift of paradigm. But it was only at the beginning of this millennium that we’ve started to notice that our environment is changing rapidly. Luckily, we can rely on some artists expertise, such as deCaires Taylor, who – for the lack of voices calling to the awareness of protecting the environment – rejects the elitist trend in the art world, where the aesthetically appealing is the ultimate trend, commenting on contemporary art as follows: “Because it’s such a vital thing to our existence, our oceans and our reefs are getting severely damaged, and this is all happening in a short space of time – just in my lifetime. When I was younger, I was lucky enough to explore pristine reef habitats, and 20 years later, those same habitats no longer exist. The impact on the trajectory of evolution is so profound. And having been a diver for a very long time, I have been fortunate to visit lot of places around the world, however people keep telling me the same story, “you should have seen this place a long time ago, it was beautiful…” it sort of got impossible for me in this day and age to do any other type of work, it would just seem very trivial and pointless.” DeCaires Taylor’s giant cement sculptures, which are sunken into the ocean in areas with barren seedbeds, now provide a new home for the underwater world. The final pieces are sculpted by him and crafted by the ocean. Art of this nature, other than being thought provoking, is also beneficial on many levels, as the artist tells us: "On a very basic level, it’s an artificial reef, so it provides a new habitat space for marine creatures to colonise. Most of our seabed is uninhabitable in terms of reef formation, in fact only 2-3% of our seafloor is stable enough for reefs to form, so in a way, I provide a platform for new reefs to generate. It also offers a place for the marine life to take shelter, and breed whilst drawing tourists away from fragile over stretched areas. They also provide benefits on an economic level, as some of my installations require entrance fees, which generate funds for local conservation efforts. Also the presence of marine park rangers to monitor the sites helps prevents overfishing, illegal
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activities; these are some of the practical benefits. On the other hand, my work is very much about encouraging people who never considered diving or who never considered oceans as a space for art to flourish. It encourages these types of people to understand care and protection, and it functions as a portal to another world, one of which is little known of…” DeCaires Taylor’s oeuvre takes effort to understanding, obliging the viewer to go beyond boundaries of thought, only to get to the point of realizing one thing: that his work allow us to step out of our daily lives and into a completely different reality; that these sculptures carved out of stone are just a pure reflection of ourselves and some of our daily habits and routines. It is important to note that these installations are basically transferred from the closed space of the gallery to the wide oceans of the planet, automatically drawing a new frontier for both the arts and the continued health of marine ecologies. A body of work where we can find underwater sculptures that are purposely non-toxic, with no harm to the surroundings, using pH neutral materials to instigate natural growth. These sculpture parks or museums by deCaires Taylor remind us of a very urgent concept, which in this day and age needs to be redefined in order to give answers to the planet’s needs. Museums, as we know them, preserve the past, focusing on displaying the most important artworks and other objects of a certain time. As deCaires Taylor previously said regarding his own work, “we call it museum for a very important reason. Museums are places of preservation, conservation, and education(…) Wouldn’t we agree that these sacred institutions should have more of an active voice within propagating messages of caring about our oceans, raising awareness for climate change, alerting us about the damages of pollution worldwide?”
We can’t preserve the present all by ourselves, as the artist agrees with us: “… We talk about conserving the past all the time, when we should be trying to protect it from a dark future. Statistics and scientists, have been showing us that coral reefs might not exist in 50 years time. Vanished, gone, forever. These are such vast, fundamental issues, that I don’t know how we can be talking about anything else and I think, it really is up to museums, given all we’ve been hearing about scientific facts, to make a stand and transform this gap into a collaboration. Museums and institutions have a really important role to convert science into messages which can be easily understood, translated and accessible to anyone.” The artist himself, the sculptor, the environmentalist, the professional underwater photographer, the diver, is the one who plays the educational role, fostering care and understanding of marine ecologies. When, in reality, it shouldn’t only be the artist responsibility to do so. If we shift our attention to the political paradigm, we can see big, bold, giant political slogans, which in reality don’t mean anything. According to deCaires Taylor, “… It is vital now, more than ever, to have leaders pointing up in the right direction.” Will these same political elites only assume a firm position, and real action, when it will start to affect humans everyday lives? The human food chain has already been altered due to the entry of plastic toxins, causing serious diseases such as infertility, cancers and behavioural disorders. The global warming, the oceans acidification, the pollution caused by practices such as
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Impact
Industry and Agriculture, the overfishing, the tourism impact regarding coastal areas… This has, and will continue to have a profound impact on our daily lives as humans, and it’s up to major identities to develop their role as well. DeCaires Taylor’s artworks demands local governments to consider their coastlines and natural wonders, and forces them to ask the questions why they aren’t turning big slogans and advertisements into something that could really wake up people's’ mindset on this matter: “That’s the thing, where’s the tipping point? When is enough? When does this mess turn into something which cannot be undone. We won’t be able to function or continue on the same route… There are solutions out there, biodegradable plastic for instance… unfortunately these alternative solutions need to be backed with political and financial aid, so we are undoubtedly heading towards a stage, when we don’t have a choice but to make a radical change. We are starting to adapt a collective conscious and awareness around the theme of pollution though: I can see people becoming more attentive to plastic in the ocean, bigger companies encourage customers to recycle their products or seek solutions from within. There seems to be positive change from the individual perspective, but less from a government level. In the UK, the government has banned a few things, such as microbeads. But, still falling away short from what’s required.” Which leads me to explore concepts such as the Anthropocene and Plastic Age, and the fact that, in the near future, it will be linked back to our current time. How can we draw fresh perspectives from vital artists like deCaires Taylor, and most importantly, highlight our inherent apathy or denial on the environmental crisis?
Art can motivate and inspire real action in the fight for a more sustainable and brighter future: “Artists have to be bold, brave, and not fear attacking. I really feel that some of the biggest threats to our planet are many of these huge corporations that have in some ways become more powerful than our governments, and we can’t continue in this capitalist system; the planet will not support it. And so, artists can be the trendsetters, and when people boycott products, when public opinion shifts, I think that some of these companies will find themselves in a lot of trouble. It takes bravery to manifest one's’ beliefs.” Artists play such a vital role on these matters: activism, the lack of action from the political sphere, the massive impact brought by big corporations, the museums as having a great potential to act now; about preserving the uncertain future… but what about our educational systems? Introducing environmental art into our academic pathway, rather than just being available within an aesthetic paradigm, could potentially captivate the attention and interest of a younger generation: ‘Thinking globally, acting locally’ - a slogan that could instill a collective awareness towards our planet, as well as empower more and more citizens to act responsibly towards Mother Earth. Jason deCaires Taylor’s projects aim to launch a new era for tourism, one of cultural and environmental awareness, taking into account that our coastal areas are more than tropical palm tree beaches; they are alive and breathing and part of our ecosystem. The underwater sculptures show us that what the eyes see, the heart does feel…
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Impact
“It’s very much about attracting a different audience and it’s been very successful in that sense. There have been many new people that have been learning to dive, who never considered it. Subsequently, people go on to explore other areas, view other sites. It has been a positive success in redirecting them away from fragile areas. In Mexico, there are around 350,000 people that visit museums each year, so that’s taking a lot of traffic away from natural healthy reefs…” Oil entering the oceans from oil spills, routing shipping and the controversy around fracking are some of the major issues around the environmental crisis in this day and age. As the artist states: “I think the tide is turning. More than anything it’s economic reasons – when the government and the state will start banning petrol cars, when they’ll start investing heavily into solar energy, that’s when you realize, they’ve done the mathematics… It’s a reality, it’s unstoppable, it’s like Trump betting on coal, it’s just not marketably viable anymore… There are great opportunities for governments to be at the forefront. In England there’s an opportunity to become one of the leaders of the clean energy revolution from off shore wind and tidal energy, but instead Fracking is desperately trying to squeeze the last drop of oil out of the ground, when there is so much more potential in clean energy. Our political system is severely damaged. Corporations have infiltrated the political atmosphere to such a high degree, that it is completely corrupting the democratic system.” More and more, we watch artistic, pro-environmentalist projects developing at high speed; foundations such as the Sea Walls, movements, collectives, photographers, campaigners, activists, platforms such as The Earth Issue - all being part of the green movement. A question I keep pondering is - would people truly be persuaded in acting now, by engaging our emotional side? Are scientific facts so incomprehensible and unattainable, that it is easier to discard, rather than understand them? A lot can be done, as a lot can be learned. It is vital to not fall into the ignorance of people, such as leaders of the free world, to not ignore the facts as they are constantly shown through the media. Listen, read, look around you, act today, and believe that each one of us has the ability to make a difference. I’ve started by speaking the truth, by spreading a message, as I’ll leave you with words of hope from our artist, Jason deCaires Taylor: “Sometimes the small changes can cascade into massive movements. We have political slogans that in reality don’t mean anything at all, but they’re powerful statements and they engage people. Environmentally, we need to take the same stance, using the same passionate arguments that people have about their country, their rights, and they need to be equally passionate for the environment. The ultimate aim could be, trying to turn environmental slogans into strong statements. And most importantly, don’t just act now, act quickly.” THE EARTH ISSUE
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