Earthwise
This exhibition have been composed through the interaction of five PhD Seminar groups; called Curatorial Thinking, Material Engagements, Entanglement, Planet, and Out in the OPEN. Earthwise, our curatorial-word, invites a place of meeting and relations, without a final meaning, limit or system - we are intrested in the and and not the therefore... This focus is driven by the gathering forces of ecological, social and psychological crises that pose an inescapable reality for artist today. In the term “Earthwise‘ is inspired by Donna Haraway and her incitement to the ‘earthwide’ situated and relational forms of knowledge. We have muted the world in order to orient away from the vertical towards the horizontal, away from the separated stance of the eye/mind towards the uncertain discoveries of planetary processes and corporeal practices.
In the spirit of Earthwise, the exhibition have been generated through a process of exchange, action, making, discussing, studding and responding to produce creative work that is interactive and environmentally sensitive. Through this work we have raised questions about the connection between aesthetic practices and climate breakdown. More specifically what role the arts, expression and the imagination may play in becoming sensitive to and even finding routes out of catastrophe. We are interested in the necessity of confronting the darkness of our times while holding onto the hopeful forces that affirm and renew creativity and therefore life.
Written and curated by Josephine Berry and Catherine Ferguson
The Exhibition, event and publication series created by PhD and MRes students at the Royal College of Arts’ school of Arts and Humanities on Wednesday 22nd June - Saturday 1st July 2023
Beaconsfield Gallery, 22 Newport St, London, SE116AY.
22/06/2023
Segment Firring
The work that I created for this exhibition is title Segment Firring. The drawing is of a drawing on tracing paper of a segment of a plumed seed of a Tragopogon pratensis L. (Salsify), when viewed through a macro lens (scale 1/8). The two curved lines at the top of the drawing represent mankind’s discovery of making glass beads and the burnt candle represents the discovery by Joseph priestly (1774) that plants create oxygen as a by-product as part of the process of its photosynthesis.
Materials: Restored wooden easel, recycled demijohn with is neck and base removed, paper and thread. The fringe of the demijohn was hand sewn onto card from a cereal packet and the adapted necklaces made from Mother of Pearl, glass and seed were bought from charity shops to represent the multicultural London community. The small beads of stone, bone and glass were bought new for their colour.
Dimension of the demijohn and fringe: 31h x 22 w cm
RCA easel - 182h x 60w x 47cm
Year 2023
