Intersections of Art, Technoscience and Ecological Health
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Careful Prospecting: Intersections of Art, Technoscience and Ecological Health Susanne Helene Pratt A thesis in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Environmental Humanities Programme School of Humanities & Languages Faculty of Arts & Social Sciences October 2016 PLEASE TYPE THE UNIVERSITY OF NEW SOUTH WALES Thesis/Dissertation Sheet Surname or Family name: Pratt First name: Susanne Other name/s: Helene Abbreviation for degree as given in the University calendar: PhD School: Environmental Humanities, School of Humanities & Faculty: Faculty of Arts & Social Sciences Languages Title: Careful Prospecting: Intersections of Art, Technoscience and Ecological Health Abstract 350 words maximum: (PLEASE TYPE) Mounting ecological health concerns-for example climate change, pollution, and loss of biodiversity-occasion the need for innovative methods and interdisciplinary knowledge politics. Through empirical research and artistic mediations I demonstrate that practices of care are vital for reimagining ecological health. I contend that care, when materialised and performed through artworks, can engage with the complex question of how to bring about change. Within this exegesis, I adopt a case study approach to investigate three different artists' practices, including Natalie Jeremijenko's, Britta Riley's and my own. Jeremijenko's The Environmental Health Clinic stages public art experiments that reframe environmental concerns through a clinical health lens. Riley's Windowfarms is an indoor garden art project that connects online communities who share sustainable designs. In the third case study, Black-Noise and Carbon Valley, I discuss artwork developed in response to the ecological health impacts of open cut coal mining in the Hunter Valley, New South Wales, Australia.* From an analysis of the three case studies I make a distinctive contribution by developing an ethos of "careful prospecting". Careful prospecting, I argue, can be thought of as a means of learning how to care: it is a cosmopolitical practice that is about carefully tending to, tuning into, or becoming curious about ways in which healthy ecologies are produced. I offer careful prospecting as both a methodological and theoretical device for understanding and embodying practices of care in relation to ecological health concerns. Three modalities of careful prospecting were identified: experimenting, curating and listening. Each of these modalities, contributes to a sense of curiosity and obligation. Careful prospecting is about learning to be affected and mobilsing art as a means of engaging with ecological health crises. * The artwork is presented alongside this exegesis in the form of documentation of an installation, Black-Noise, and a video artwork, Carbon Valley. To view these works please visit: www.carefulprospects.com. Declaration relating to disposition of project thesis/dissertation I hereby grant to the University of New South Wales or its agents the right to archive and to make available my thesis or dissertation in whole or in part in the University libraries in all forms of media, now or here after known, subject to the provisions of the Copyright Act 1968. I retain all property rights, such as patent rights. I also retain the right to use in future works (such as articles or books) all or part of this thesis or dissertation. I also authorise University Microfilms to use the 350 word abstract of my thesis in Dissertation Abstracts International (this is applicable to doctoral theses only). The University recognises that there may be exceptional circumstances requiring restrictions on copying or conditions on use. Requests for restriction for a period of up to 2 years must be made in writing. Requests for a longer period of restriction may be considered in exceptional circumstances and reauire the approval of the Dean of Graduate Research. FOR OFFICE USE ONLY Date of completion of requirements for Award: COPYRIGHT STATEMENT ‘I hereby grant the University of New South Wales or its agents the right to archive and to make available my thesis or dissertation in whole or part in the University libraries in all forms of media, now or here after known, subject to the provisions of the Copyright Act 1968. I retain all proprietary rights, such as patent rights. I also retain the right to use in future works (such as articles or books) all or part of this thesis or dissertation. I also authorise University Microfilms to use the 350 word abstract of my thesis in Dissertation Abstract International (this is applicable to doctoral theses only). I have either used no substantial portions of copyright material in my thesis or I have obtained permission to use copyright material; where permission has not been granted I have applied/will apply for a partial restriction of the digital copy of my thesis or dissertation.' Signed ……………………………………………........................... Date ……………………………………………........................... AUTHENTICITY STATEMENT ‘I certify that the Library deposit digital copy is a direct equivalent of the final officially approved version of my thesis. No emendation of content has occurred and if there are any minor variations in formatting, they are the result of the conversion to digital format.’ Signed ……………………………………………........................... Date ……………………………………………........................... ORIGINALITY STATEMENT ‘I hereby declare that this submission is my own work and to the best of my knowledge it contains no materials previously published or written by another person, or substantial proportions of material which have been accepted for the award of any other degree or diploma at UNSW or any other educational institution, except where due acknowledgement is made in the thesis. Any contribution made to the research by others, with whom I have worked at UNSW or elsewhere, is explicitly acknowledged in the thesis. I also declare that the intellectual content of this thesis is the product of my own work, except to the extent that assistance from others in the project's design and conception or in style, presentation and linguistic expression is acknowledged.’ Signed …………………………………………….............. Date …………………………………………….............. CAREFUL PROSPECTING Acknowledgements My deepest thanks and respect go to my two supervisors: Judith Motion, thank you for your encouragement, humour and superb intellectual guidance. Jane Mills, your insightful feedback on both the exegesis and artworks strengthened the scope of this research—thank you. Thank you to the artists Natalie Jeremijenko and Britta Riley for agreeing to be part of this research, and for providing me with the time and space to research inspiring art interventions. I am indebted to the people I interviewed in the Hunter Valley, New South Wales, Australia, for showing me what it is like to live by open-cut coal mines. I am grateful for the generous support and feedback from many members of staff at UNSW and City University of Hong Kong, in particular Tom Apperley, Stephen Muecke, Eben Kirksey, Matthew Kearnes, Thom van Dooren, Stephen Healy, Jane Prophet, Charlotte Frost and David McKnight. A special thank you to members of the Environmental Humanities Saloon at UNSW for care-full conversations and generous feedback. An Australian Postgraduate Award funded this research, and conference travel and overseas research were supported by grants from UNSW. The ii CAREFUL PROSPECTING exhibition, Black-Noise, at Kudos Gallery, Sydney, in 2013, was made possible by the attentive coordination of the curator Alexandra Clapham. My family offered me the ocean and the smell of mānuka during the final stages of writing up this exegesis. They provided me with boundless support and love, for which I will be forever thankful. Nicole, Kate, Mike, Kim, Rachel, Grace, Jen, Craig, Sebastian, Nevena, Helen and the two labrador- shaped companion species, Penny and Clifford—thank you. iii CAREFUL PROSPECTING Abstract Mounting ecological health concerns—for example climate change, pollution, and loss of biodiversity—occasion the need for innovative methods and interdisciplinary knowledge politics. Through empirical research and artistic mediations I demonstrate that practices of care are vital for reimagining ecological health. I contend that care, when materialised and performed through artworks, can engage with the complex question of how to bring about change. Within this exegesis, I adopt a case study approach to investigate three different artists’ practices, including Natalie Jeremijenko’s, Britta Riley’s and my own. Jeremijenko’s The Environmental Health Clinic stages public art experiments that reframe environmental concerns through a clinical health lens. Riley’s Windowfarms is an indoor garden art project that connects online communities who share sustainable designs. In the third case study, Black-Noise and Carbon Valley, I discuss artwork developed in response to the ecological health impacts of open cut coal mining in the Hunter Valley, New South Wales, Australia.* From an analysis of the three case studies I make a distinctive contribution by developing an ethos of “careful prospecting”. Careful prospecting, I argue, can be thought of as a means of learning how to care: iv CAREFUL PROSPECTING it is a cosmopolitical practice that is about carefully tending to, tuning into, or becoming curious about ways in which healthy ecologies are produced. I offer careful prospecting as both a methodological and theoretical device for understanding and embodying practices of care in relation