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Art & the Anthropocene

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Art & the Anthropocene Art & The Anthropocene Processes of responsiveness and communication in an era of environmental uncertainty A project submitted in fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Jennifer Holly Rae (Jen Rae) M.A. (Public Art), B.F.A. School of Art College of Design and Social Context RMIT University March 2015 DECLARATION I certify that except where due acknowledgement has been made, the work is that of the author alone; the work has not been submitted previously, in whole or in part, to qualify for any other academic award; the content of the thesis is the result of work which has been carried out since the official commencement date of the approved research program; and; any editorial work, paid or unpaid, carried out by a third party is acknowledged; ethics procedures and guidelines have been followed. Jennifer Holly Rae 13 March 2015 i ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to acknowledge the following individuals for their dedicated guidance and support during my candidature: Associate Professor Linda Williams (Primary Supervisor) Simon Perry (former Secondary Supervisor) Dr. Irene Barberis-Page (Secondary Supervisor) Professor Lesley Duxbury Thank you to my colleagues of The Riparian Project, Nicola Rivers and Amanda Wealands, for all of your enthusiasm, industriousness and rigor in shaping the project over the past 4+ years. I would also like to recognise support for The Riparian Project from the following: The Centre for Sustainability Leadership RMIT University SEEDS program including Marcus Powe and Ian Jones The School for Social Entrepreneurs Russell Wealands and The Yea Wetlands Trust and Committee of Management The Yea Public Art Advisory Committee (PAAG) members Pilot project partners Mary Crooks and Liz McAloon from The Victorian Women’s Trust For technical and logistical support, thank you to Thomas Ryan, Erik North, Michael Wentworth-Bell and Alan Roberts. I am also thankful for the emotional support of family and friends in Melbourne and back home in Canada including Geneva Claesson, Ashley Middleton, Robert Middleton, Lyndal Osborne, John Freeman, Claire McLarney, Maeve O’Rourke, Ulrika Rylander, Yaron Maron and Dr. Marnie Badham. To my partner Sally Beattie – I am grateful for your incredible generosity and unconditional support throughout this journey. Thank you immensely. And lastly to Olive – thanks buddy for just being the best dog ever. I would also like to acknowledge my appreciation for the financial support I received during my candidature including bursaries from Canada’s INDSPIRE Institute (formerly the National Aboriginal Achievement Foundation), an Endeavour International Postgraduate Research Scholarship (2010/11), and an Australian Postgraduate Award (APA) Scholarship. ii Per ardua ad astra In loving memory of James Duncan Rae Father, maverick, mentor & friend 1923 - 2014 iii iv ABSTRACT This practice-led research project explores processes of cultural response to The research offers new knowledge in two ways. First, in the processes of the communication of complex environmental issues through two main forms response and communication in the production of public artworks, which of process-based art production: one in the private studio in the form of explore local issues such as water protection and security, to large-scale drawings and the other in the public sphere through varied approaches. It drawings that address broader ecological issues influencing global climate examines some of the prevailing human activities and cultural mythologies change. And, secondly in the exegesis, where the findings of process-based art that led us to the current ecological crisis and highlights some of the critical production and contextual research contribute to the field of environmental challenges environmental communicators face in communicating the findings art discourse. It also offers methods of approach for artists and science of climate science to diverse audiences. I have sought to emphasise the communicators to work together in addressing some of the greatest significance of affective communication methods in conveying complex and environmental challenges of the Anthropocene. often-contentious environmental issues, and the role art may contribute to this exchange. The aim of this research is to underscore some of the opportunities for artists to engage as interlocutors and mediators within the network of environmental communication. Accordingly, the research examines some of the historical precedents of environmental art and how contemporary artists approach both local and global environmental issues. v LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS Unless stated otherwise, all artworks, photographs and illustrations are by Jen Rae. ____ COVER Exponential growth/Exponential decay (detail), 2010, digital Maritime New Zealand. Retrieved 1 December 2014 Boland, National Oceanic and Atmospheric photograph. from Stuff.co.nz, Administration (USA). Retrieved 20 January 2015 <http://www.stuff.co.nz/environment/rena- from Flickr, <https://flic.kr/p/7zehDC>. Available crisis/5833206/12m-clean-up-fund-deliberately- under a Creative Commons Attribution License CHAPTER I wound-down>. Attribution-NoDerivs 2.0, <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by- Fig. 5 Potential policy-relevant tipping elements in the nd/2.0/legalcode>. Fig. 1 Johannes Gutenberg 1449 first movable durable climate system this century, 2014, illustrated map. bronze type printing workshop, n.d., photograph. The subsystems indicated could result in tipping Fig. 9 Promotional image for the film, The Age of Stupid, Image courtesy of Jorge Royan. Retrieved 1 point responses rising from anthropogenic climate showing actor Pete Postlewaite at his archival December 2014 from Wikimedia Commons, forcings. Within this century, critical thresholds computer, 2009. Retrieved 1 December 2014 from <http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Munich_ could be surpassed altering the future fate of the Creative Greenius, -_Deutsches_Museum_-_07-0596.jpg>. Available system for millennia. Illustration by Jen Rae. Map <http://creativegreenius.files.wordpress.com/2009/0 under a Creative Commons Attribution License adapted from LENTON, T.M., HELD, H., 3/age-of-stupid.jpg>. Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported, KRIEGLER, E., HALL, J.W., LUCHT, W., Fig. 10 Svalbard Globale frøhvelv/Svalbard Global Seed <http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by- RAHMSTORF, S. & SCHELLNHUBER, H.J. 2008. Vault from the outside, 2008, photography. sa/3.0/legalcode>. Tipping elements in the earth’s climate system. Courtesy of Mari Tefre/Svalbard Globale frøhvelv. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of Fig. 2 Yuken Teruya, Corner Forest, 2005. Installation of Retrieved 2 December 2014 from Flickr, the United States of America, 105, 1786-1793. toilet paper rolls. Retrieved 1 December 2014 from <https://flic.kr/p/7nYgQr>. Available under a Yuken Teruya Studio, Fig. 6 A toppled Moai in front of Ahu Tongariki, Easter Creative Commons Attribution License <http://www.yukenteruyastudio.com/projects- Island, 2009, photograph. Courtesy of Robin Attribution-NoDerivs 2.0, 1/coner-forest>. Atherton. Retrieved 1 December 2014 from Flickr <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by- Fig. 3 Yuken Teruya, LVMH – Louis Vuitton, 2005. <https://flic.kr/p/7a7XXW>. Available under a nd/2.0/legalcode>. Creative Commons Attribution License CC BY-NC- Disposable paper bag and glue. From the Notice – Fig. 11 Inside the seed vaults at the Svalbard Globale ND 2.0, <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by- Forest paper bag sculpture series. Retrieved 1 frøhvelv/Svalbard Global Seed Vault, 2013, nc-nd/2.0/legalcode>. December 2014 from The Saatchi Gallery, photograph. Courtesy of Matthias Heyde. Retrieved <http://www.saatchigallery.com/artists/artpages/yuk Fig. 7 Olafur Eliasson and Minik Rosing, Ice Watch, 26 - 2 December 2014 from Flickr, en_teruya_louis_vuitton.htm>. 29 October 2014, Copenhagen City Hall Square. <https://flic.kr/p/oPxKwd>. Available under a Fig. 4 An aerial photograph of the MV Rena leaking oil One hundred tonnes of arctic ice. Reproduced with Creative Commons Attribution License and almost capsizing, 2011. The 37,000 tonne permission from the artist. Retrieved 1 December Attribution-NoDerivs 2.0, container ship ran aground on the Astrolabe Reef in 2014 from Olafur Eliasson, <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by- the Bay of Plenty in October 2011, causing the worst <http://olafureliasson.net/icewatch>. nd/2.0/legalcode>. ecological maritime disaster in New Zealand history. Fig. 8 Tangled rope and debris from the Great Pacific Fig. 12 Svalbard Globale frøhvelv/Svalbard Global Seed Photograph reproduced with permission from Garbage Patch, 2003, photograph. Courtesy of Ray Vault, 2008, diagram. Image courtesy of Statsbygg vi Norway. Retrieved 2 December 2014 from The Ashleigh Johnson) and pademelon (courtesy of of Rohan Cleave. Reproduced with permission from Gustavian Weekly, Gustavus Adolphus College, Andy Mason). Photographs reproduced with Melbourne Zoo. Retrieved 3 December 2014 from <https://weekly.blog.gustavus.edu/files/2008/04/see permission from Jennefer MacLean, Tolga Bat the Australian Museum, d-vault.jpg>. Hospital. <http://australianmuseum.net.au/image/Lord- Howe-Island-Stick-Insect-hatching-at-Melbourne- Fig. 13 Drawing research for the Myth of Progress, studio Fig. 22 The Tolga Bat Hospital, Atherton, Queensland, Zoo>. photograph. 2013, photographs. They work to rescue, rehabilitate and release injured bats and for the conservation of Fig. 30 Birth of the Lord Howe Island Stick Insect
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