IAN MILLISS & LUCAS IHLEIN YEOMANSPROJECT.COM NOVEMBER 2013
“No artist or artisan ever has such broad control of the medium through which he expresses his own character and personality as does the farmer or grazier in the control he can exercise over his land. The landman can create his own landscape, but the artist gives only his impression of it.” P.A. Yeomans from The Challenge of Landscape, 1958 P.A. YEOMANS ercival Alfred Yeomans (1904 – The Prince Philip Design Award in the 1984) was an Australian inventor year 1974. Pknown for the Keyline system for His Keyline principles or concepts the development of land and increasing (Keyline Design) have been adopted by the fertility of that land. As a mining farm owners in almost every country in engineer and gold assayer, Yeomans had the world. Yeomans’ Keyline concepts developed a keen sense of hydrology are now part of the curriculum of and equipment design. many sustainable agriculture courses Upon his brother’s death in a in colleges and universities across grass fire, Percival Alfred Yeomans the world. His ideas have also been assumed management of a large a key factor in the development of tract of land he later named Nevallan permaculture design. P.A. Yeomans Film still from P.A. Yeomans - Keyline in the Kiewa Valley, Geoffrey Booth 1981 in New South Wales. Here he developed wrote four books; The Keyline Plan, improved methods and equipment The Challenge of Landscape, Water ABOUT THIS PROJECT for cultivation. His designs won him For Every Farm and The City Forest. Ian Milliss and Lucas Ihlein About Us his newspaper began as a The Yeomans Project pursues all Ian Milliss and Lucas Ihlein blog. It is an integral part of a these strands simultanously. The project ucas Ihlein is an artist who often and surprising parallels in our careers Tcollaborative project by Lucas will involve participation from a range works collaboratively with (if you can call them that), while the Ihlein and Ian Milliss investigating the of other artists, agriculturalists and rural groups such as Big Fag Press, differences in our ages and personalities work and influence of P.A. Yeomans. interest groups, and will take the form L SquatSpace, Teaching and Learning means we also have quite a few minor Yeomans was an Australian of a blog, a series of workshops, prints Cinema and NUCA. His work takes the but significant differences of opinion as farmer and engineer, whose early work and public tours. form of performances, cinema events, we are sure you will see. in developing sustainable agriculture Beginning with an extensive list lithographic prints, writing, public You can contact us on systems can (we argue) be seen as a of Yeomans’ connections, we have lectures and blogs. In recent years
ust as Gauguin put it in the title to his greatest painting - Where Do We JCome From? What Are We? Where Are We Going? Well, I’ll try and give a quick summary of what we are doing here and what we hope to achieve. This blog is an exploration of the work of the Australian agriculturalist and engineer P. A. (Percy) Yeomans, but that is just the starting point. While exploring his work, we will also explore the way cultural influence develops and cultural memes evolve, and we will be chasing off after the many links that his work has to issues ranging from sustainable agriculture and climate change to the definition of art, from the eminently sensible to the hilariously crazy. The project began with an invitation by curator Hannah Mathews to Lucas Ihlein to participate in an exhibition she is curating for the Australian Centre for Contemporary Art (ACCA). (The show was originally to be called Neo-Con, but the title was later changed to the rather more wordy Power to the People: Contemporary Conceptualism and the Object in Art.) An early precis of the show gives you a sense of its scope: “Neo-Con brings together a recent generation of Australian and international artists whose works are linked by a specific interest in the ideas, artists and artworks of the conceptual art movement of the 1960s and 70s. These artists’ relationships to this period are often activated by a direct engagement with material sourced from first wave conceptual art practices, including art works and events. Some of the artists focus on the legends and myths that have been built around this movement and its attendant claims of mysticism. While others are connected through their adaptation and continuation of key strategies initiated by the pioneers of conceptual art almost fifty years ago. In a contemporary situation where revisiting histories and rewriting stories is an everyday practice, and a work of possible and continuous reinvention, these artists have approached Conceptual Art with an energising sense of freedom.” -Hannah Mathews, Curator Yeomans’ 1958 book The Challenge of Landscape was the second of his three books on farming and Keyline.
Artist as Family: Zero, Meg, Patrick, Woody, Zephyr:
2 YEOMANSPROJECT.COM COMMENTS:
Lucas Ihlein Posted 19 May ’11
Thanks Ian. Yes, it’s exciting to finally start theYeomans Project. My own interest: I’ve been wanting for a few years now to do some sort of collaborative thing with Ian. When Hannah invited me to take part in her exhibition at ACCA about “the legacy of Conceptual Art”, I realised the time had come. This project gives Ian and I a chance to work together. We are an embodiment of the exhibition’s aim
Milkwood Permaculture:
(f)route:
oday Ian and I embarked on we could see that it was still recognisable our first adventure into as having been seriously Yeomans-ised. TYeomans-land. There’s a large dam at the bottom of the I took the train to Penrith, where hill along Yeomans Road [bottom left]. Ian picked me up in his macho ute You can also see a string of trees, just (6 wheels!), and we headed north to above the line of the dam [right]. Nevallan. We didn’t really know what On Google satellite, the treelines we’d do when we got there – and in fact, look quite striking [bottom right]. The we didn’t really end up doing much at whole landscape had a friendly feel. all. Just nosy-ing around really. I don’t know why. Maybe something As we drove north, Ian about the rolling hills, the groomed lines filled me in. Nevallan was one of of trees, the cheerful cows. We decided Yeomans’ experimental properties, to push on up and visit the homestead, where he tried out some of his see if we could find out more. Keyline farming techniques. Up the top of the hill, we found an The Yeomans family doesn’t old farmhouse. Nobody was there but a own the land any more – and I’d barking, harmless pooch. We drove on heard somehow that it was slated for to the yard – still nobody. And then on redevelopment. But when we got there, the way back, we saw a ute approaching. String of trees above the dam at Nevallan
Large dam at Nevallan Google satellite image of Nevallan
here’s a video on YouTube1 called Yeomans Property TThreat from Development which documents a community meeting up near Richmond, in north- west Sydney, a couple of years ago. The meeting was held to try and halt development on the piece of farmland that Yeomans had designed and set up with his trademark series of interlinking dams. Bob, the farmer we met yesterday, said that the development application which the locals were fighting in the video (a proposal to build an aged care facility) has by now been passed. However, it didn’t seem from our visit that any work had begun yet. The video has some interviews with PA Yeomans’ son, Ken, who is a strong advocate for his fathers’ farming philosophies; and with Prof. Stuart Hill2. It’d be great to be able to meet and chat with these fellows. Stuart Hill says: “[Yeomans’ method] is the only landscape system that builds landscape capital to the maximum amount.” Obviously, what we’re talking about here are two very different systems of “landscape capital” – one which is about improving the quality of the soil, and the other involving subdividing and Yobarnie contour map, and PA Yeomans’ Keyline design for the site, from J. MacDonald-Holmes, Geographical and selling off the land as “real estate”… Topographical Basis of Keyline, 1960 From what Ken says in the video, what it was all about. It was, rather, COMMENTS: the two systems could work together, if about a very particular functionality the subdivisions were sensitive to the (which, for sure, resulted in a certain Lucas Ihlein Posted 28 June ’11 water flows and storage on the land. look.) To destroy the functionality is But it’s hard to imagine that actually to destroy the spirit of the heritage This stoush was featured on ABC happening in Sydney… elements of Yeoman’s work. TV in late 2009. Here’s a transcript of 1http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s1lI-znogTk the programme:
he late 1970s were a long time ago One of the underlying aspects 1974 until 1977. In late 1977 I broke some of Yeomans’ equipment – ploughs, and it is sometimes a bit difficult of this current project, but only one my knee and wrist during anti-uranium lockpipe valves for dams, water levels, Tto remember exactly what of several, is a bit of discussion about shipment demonstrations at White Bay irrigation flags – and films and videos happened. My original proposal for an my original AGNSW project and its container terminal so I had to remain in of his farms as well as “photo maps exhibition about PA Yeomans at the Art implications in the development of Sydney because I was in plaster from analysis video” explaining how the Gallery of NSW in 1976 seems so lost conceptual art in Australia. It’s easily hip to ankle for six months. From then farms worked, in particular Yobarnie in the mists of time it’s hard to get much answered, there were no implications on I lived in Sydney for the next twenty and his Orange property. There is even together about it. Maybe it’s because because it never happened, only myself years or more. mention of Len Peel, presumably the there are so many of these “projects and a couple of curators at AGNSW The remaining fragments are some brother of Bob Peel who we met briefly that didn’t happen” in my life, or at were aware of it. Nonetheless it was an notes about the exhibition which are on our visit to Nevallan. least didn’t happen completely or didn’t important step in my thinking. quite possibly the earliest notes, some Apart from the fact that maps and happen in their desired form, that I have Lucas and I have discussed what it pamphlets about Yeomans’ ploughs, a photos had become pretty common a bit of a thing about them. All too often was meant to be like and even though my copy of a proposal by Yeomans for the in performance documentation there the projects that didn’t happen are the original files have been lost or discarded design of a new city at Monarto in South was not much about this that shouted really important ones, the ones that shape there are a few fragments, so trivial that Australia on Keyline principles, a letter “art” so you can see why the AGNSW your thinking and lead you on to the next they obviously weren’t even filed, just dated September 1975 from Jeff Moss Trustees might have been a bit puzzled important thing and that is certainly true tossed into my boxes of sketches and who was writing about Yeomans and a by it. Although it was an exhibition of my Yeomans exhibition proposal. rough notes and so they have survived. very early draft of an essay that seems to curated by an artist it was almost In fact I think Lucas probably came It’s hard to even date exactly. All that is relate to the exhibition although I’m not aggressively lacking in art, it was to know about it because we discussed it certain is that I was working on it when I certain because every time I start to read unashamedly about an agriculturalist as part of a group of prints I wanted to do was in retreat from the Sydney madness it I cringe in embarrassment so much with controversial views on the future with Big Fag Press called “What Didn’t of post Green Bans violence and anti- that I soon give up on it. of farming. It wasn’t even an act of Happen” and I was suggesting that Big prison movement stress, it was one of The notes are below. Duchampian appropriation, in fact it Fag should take this on as an ongoing my two major projects at the time. I think that makes it clear the was the exact opposite if you thought series inviting other artists also to make Although I visited Sydney nearly exhibition which was to be part of about it a bit. prints about their favourite projects that every week, I was living at Napoleon the AGNSW project series in the What the hell was it doing in the didn’t happen. Reef, just east of Bathurst, from late contemporary project space was to have Art Gallery of NSW?
Ian Milliss’ notes in preparation for 1975-6 exhibition at Art Gallery of NSW YEOMANSPROJECT.COM 7 Truly it can be said, that when the worm turns, it’s a good turn for the farmer… Lucas Ihlein Published: 28 June ‘11
explanation of how Keyline works, and why it’s a good idea. Here are a few stills I extracted from the film. This is the turn off the highway [middle left] into the drive leading to Yeomans’ former farm Nevallan (note, as Ian says, the slight spelling change (the property is now called “Nevellan”): This looks to be more or less the same vantage point where I took a shot Film still from Keyline, 1955 of the modern Nevellan farm a few weeks ago. 1 eyline is a film on Yeomans’ And I really enjoyed this part of work in developing his the film, where the two fellows mark out Klandscape design system. It the Keyline by eye [middle right], using was made in 1955, and uploaded a year a long transparent hose and a bunch of 2 or so ago thanks to Darren Doherty , stakes (it’s about five and a half minutes who runs workshops in contemporary into the film). PA Yeomans on his land, film still fromKeyline , 1955 Keyline farm design. Makes you think, “Hey, I could do One of my favourite lines from the that!”… film is this: “He’s ready with cold logic and forceful argument to present plans to the benefit of Australia.” … which tells us something of the respect with which Yeomans was sometimes held (ie, he was not a hippy). Even though the film was made 1http://vimeo.com/13323213 2http://www.heenandoherty.com/about. over 55 years ago, it’s a pretty good html#darren Film still from Keyline, 1955 Film still from Keyline, 1955
Ian Milliss and Lucas Ihlein Nevallan 2011 offset lithograph print 8 YEOMANSPROJECT.COM Heritage versus subdivision Ian Milliss Published: 29 June ‘11
e were hoping to go back to Nevallan this week to Winterview Bob Peel, but he rang to say he didn’t want to talk because he didn’t run the property according to Yeomans’ original principles and so he didn’t really have anything to say. It was disappointing because we wanted to discuss in more detail the reasons he didn’t follow Yeomans’ principles given the design of the property – he had said earlier that it was too labour intensive. But his reticence is understandable because the property is a bit under siege in many ways, completely surrounded by the big block version of suburbia and his brother’s property Yobarnie, the other original Yeomans’ property, has just been the subject of a controversial development application for an aged care facility as Lucas wrote. Development applications raise another of the almost infinite number of issues that now surround Yeomans and in this case it is the issue of development versus heritage. Given my earlier interest in Yeomans I was shocked in 2009 when I first heard about the plans for redeveloping Yobarnie, it seemed impossible that Belgenny Farm Photo by trent shepherd, on Flickr it would not be listed on the local council’s Local Environment Plan John and Elizabeth Macarthur’s When I contacted Prof Stuart prevent subdivision or development) (LEP) list of heritage properties. Belgenny Farm at Camden Park2, Hill in 2009 about my interest in pending further action to list them Heritage items are characterised where they bred their flock of merino the sites, among the documents he on the State Heritage Register which as either local, state or national sheep laying the foundations of the sent me was the following excerpt would provide permanent protection. significance with a clearly defined Australian wool industry [above], from the minutes of the meeting of But this was in 2009 and when range of criteria for each ranking and and William Farrer’s Lambrigg3, now the NSW State Heritage Council, I searched the Register today they it is arguable that Yobarnie/Nevallan being encroached on by Canberra the body charged with advising the weren’t there nor was there any is of national significance, not just suburbia, where Farrer’s wheat minister for Planning on heritage mention of the Minister approving local significance, and would easily breeding experiments produced the issues. [See opposite page]. an interim heritage order. Curiouser make it into the top ten historical first rust free wheat [bottom right]. In essence, the NSW State and curiouser. I’ll follow this up a bit agricultural properties in Australia. These properties are among Heritage Council found that both further and see what I can find out. On my list would be: Experiment the most important European properties (except for the area *** Farm at Harris Park1, now irretrievably heritage sites in the country but farm subject to the aged care facility DA) See page 35 for an update in 2013. buried in suburbia, where in 1789 landscapes notoriously are less well were of state significance and should 1http://bit.ly/15DEVBj James Ruse was the first successful protected or even understood as be protected by an interim heritage 2http://bit.ly/15DF3AU European farmer [bottom left]. important heritage sites. order (which would temporarily 3http://bit.ly/15EEcuw
Experiment Farm Cottage Photo by angusf, on Flickr William Farrer's property Lambrigg YEOMANSPROJECT.COM 9 10 YEOMANSPROJECT.COM In the archives with Ian Milliss Lucas Ihlein Published: 6 July ‘11
Ian points to the discussion about the (original, cancelled) Yeomans Project in the 1975 AGNSW Trustees Minutes Book.
ast Friday we descended into the pages crackle as you turn ‘em. Yeomans’ Keyline system of bowels of the Art Gallery of New Anyway, here’s what we found, irrigation is “land sculpture” on a large LSouth Wales. huddled around the minutebook in the scale, though practical in its end result, Our mission? To dig up documents study cubicle: Ian’s original project it is art that makes the work of American in an attempt to discover: proposal! artists such as Smithson and Serra pale a). if Ian really did propose an So, he wasn’t hallucinating. I have in comparison. exhibition about Yeomans at AGNSW transcribed the minute from the book The exhibition will comprise: – in the mid 1970s (ie, we’d like to know here (liberally correcting the many (a) Photographs, maps, diagrams, that he’s not hallucinating about all this spelling mistakes of the obviously explanatory notes. 1975 AGNSW Trustees Minutes Book history); overworked typist): (b) Videotapes. b). that the AGNSW did actually (c) Implements and equipment. There was some discussion consider the show, and subsequently Proposal No. 1 (Publication “The Challenge of regarding the “Keyline” project refused to exhibit it; P.A. Yeomans – “Keyline” Landscape” by P.A. Yeomans tabled). exhibition, Trustees expressing the c). what possible reasons they Exhibition proposed by Ian Milliss. opinion generally that it would not be might have given for not going ahead Gallery Organizer, Frances McCarthy. See overleaf for a couple of photos suitable for the gallery. with the show. From Duchamp onwards artists from the minutes book itself. The Director and the Deputy To bring readers who are not have increasingly questioned the Interesting things to note from this Director both recommended acceptance familiar with our story so far up to concept of art as a “precious object”, proposal: of the exhibition but it was speed: …according to Ian, early in and have concerned themselves with 1). Ian’s use of language RESOLVED by majority that P.A. 1975 he was negotiating with various breaking down the barriers between art, (straightforward, manifesto-like) Yeomans “Keyline” be not accepted as luminaries at the art gallery (including life and nature. hasn’t changed much at all over the last project number (1) for 1976. Daniel Thomas) with the idea of putting From the late sixties one of the 35 years. Note – the resolution to not on an exhibition about the work of main movements has been ‘ecology’ art, 2). Nor has Ian’s key idea accept the project was “by majority”, Percy Alfred Yeomans, the great Aussie so called because it is concerned with changed much, that he’s always not “unanimously”. The Director and agricultural inventor. As Ian tells it, the the landscape and environment. It is art banging on about: that anyone can Deputy Director disagreed! But what show was all the go and then was nixed removed from the context of museums, be an artist; it’s all about how you did they say? by the trustees of the gallery, never to that recognizes that almost anyone can approach what you do in life, and I’ll leave Ian to speculate on this see the light of day. So it was this thread be an artist in the way of his work, in the what kind of contribution you make (and some of the other juicy tidbits we of events that we were hunting for… area of his interests, in the manner that to society. Not only practically, but gleaned from the minute books…) At the gallery, Ian explained what he views the world. also aesthetically. - – - we wanted to the nice lady behind the P.A. Yeomans is regarded as an 3). And this is possibly the biggest *According to the intermaweb, desk. She disappeared, and returned “artist” who has contributed more to discovery for me: – the artist under a trustee is “an individual person or shortly after with this gorgeous dusty Australia than any “recognised” artist. whose name this exhibition was put member of a board given control or tome [top right]. Yeomans might never have attached forward was not “Ian Milliss”, but powers of administration of property in It’s the minutes book for meetings the title “artist” to himself, yet much P.A. Yeomans. Ian (alongside Frances trust with a legal obligation to administer of the board of trustees, Jan-Dec 1975. farming activity – tree-planting, dam McCarthy) was mooted, rather humbly, it solely for the purposes specified”. (For more on what “trustees are, see the building – does have a consciously as the exhibition’s “organiser” (more The Art Gallery of NSW lists its 1 end of this post...) aesthetic motivation, and farmers evidence of this is in the minutes of the current trustees on its website . Man it’s a gorgeous thing. The are always willing, perhaps shyly, to previous page). pages are thick and crinkled. After each admit it. Yeoman’s philosophy of land As for what the trustees made meeting, pages of minutes are typed up, development and his achievements in of all this… well, it’s a pretty brief photocopied and glued in. So the book the agricultural field make him a man of dismissal, I’m sad to say. All they 1http://www.artgallery.nsw.gov.au/about-us/people/ has a really fat feel about it, and the national and international significance. could say was this: agnsw-trust/
YEOMANSPROJECT.COM 11 Proposal for Keyline in the 1975 AGNSW Trustees Minutes Book
Rejection of Keyline in the 1975 AGNSW Trustees Minutes Book.
12 YEOMANSPROJECT.COM The Family Farm Lucas Ihlein Published: 20 July ‘11
reckon Ian’s broad definition of art “the art of agricultural innovation”. is a useful provocation: What cannot be left out when thinking I 1. Art is action which changes about these arts, I would say, is their the culture. aesthetics, meaning the way that they are 2. This action can be undertaken carried out: their material economies, by anyone. their social ethics, their physical forms. When operating with a definition like this, it’s perhaps worth reiterating point 2: cultural change is not the sole 1http://bit.ly/19PkwVJ domain of special professionals from the 2http://milkwoodpermaculture.com.au/ current narrowly-defined “artworld”. 3http://milkwood.net/ However, the interesting and tricky thing about this kind of definition is that the folks who are most effective COMMENTS: in producing cultural change are often not particularly worried, one way or Ian Milliss Posted 26 July ’11 the other, about being defined as artists. Either it’s not very important to them to I don’t think it matters whether or show up in the artworld, or the stuff they not cultural innovators care about being do doesn’t look like the kinds of things categorised as artists. The conventional the artworld normally accepts. And in art world is so precious about this sort of this way, the myth that art is the domain The Family Farm in PA Yeomans The City Forest thing yet they barely notice that nearly of special professionals operating within everybody else regards their imagined the “artworld” continues.* transform their bit of “clapped out” wrangling all the arts of contemporary special status as a bit of a joke. For the purposes of this here land into a thriving food forest… communication media they can, to However I would like to see the Yeomans Project, we’re operating on the How does this relate to Yeomans? gently nudge at the culture beyond the term artist take on an even more special presumption (and gathering evidence I’ve been reading Yeomans’ little boundaries of their own farm gate. status but only if it’s earned - ie if you for the notion) that Percy Yeomans was green book from 1971, The City Forest: - – - don’t really innovate, if you don’t really this sort of artist, vigorously working The Keyline Plan for the Human * It’s possible that this attempt change the culture even in a small way, to change (agri)culture through actions Environment Revolution. For the first to redefine art is a bit futile. Coming, then you don’t get the title artist. It and words. half of the book, Yeomans discusses as Ian and I do, from the artworld, should become as laughable to describe Operating in Yeomans’ tradition in the fundamentals of his Keyline any redefinition we make is merely an yourself as an artist as it would be to Australia today are Kirsten Bradley and design ideas… But towards the end, he expansion of the artworld definition to describe yourself as a genius. Nick Ritar, who with their young son includes a passionately written chapter incorporate activities which hitherto In that way Lucas is right about Ashar live up in Mudgee. A while ago, called, rather innocuously, “The Family were outside the artworld. Hence it’s common parlance. The way that it is Kirsten and Nick did define themselves Farm”. In this chapter he talks about the not really a redefinition but a loosening commonly said that “so and so is a real as artworld-artists1, and they popped return to small-scale (but commercially of the boundaries. artist” (when talking about anything up quite often with high-profile video productive) organic farming as a ‘rebel’ But I think the thing we’ve been from hairdressing to motor repair) is a installations, projection performances activity in the face of large-scale getting at, in our recent discussions with way of acknowledging a particularly and gallery shows. But for about five chemical agriculture. each other about this stuff, is something impressive combination of skill and years now, they have eased away As I was reading it, I was thinking like a return to the understanding of art creativity, and that is part of what I’m from all that stuff, and gone into… of Milkwood. It’s like Yeomans was which you get in phrases like “the art talking about. But I’m also suggesting farming. And since Nick and Kirsten predicting their move from Melbourne of cooking” or “the art of motorcycle it should extend much further, that the aren’t particularly active in promoting to Mudgee, thirty years in advance, maintenance”. institutions should be searching for and themselves as artists right now, the when he writes that “a successful Art in this sense means an activity exhibiting and debating the merits of artworld has, to a large extent, stopped Human Environment Revolution will done skillfully and in a way which, to the life work of people like Yeomans paying attention to them. depend on youth and the ‘rebel’ farmer.” some extent, shifts the goalposts. In rather than the vacuous pompiers of the Not that this matters a great deal For Yeomans, being a “rebel Yeomans’ case, you could talk about biennale industry. to their project of cultural change. As farmer” is not just about growing organic Milkwood Permaculture2, they have vegies. It’s about a conscious process been using all the skills acquired over of influencing culture. This process their years working in the artworld involves actively publishing, educating, (and many more acquired since) to community building: bringing together make an even bigger impact. By setting farming families and “young people”. up their own farm as a “case study Yeomans is very keen on youth – whose research project”, and running dozens uptake of these ideas he sees as key to of educational courses for their peers, the transformation: Milkwood is exploring how we might “A necessary first step is for the two live our lives differently. groups of critically important people Importantly, they’re not [farmers and youth] to get together and seceding from society, or dropping to get to know each other. The place of out like luddites up in the hills. meeting should be on the good land of They’re actively involved in urban the farmers.” transformation (running courses and Milkwood is not just altering the gathering communities together in use of their bit of land. They are doing Sydney as well as out in the country) that (as Yeomans himself did, using his and they do a lot of it using the web. own family farm in Western Sydney for Their blog3 is particularly effective a major case-study). (and aesthetically satisfying) as an But just as Yeomans did, the ongoing critical reflection as they Milkwood family farm is simultaneously Kirsten and Nick in the top paddock at Milkwood
YEOMANSPROJECT.COM 13 PA Yeomans, The City Forest, 1971 More from the The Permanence of things Lucas Ihlein Published: 2 August ‘11
ontinuing my exploration of the “The first two factors, climate City Forest little green book… and land shape, are the more or Lucas Ihlein Published: 2 August ‘11 C Yeomans’ proposition less unalterable background of the (to grow forests as intrinsic elements landscape. Water, with its lines and its in urban design) is followed by patterns of flow, is the first factor of the y last post didn’t really scratch Which seems to be exactly what’s a long middle section which is landscape design of Nature which we the surface of Yeomans’ book going on, right now1. essentially pedagogical. change.” (p. 40) MThe City Forest: The Keyline 2. The logic of the book seems to I’ve not read Yeomans’ other books That notion – how to go about plan for the Human Environment run a bit like this: yet, but I am presuming that a lot of his judiciously changing water’s patterns of Revolution. Instead I got caught up (pardon the huge simplifications…) teaching material in The City Forest flow, seems to form the basis of much of thinking about art. a). There is a massive problem with is synthesised from his previously Yeomans’ work. The descending scale So I figured I’d return to this book the world. That problem is pollution published research. of permanence could come in handy a bit, and register some of my first (both local and global). He delves into the ways that natural when thinking about how any landscape impressions of it. Here they are: The cause of this problem is landscapes are formed by water flows, comes into being. It’s a humble way 1. The book seems very fresh. humanity’s inability to design landscape and how these “landscape-shapes” of seeing humans in relation to the I’m not sure if I’m alone in this, properly, coupled with the large scale (ridges, valleys etc), in turn, influence universal forces which make the surface but I have a misguided tendency to industrialisation of agriculture. water flows. It’s his basic curriculum of the planet how it is. imagine that widespread awareness of b). A major cause of pollution for cracking the code of the planet’s Of course, we now realise that impending environmental catastrophe is is mismanagement of water flows in operations. I’m trying to immerse Climate is not exactly as “permanent” a relatively recent phenomenon. landscape (both rain water, and human myself in it, but I think it won’t make as Yeomans’ scale might have it. But his So it always comes as a surprise effluent). One proposed solution for much sense until I get to experience it in schema is still correct in the sense that to read somebody’s warnings from this is Yeomans’ “City Forest” scheme practice, on a bit of land. the climate of any particular local piece long ago – warnings which indicate – designed to process the nutrients of There are some enlightening of landscape is not really something that sufficient information was human waste, and slow the flows of concepts in this pedagogical section of that we humans have the ability to circulating, even as early as 1971, to rainwater. the book. I found his so-called “Scale of intentionally influence. (Well OK, I start ecological alarm bells ringing. Yeomans is proposing that forests Permanence” to be a fascinating way to could be wrong2). Yeomans himself was worried that it be deliberately designed and grown in begin thinking about landscape design. Not that this humility stops was already too late. very close proximity to – or indeed, as Here’s his scale: Yeomans’ from thinking in terms of As far as his ideas being an intrinsic part of – cities. 1. Climate large transformations. Even attempting (depressingly) fresh, listen to this: This is a radical extension of his 2. Land shape to improve the lowliest item on his list – “The chemical sciences which techniques for working on farmland. 3. Water soil – can have big effects. have been debauched by business to Yeomans is proposing urban design 4. Roads I wonder how much (if any) of make billions from polluting the Planet solutions. 5. Trees this curriculum has been integrated will continue to out-shout the healthy I’d be curious to know whether 6. Buildings into professional disciplines like but financially crippled biological and these ideas were picked up by anyone. 7. Subdivision landscape architecture and engineering? social sciences. Business will fight Town planners, city designers, urban 8. Soil “Permanence” is not a concept which strenuously and as ruthlessly as ever revolutionaries? Does anyone carry this This list represents a “descending you hear about much – we’ve gotten against changes which threaten their little green book in their breast pocket order of permanence” of these eight used to the idea of 50 years as a long influence and their profits, while at the and refer to it when laying out new factors. In other words, the elements at lifespan for any element of the human- same time, they will advertise with the urban conglomerations? the top of the list are more permanent built environment. power of their money, that they will save (relative to human timescales) than 1 the world.” http://bit.ly/19hRH3x those towards the bottom. 2http://bit.ly/16CGzEb
14 YEOMANSPROJECT.COM Making Dirt Lucas Ihlein Published: 2 August ‘11
ontinuing my harvest from the roots of the grasses to penetrate Yeomans’ book The City more deeply. And so the soil-making CForest… I’m trying to get down process continues. some key ideas before their freshness What is chisel-ploughing? Simply, runs away from me… “the modern equivalent of the ancient The book (pages 61-2) has a clear stick-plow” [middle left] explication of why Yeomans’ ploughing However, it’s a bit different from technique works to build up the soil: the old-skool stick plow. How? Our -Poor soil is chisel ploughed to 3 guru explains: inches deep. Into this gap are sown a “The particular attributes of the mixture of clovers and grasses. chisel plow are that it does not turn the -Some superphosphate is used to soil under and secondly, it is a tough go- artificially stimulate the growth of the anywhere affair. It has two-inch wide grasses and clovers initially, and then chisel-like tynes attached to heavier never used again. spring-loaded steel shanks mounted on -The pasture that results is in turn a steel frame.” chisel ploughed in the autumn of the next Occasionally, Yeomans inserts 3 years. In these successive years, the tantalising political statements like this plough is allowed to penetrate further, into his educational text: reaching 6-7 inches by the final year. “This is the Keyline soil making -This allows a lot of air into the technique which authority has rejected soil, and also allows more rainfall to for two decades. They have said, soil penetrate. cannot be made in that way, it can only -The grass is eaten by cattle, just be improved by the constant use of before it gets to the flowering stage. chemicals.” It suffers a severe shock. The deeper What I would like to know is this: roots die and “become in various What happened so that “authorities” ways the food for the whole universe rejected Yeomans’ research? What was of life of the soil”. In other words, going on behind the scenes? Is this there is an increase in organic matter another instance of the Australian story in the soil; the soil becomes a more of inventors’ ideas being quashed in open structure, which in turn allows their own country? Yeomans’ Plows… Gotta love that slogan! A catalogue of options, in case you wanna buy one, is here:
From Stoddard's Lectures, 1897. A stick plow, of ancient design, in use in Egypt
Ian Milliss and Lucas Ihlein New chisel plow shank 2011 offset lithograph print based on an enlarged page from the 1970s sales pamphlet for Yeomans plows advertising one of his specialised tynes.
YEOMANSPROJECT.COM 15 Seeing Landscape Lucas Ihlein Published: 2 August ‘11
lot of Yeomans’ criticisms of city environment, but for the landscapes of in Sydney is because, when I ride my feral convict, John Wilson1 and one design are based around the idea town and country, which should have bike through town, I feel gravitational Frenchman, Francis Barralier2. A that we’ve lost our ability to “see” been planned to last indefinitely, there resistance. But apart from that, my And even Blaxland, Lawson and the landscape. (I’m still exploring ideas is no logical basis of design. The best perception of the city horizon is muddled Wentworth had a ‘local guide’ – “The from his book The City Forest, 1971…) of cities appear to be Topsy planned – by tall buildings, and water flows are expedition also included a local guide, His argument is that a farmer they just grew and grew out of a series sequestered underground through three convict servants, four pack horses living on an acreage for some time (if of accidents into the malignancies they drainage. The natural undulations of the and five dogs”. This was James Burns/ s/he is that way inclined) can get to are now.” land are regarded by urban designers Byrnes, a kangaroo hunter who in fact know it intimately: the topography of (Note Yeoman’s use of the words as an inconvenience to be tolerated or seems to have lived in the Mountains. the land, the different minerals, soil- “planned to last indefinitely”. These flattened, rather than as a potential asset. He presumably showed them the way types, and micro-climates which prevail days, the term “sustainable” would I reckon it’s reasonable to suggest but never gets a mention because within the property boundaries. This surely be used to signify the same thing.) that Yeomans’ work here — attempting he wasn’t gentry. More false history knowledge of the land (the ability to see Much of Yeomans’ teachings, to educate the public (and professionals) created to serve those in power. it) comes from a lot of time spent living then, are an attempt to get us to “read” in techniques of perception — is a good One of the comments that regularly and working on it. landscape topography, as this will aid example of what we’re trying to call “art”. comes up is that all you have to do to In cities, by contrast, the density in our development of more intelligent He uses his skill and experience to cross the Mountains is follow the ridge of buildings often distracts from our urban/rural designs. push us to see the world with fresh eyes; tops. This can only be regarded as a capacity to read the rise and fall of the I have to say I agree with him about his work grants us an improved intimacy sort of joke because in fact it is nearly land. We are tempted to see vast areas of the difficulty in reading urban land. with our immediate environment; it impossible to even see where the ridge space as largely undifferentiated, even When Ian and I visited the Nevallan expands our horizons of understanding. tops are let alone work out where thought they do still consist of ridges property, I could see (or least I It’s a kind of landscape-literacy. they are heading. If Caley had been and valleys which determine water imagined I could see) the contours able to recognise the Bilpin Ridge he flows. The much smaller parcelling up of the land. (This perception was, COMMENTS: would have succeeded in crossing the of land boundaries contributes to this of course, assisted by the inscribed lines Mountains in 1804 on the same route problem – it’s that much harder to see in the landscape formed by strips of Ian Milliss Posted 2 August ’11 now followed by Bell’s Line of Road. “the bigger picture”. trees, and the judicious placement The same problem applies to modern Besides which, no individual (or of dams.) Europeans have found the cities as Lucas notes. team) is ever given the jurisdiction over But in the city, it’s much harder Australian landscape hard to read right Funnily enough my interest in the design of the bigger picture: to see this topography. Take downtown from the start. Yeomans and the things I learnt about “The professions have produced Sydney, for instance. The only reason I I’ve been involved the last few landscape through his work led me to many masterpieces of design within the know that there are ridges and valleys years in planning the bi-centennial a slightly different interest, to try and celebrations for the first European understand the aboriginal reading of the crossing of the Blue Mountains in landscape. After more than thirty years 1813 and the building of Cox’s Road in I still of course have only the faintest 1815 (or the First Crossing by English inkling. Toffs as I always call it because it was 1http://bit.ly/qtEdO2 actually crossed earlier by at least one 2http://bit.ly/pIfS3K]
Pages from Yeomans' book The City Forest, 1971.
16 YEOMANSPROJECT.COM A Mystery Letter for Mr “Mellis” Lucas Ihlein Published: 9 August ‘11
n amusing story has it that arrangement Mr Moss might have had the origins of conceptual art in the UK, Ian Milliss met his now-wife, with Mr Melliss. Australia and New Zealand. Ian was one AWendy, because she was a keen Our only clue: “I will be very of the artists I was ‘investigating’ and art historian rummaging through the interested to discuss the Yeomans probably the most forthcoming if you archives at Sydney University’s Power project with you but will not be in know what I mean. I interviewed him and Institute. Wendy was researching the Sydney from Thursday, September 18 he corrected his own transcript, adding on condition he could join the army and legacy of conceptual art in Australia, to Sunday, October 12, inclusive. My approximately another 30,000 words, go to Vietnam and all charges including and found a few traces of this rather wife and I are taking a trip to Malaysia”. and then I sorted through about 2000 bits shooting at the cops were to be dropped. elusive character, who seemed to have Who was this Jeff Moss? (The of paper and assorted works of art. I tried They took him to the army camp where disappeared from the art scene in the use of the word “inclusive” in the letter to make sense of them by providing a he apparently failed the intelligence mid 1970s. Wendy somehow found suggests he must have had a secretary context/chronography, entered the works test (go figure!) and was then shipped some contact details for Ian, and went to help him “put pen to paper” with his into a very basic database, that I set up off to psych hospital. Everyone had to visit him, digging through his piles of typewriter.) with the help of ‘databases for dummies’ been enormously entertained and the paperwork for a more detailed version Anyway, the answer surely is not not knowing at the time that he was also only real damage was to Norm Allen’s of his role in (and out of) the Australian hard to find. Up in Wallewerang, on a professional database developer….. already abysmal reputation. art world. t’other side of the Blue Mountains, sits shook the mould off all those papers One interesting sidelight (given Besides the very narratable fact Mr Melliss himself. I’m hoping my which had been stored for yonks under that Lucas and I just spent the weekend that all this librarianship led to romance, posting of the letter here will prompt his mother’s house, put them into clean involved in the Woolloomooloo and one of the things that tickles Ian the most him to reveal all. envelopes AND THEN wrote a thesis on Victoria Street Green Ban Art Walks) is is that a whole lot of his dishevelled If, that is, he can recall! (If not, ‘deconstructing the database’. After that that Allen put detective Don Fergusson paperwork ended up in carefully coded perhaps Wendy can jog his memory). I decided to keep him. in charge. Fergusson was associated white cardboard folders, like the one - – - BTW, the letters are quite easy to with the tabloid celebrity cop Ray pictured above. PS - you can read Wendy Carlson’s decipher. With the help of ‘cataloguing “Gunner” Kelly whose ostentatiously I’m working my way through essay about Ian, entitled the invisible for dummies’ I duly designated the corrupt activities included an abortion this, the “IM 1975/Yeomans” folder artist at
YEOMANSPROJECT.COM 17 In the archives with Lucas Ian Milliss Published: 11 August ‘11
everything that was to be in has certainly been overshadowed the exhibition, it was just that in public memory by his successor, by putting it in the AGNSW we the flamboyant Edmund “Fast were raising issues about cultural Eddie” Capon, but it seems I owe him innovation and cultural change and his deputy director Gil Docking – that if you defined artists as the an apology in this case. If you ever producers of cultural change then see this Peter accept my genuine in fact they weren’t necessarily, or thanks even if it is thirty- six even commonly, going to be found in years late. the art world. We were arguing that The other interesting thing it was the role of art museums to cast in the minutes, well actually there a wider net both in terms of how were a lot of interesting things if they defined art and culture and who you understood the implications they exhibited. of what you were reading, was It was also interesting that the another exhibition proposal that backing for the exhibition went didn’t get up. It was by Terry Smith to the top. The minutes mention and Ian Burn, to set up a room at specifically that the director and Art Gallery of NSW with a telex deputy director argued strongly for (them were the days, high tech Photo by Sacha Fernandez under Creative Commons Licence the exhibition, as if they had insisted communication at the cutting edge) that it be noted. The incredible thing direct to them in New York where he excursions with Lucas are No wonder that a number of key about that is that in preceding years they would discuss regionalism turning out to be fun. Lucas staff took off to the NGA and NGV I had waged a very public campaign on line with all comers. I hope I Tis good company especially in the mid 70s including all the against the director, Peter Laverty1, misunderstood this, since they were because he is uncommonly polite people involved in my proposed an artist and former head of both my friends, but sadly there – his suggestion that I might be exhibition – Daniel Thomas, Francis East Sydney Tech, accusing him of seemed to be not the faintest hint “hallucinating” when anyone else would being a timid and unimaginative of irony involved. If you read this have said “bullshitting” is an illustration McCarthy (now Frances Lindsay) of his politeness which hasn’t however and Rob Lindsay. bureaucrat who was not up to Terry, please explain? prevented him from suggesting that I’m But as Lucas points out, it the job. I had such an effect that I selling out by dealing with the art world wasn’t simply my exhibition, it was was summoned by George again, a question I will deal with later presented as PA Yeomans’ exhibition Freudenstein2, the Minister for in the unlikely event that anyone else with myself and Frances as the Cultural Activities, to a lengthy gives a rats. organisers. This was of course meeting in his office to explain exactly 1http://bit.ly/16NO9oC But faced with the ponderous always the point, he had produced what my complaints were. Laverty 2http://bit.ly/18DKOgL bureaucratic might of the Art Gallery of NSW, I must confess I didn’t expect to find anything much on our trip. I thought the archives might have, say, a list of proposals and then a later list without the Yeomans show. But it turned out there are several mentions, two of which are fairly detailed. That is probably because of one of the first things you notice reading through the minutes, the fact that the Trustees in the mid 1970s were incredibly intrusive and over- bearing to a degree that these days would earn them a fail in any Institute of Management corporate governance course. It is now taken as standard practice that boards are there to give an organisation direction, to inform policy and also to help generate necessary linkages to the wider world, particularly in the case of art institutions for fund raising. They aren’t there to dictate which exhibitions will be programmed, how the exhibitions will be managed or to vet every phone call a curator makes. Yet back in the 1970s that seems to be what they were doing. Page from 1975 AGNSW Trustees Minutes Book showing proposal for exhibition by Ian Burn, Mel Ramsden, and Terry Smith.
18 YEOMANSPROJECT.COM We’ll have none of that here, sir! Ian Milliss Published: 11 August ‘11
y feeling is that the original exhibition never happened Mprecisely because of the very issues it was addressing, the limited nature of the prevailing definition of legitimate “art” activity, especially because it didn’t look like anything that had been done somewhere else. Of course I would not be surprised if there were a lot of similar things going on all over the place but not well publicised. One of the ironies of the internet is that artists like me are discovering in our old age similar artists we should have known about when we were desperately isolated a few decades ago. I finally heard of one about a year back from Diego Bonetto via Lucas, the incredible Italian artist Gianfranco Baruchello and his small farm outside Rome, ‘Agricola Cornelia’, which he assembled in the 1970s by buying back, one by one, the small plots of a fairly unsuccessful real estate development subdivision. I suppose the cancellation of the exhibition was the clear omen that redefining who was an artist and what activities were legitimate forms for generating cultural change was not going to happen here any time soon, in fact probably not until it had already Donald Brook, The Awful Truth About What Art Is, at Artlink website:
n Friday I attended part of a conference at the National OInstitute of Experimental Art at UNSW specifically to listen to Donald Brook’s keynote address where he summarised his recent thoughts on defining art. His approach corresponds closely with what we have argued here, that art in the cultural evolutionary sense can take any form … but anyway you should read his address1 rather than my clumsy precis. This is the clearest and most readable summary of his ideas that I have seen and it relates closely to the overall theme of the ACCA exhibition. It is important to understand that from very early on there was a split within conceptualism between those intent on developing a marketable product and others like myself more determined to pursue the radical implications of the analysis inherent in early conceptualism. The commercial strand of conceptualism won out of course (as money always does in the short term) and has dominated for decades. But seeing Donald reminded me that he also had ideas that were torpedoed by the cultural gatekeepers that now look increasingly prescient. Take a look at this project2 that failed to get funding.
1http://bit.ly/1eT5Dcf 2http://bit.ly/16NRjZy
COMMENTS:
Lucas Ihlein Posted 23 August ’11
Is part of the moral of this story that Donald thought about this idea, and then (admittedly, after a delay of some decades) it came to pass, without him actually having to execute it himself? In other words, he succeeded in having his brain’s “volitional waves” produce an effect in the world! He really is a national treasure. I wonder if he ever met Percy Yeomans?
20 YEOMANSPROJECT.COM Mrs Yeomans Lucas Ihlein Published: 27 August ‘11 ecently Ian and I visited Kirsten, home and became quite indignant when the Brahman stud operation on the farm. “P. A. Yeomans married Jane Nick, Ashar and Trevor at the politely told it was a private property. Mrs. Anthony Horden, Jnr., managed Radek in 1966 and they had two Rwonderful Milkwood property A charming old lady in her eighties her own Southdown stud at Culcain daughters, Julie and Wendy.” outside of Mudgee. We were all having tramped around the paddocks and her (N.S.W.) Anthony Hordern Jnr, Anyway, at least this meagre a cup of tea after touring the farm, and interest and enthusiasm were infectious. President of the N.S.W. Sheepbreeders’ piece of research goes a little way chatting about P.A. Yeomans and the Another, a woman doctor, became so Association. A grazier running Merino to answering Kirsten’s question wider Yeomans clan. All of the sons keen during a visit that she vowed on and Romney Mash stud sheep, and also about Yeomans’ wife/wives. It’s an (Neville, Ken, Allan) have gone on to her return to the country practice her a beef cattle breeder. Professor J.R important question to have asked, do interesting things with their lives. land-owning patients should receive A McMillian, Dean of the Faculty of because this farming business can seem Each of the sons contributed to P.A.’s large doses of Keyline with her course Agriculture at the University of Sydney. to be very much dominated by male book The City Forest: Ken wrote a of treatment whenever she visited them. C.R. McKerehan, President of the forces (especially when big handsome back-cover-blurb entitled “For Youth”; Others arrive for a quick inspection, Rural Bank of New South Wales. P.A. pieces of earth-shaping machinery are Neville wrote the Foreword; and Allan checking their watches on arrival Yeomans (my father), President of the in question). the Afterword. and allotting perhaps a fifteen minute Keyline Foundation, Grazier, Mining I hope more on Rita and Jane But, as Kirsten asks in her email: “stay”. These people usually are on Engineer, Originator of Keyline Plan, comes to light for us, while we continue “What was the story with P.A.’s wife? I their way from the city to their inland author of several books on agriculture. to explore the world of Yeomans. was thinking about the sons this evening properties and the visit to our place Professor Sir C. Stanton Hicks, - – - and realised I had no idea about her, or is to be “just a passing look”. They Professor of Human Physiology and *[I have to say, I don’t know where she intersected with Yeoman’s generally remain for hours. One couple Pharmacology at the University of enough about taxation law to properly work, the sons’ take on things, etc…” had four young children and a long Adelaide, Scientific Food Consultant understand this. Two pieces of land had Good question Kirsten! Well, journey ahead of them. They arrived to the Australian Army and founded the to be sold, just because Rita died?? That when I opened up a copy of the book about lunch time, but it was dark before Australian Army Catering Corps during seems a bit unfair. There’s what looks The Challenge of Landscape, 1958, I the husband finally agreed to leave. His World War II. David R McCaughey, like a good essay about death duties discovered that the foreword1 was in fact wife had my sympathy that day.” (Sir) Chairman N.S.W. Elder Smith (and their 1978 abolition)5 for anyone written by Rita Yeomans. She begins: In her Foreword, a portrait Goldsborough Mort, grazier of who might make better sense of them “This book of my husband’s is the emerges of Rita as – how should I put Borambola Park Beef Shorthorn than I...] natural outcome of the results of “The it? pragmatically loyal – to her man: stud, Wagga (N.S.W.). John Darling, **Oh, I found more! Keyline Plan”, published in 1954.” “On first inspecting Kencarley2 Chairman and Managing Director of In his previous book, The So there you go! Yeomans’ wife [at Orange] as prospective buyers Darling and Co.Ltd (our milling and Keyline Plan (1954), Rita wrote the WAS heavily involved in what was the weather was hot, the country dry, stock-food RM). He was also director Foreword too!6 going on in the “family business”. This and the area altogether extremely of various companies including [UPDATE 2013: This year we is evidenced by the rest of the foreword. discouraging and uninviting. I looked British Petroleum Co. of Australia, met up with both Julie and Wendy! It’s clear that Rita had a strong at its rundown, neglected appearance, Alcoa of Australia, Perpetual Trustees Wendy will be an invited speaker at understanding of the importance of the heavily covered with scrub and trees, Australia, Consolidated Metals, and the Art Gallery of NSW, and Julie Keyline principles of landscape design: the barren soil, and broken fences – Commonwealth Mining Investments. has contributed a box of her father’s “The interest shown in [P.A.’s] even the house was uninhabitable. My Harold N. Sarina, Organizing Secretary documents for the exhibition.] efforts over the last four years has been husband said to me, “Well, what do Keyline Research Foundation. (former outstanding, and visitors from all over the you think of it?” and my answer was, long term secretary of the Sydney Royal world have continued to visit our places. “If it wasn’t for Keyline and tractors I Agricultural Society, (R.A.S.) where he His Keyline Plan has been wouldn’t want to touch it.”” was Executive Officer and Registrar admired, condemned, criticised, In a 2005 book3 by Allan from 1933 to 1955. He was also an accepted in part and even pirated in Yeomans, I found another trace of agriculture and livestock consultant. part. Many have tried out sections of his Rita. She was, it seems, a trustee of And G.B.S. Falkiner (not shown), plan on various types of properties and The Keyline Research Foundation. of Haddon Rig Merino Stud, Warren farms, and where faithfully carried out, Here’s a picture of her [above] in (N.S.W.), Vice President of N.S.W. has yielded results that have been more August 1955. I’ve copied Allan’s full Sheepbreeder’s Association, chairman than satisfactory.” caption for the photo, as it describes of the Industrial Committee of the It also seems that Rita had a many of the things Rita did, and shows Nuclear Foundation and a member of significant “public relations” role (as we the illustrious Keyline team, in which the Council of the N.S.W. Bush Nursing would call it these days). She received she was an accepted full member: Association. visitors to the various Yeomans farms The Ten Trustees of the Keyline There is a less cheerful ending to and showed them around, explaining Research Foundation taken at the second this story, I’m afraid. According to his the transformation of run-down, meeting of Trustees, August 1955. account4, Allan Yeomans says that after neglected or abused landscapes to good From left to right: Mrs. Rita writing the Foreword to The Challenge green pastures and water-filled dams. Yeomans (my mother), who entertained, of Landscape, his mother lived for only Her interactions with female visitors are advised and catered for often up to another six years: Rita Yeomans particularly insightful: one hundred unexpected visitors at the “Rita Yeomans died 1964 and “My experiences [...] have been Nevallan farm – almost every week. the two original Keyline properties at 1http://bit.ly/18DJ4Cf 2http://bit.ly/1he5vB3 interesting, sometimes exasperating, In addition she was involved with the North Richmond N.S.W. were sold to 3http://bit.ly/1he5AVp and often amusing. There was the Flying Doctor Service, the English pay death duties.”* 4http://bit.ly/16NTbl6 woman who arrogantly demanded Speaking Union and the Country … and later on, Yeomans had 5http://bit.ly/16NTmg6 6http://bit.ly/18Fv8Xq to be shown through the “Nevallan” Women’s Association. She also managed another family: YEOMANSPROJECT.COM 21 Creeping Suburbs Ian Milliss Published: 29 August ‘11
Recent aerial view of Yobarnie showing housing development.
Aerial view of Yobarnie - photograph from Yeomans’ book, The City Forest, 1971. around 8.3 million and in 1975 when edge. In reality, the outer edge is now this project was originally proposed probably the western escarpment of the ucas and I have been looking at during that time and also why the art it was around 13.9 million, a 67% Blue mountains near where I live and photos to use in the prints we world is a very different place. increase. Now in 2011 the population is nearly 150 kilometres from the coast. have been working on and I’ve Just look at this early photo of around 21 million, a 153% increase. Much of the land that is being swallowed L 2 been struck by the way the suburbs Yobarnie, Yeomans’ first property [top Sydney’s population was 1.7 million up in urban sprawl was among the most are creeping up on Yeomans’ early left], and this recent shot from Google in 1950 at which time Yobarnie was well fertile agricultural land in the country and properties. I was born in late 1950 and Earth [top right]. out in the country, now in 2011 when it is crucial to food security. the population is two and half times The figures are that Australia’s over 4.5 million (165% growth) Yobarnie 1 what it was then which in itself explains population in 1950 when Yobarnie is probably closer to the geographical 1http://bit.ly/1aDvLmC why sustainability has become an issue was being developed by Yeomans was centre of Sydney than it is to the outer 2http://bit.ly/1681D2Y Exhibition Circus Ian Milliss Published: 30 October ‘11
know we have looked really slack not posting for two months but the reason I was simple enough, we had to do the work for the exhibition Power to the People: Contemporary Conceptualism and the Object in Art3. What an effort it has been, you wouldn’t think anything so simple could involve so much work and not just by us, an enormous amount was done for us by ACCA and the exhibition curator Hannah Mathews. The irony of this exhibition, with its title that references the radical activism of the 1970s, occurring at the same time as there is finally some growing public resistance to the pervasive corruption and decadence of the last few decades is an irony you could never have scripted. Of course the Yeomans Project overall consists of this blog which will continue as we put in more of the mountain of research we have accumulated, the work in the Power To The People exhibition and the bus tour to Taranaki Farm4 on October 8, 2011. We’ll talk about the bus tour later, but in the exhibition we have a recently manufactured Yeomans Plow, a vitrine of Yeomans publications, signage of Yeomans logos, six prints recently made at Big Fag Press and the AGNSW Trustees minute book, kindly lent by The Yeomans Project installation at ACCA photo Andrew Curtis © ACCA 3http://bit.ly/1fVkgLb 4http://www.taranakifarm.com.au/ AGNSW and showing a snippet of the exhibition’s history. Let’s talk about the prints first... 22 YEOMANSPROJECT.COM The Power of the Press Ian Milliss Published: 30 October ‘11
Lucas holding up the first print Nevallan, 2011
he big FAG printing press resembling conventional art works. The long been kicked aside. Previously the was an almost free distribution (from which Big Fag Press gets original proposal was an exploration institutions had collected and presented mechanism that could potentially reach Tits name) is a wondrous thing of the idea that if you regard cultural artefacts that had come into existence anyone in the world, a far greater reach especially to someone like me who once innovation as the essential characteristic out in the world, now they incestuously than any institution. Most important of worked in publishing. It is horrifying to of artists then a lot of people working manufactured their own, artists made art all, the internet had no gatekeepers and think it almost went into the scrap metal in areas that would not conventionally for the institutional world alone and the the key to the institution’s power was crusher. Its survival is partly responsible be regarded as art media (like farming) institutions and the art market promoted their usurpation of the role of cultural for this project which originated in could be seen as artists. As a consequence only the work which supported and gate keeping – either you played it their discussions Lucas and I had about some their work should be collected, analysed promoted their power. way, limited yourself to the forms and prints I wanted to do, a series to be and presented in cultural institutions. But then, suddenly, everything issues they found acceptable, or you called “What didn’t happen” about my But that was 1975 and the art world started to change because the internet were locked out of the game entirely. past projects that had never happened has passed a lot of water since then. In came along. What the internet provided On the internet, however, suddenly or had failed or turned out differently to the ensuing twenty years the cultural the way they had been conceived. institutions expanded in size, wealth But one fact about the original and power until, tag teaming with the art Yeomans Project as envisaged back market, they seemed to have a complete in 1975 was that it would never have stranglehold on the entire cultural contained prints, or anything else debate and dissenters like myself had
Detail from Holbein’s The Ambassadors, 1533, National Gallery London as seen Ian Milliss and Lucas Ihlein Nevallan 2011 offset lithograph print on Google Art Project. YEOMANSPROJECT.COM 23 all the barriers to entry were gone. it has only been manipulated by printing Although there are innumerable people it as a duotone. out there who still don’t get it, the The second and third prints [left], reality is that the art world has been which I produced, are the interviews stood on its head and increasingly Lucas and I did in which we each the galleries and institutions position discussed the development of the project resembles that of big box retailers in an in term of our personal artistic histories. age of online shopping- their audience Louise “The Intern” (Louise Anderson), may drop in occasionally to get a sense while helping with the printing, rather of the physicality of the objects but the cruelly observed that when I was being really enhanced experience is online interviewed I gave lengthy answers and where you can get infinitely more when I was doing the interviewing I gave information and even view the object lengthy questions so that overall there is more comfortably and in greater detail much more of me talking than Lucas. [bottom left page 23]. Sadly, that is completely true and my All of that was in our minds as we only defence is that I talk too much and set about this project. The institution Lucas is too polite to tell me to shut up. had its priorities and we had ours, how In terms of design, I have spent could we both get a reasonable result far too much of my life laying out out of this? The solution to some degree newspapers and magazines where I was to use exactly what had been the had to align every last column. In this original criticism of the project back case, I didn’t. In fact I ignored almost in 1975 – we treated it like a trade every conventional print nicety because show. In other words, we treated it as a just for once I could and guess what, form of advertising for something that it hardly makes any difference to the was happening somewhere else – the readability or lack of it. The contours sustainable farming movement that has and dam shape are based loosely on built up around P.A. Yeomans work – illustrations in Yeomans books and and we produced a range of merchandise have been sprayed over the finished for the occasion. Hence the prints. print using stencils in a sort of gentle There are six prints: two by me, parody of the artists’ authentic touch two by Lucas and two by Yeomans, so – yes folks every single one has been to speak. graffitied by me. The first “Yeomans” print is based The two interviews can on the Google Earth view of Nevallan be downloaded in their lengthy [top image, page 23], the property we entirety online1. visited early in the project. I rotated the image to place the river parallel to the Ian Milliss interviewed and Lucas Ihlein interviewed, 2011 offset lithograph bottom of the frame but other than that 1http://bit.ly/1c2kwb2 & http://bit.ly/171YazF prints with spray stencil enamel.
Detail of Lucas Ihlein interviewed, 2011 offset lithograph print Right page: Ian Milliss and Lucas Ihlein, Keyline Map detail, 2011 offset lithograph print
24 YEOMANSPROJECT.COM
The Yeomans Project: A Social Ecology Perspective, 2011 offset lithograph print
The fourth print is by Lucas - but is pasting, word by word, quotes from not a print at all, and we don’t even have Yeomans books over one of his Keyline photo of it, although you can see it in the contour drawings. It’s my favourite of background of the exhibition photo in the the prints I think [previous page]. previous post. It is in fact the original that The final print [left] is Yeomans will be made into a print, because in the again, it’s an enlarged page from the rather haphazard tradition of this project, 1970s sales pamphlet for his plows, Lucas’s partner Lizzie gave birth to a in this case advertising one of his daughter Alberta May only two weeks specialised tynes, but very much in before the exhibition, and just when the the optimistic mode of that era when print was to be produced, which was a bit everything still seemed possible. of a distraction. [2013 Update - the work It includes an image of an earlier is now a print, shown above]. version of the plow we feature in the It is a diagram illustrating some exhibition, and the plow deserves a of the ideas of Stuart Hill, Professor discussion all of its own. of Social Ecology at the university So there it is! Our merchandise, of Western Sydney. Stuart has our collectibles. We thought of doing written extensively on Yeomans and some T-shirts because you’ve always has developed many of his ideas in gotta have T-shirts, we thought innovative ways. We’ll talk more about of mugs, then we thought no, stay his work later. classy, it’s an art gallery, make it look Lucas holding up New chisel plow shank, 2011 offset lithograph print The next rather beautiful print like art. is also by Lucas, made by cutting and Whatever that is.
Ian Milliss and Lucas Ihlein, detail of New chisel plow shank, 2011 offset lithograph print
26 YEOMANSPROJECT.COM PA Yeomans and Social Ecology
Lucas Ihlein Published: 31 October ‘11
Stuart Hill with conversation notes, at Wollongong University Library, September 2011. n the previous article, Ian mentioned better, first of all, put some effort into obesity, housing insecurity, and ways: by increasing efficiency, or via a “fourth print”, based on Professor understanding the way that humans think countless others) seem to resist the the substitution of different inputs. IStuart Hill’s research into PA and work. Bookchin writes: prescriptions emerging from uni- These two approaches can be thought Yeomans [far top left]. Of all the “To separate ecological problems disciplinary research.” of as incremental steps towards the Yeomans prints we’ve produced on from social problems–or even to play When we met up, Stuart and I more wholistic (but more difficult) the Big Fag Press, it’s the one which down or give token recognition to talked about dozens of different things: process of redesign. most resembles a highschool project this crucial relationship– would be to from psychological analysis of “the I’ve written out a simplification of (which is also why it’s the most daggy). grossly misconstrue the sources of the self” and its relation to “the world”, to the EFFICIENCY- SUBSTUTITION- Aesthetics aside, I’m going to try and growing environmental crisis. The way more concrete stories about co-existing REDESIGN (ESR) concept. make sense of some of Stuart’s ideas human beings deal with each other as with weeds on productive farmland. In Efficiency: this is about using which this poster grapples to exhibit. social beings is crucial to addressing my diagram, I’ve focused on just one available resources in a manner which I sketched up this diagram after the ecological crisis. Unless we clearly element of our conversation – the notion is likely to generate more yield. having a chat with Stuart in a meeting recognize this, we will surely fail to of “redesign”. For example, a more efficient room within Wollongong University see that the hierarchical mentality and In Stuart’s account, the desire to motor will propel your car further Library [above], and then delving into class relationships that so thoroughly improve the way particular systems for the same amount of fuel. There’s a bunch of his academic texts – some permeate society give rise to the very work usually happens in one of two often an economic imperative for of which are available online.1 Stuart is idea of dominating the natural world.” product manufacturers to improve the Foundation Chair of Social Ecology at Here’s another interesting attempt efficiency of their own systems, as the University of Western Sydney. at a definition, from the School of Social it can yield more profit (or be more Social Ecology is a way of applying Ecology at the University of California. attractive to consumers). ecological understanding to the design “A modern definition of social My 2011 Hyundai is far more and management of human systems. ecology understands it as the interactions efficient than my old 1978 Ford Transit In other words, it’s a field of within the social, institutional, and Van ever was, meaning it’s not only study and action which attempts to cultural contexts of people- environment cheaper for me to drive, but it also wholistically combine ecological, relations that make up well-being [...] produces less pollution per kilometre economic, and social spheres in order to At its core, Social Ecology’s motivating travelled. That’s great, but it still design better systems for the planet. As philosophy is a pragmatic one — only reduces (but doesn’t do away Murray Bookchin, one of the pioneers the most persistent ills of society of the field pointed out in 1964, people (sprawl, malnutrition, deforestation, who want to “save the environment” had urban violence, waterborne disease, 1http://www.stuartbhill.com/
YEOMANSPROJECT.COM 27 with) the basic underlying problem – Substitution: here, an attempt exactly do we want to do here? about this sort of shit.1 To paraphrase that car travel is a polluting activity. is made to go beyond efficiency, The way things are currently set their redesign of the problem: With the number of cars on the road by substituting a different kind of up, humans want to rapidly move their “The dumb thing about our increasing all the time, this efficiency input material. bodies, as well as manufactured goods, current way of organising sewerage gain is outweighed by the sheer volume Unleaded petrol is less poisonous from place to place. We happen to find systems is that we take two substances of drivers – and so carbon emissions than the old “super”, and using motorised road travel a convenient way – human poo and fresh drinking water continue to rise. bio-diesel from vegetable oil means that to carry out this function right now, but – and we mix them together to make a To use a different example (and you can potentially run your car using a it’s not the only way to achieve this goal. third substance which is not useful for perhaps a more silly one) – the amount renewable resource, rather than oil. To zoom back even further, we anything. We then flush it away, and of fuel used to freight rolls of toilet Similarly, the widespread could ask – why do we need to move our have to spend vast amounts of energy paper from factories to supermarkets acceptance of recycled paper for toilet bodies about so much anyway? Is there treating it, to make it safe again. But can be improved by making each roll roll manufacturing means that fewer some way we could redesign human if we were to look at human excrement more “efficient” – ie, by decreasing the trees need to be chopped down for us to systems so that we don’t require this as a resource instead of a pollutant, we size of the cylinder of air in the middle wipe our arses. But again, substitution level of physical mobility? Experiments could then think about harvesting it and of the roll, and making up the difference is a way of patching up – and possibly in the “relocalisation” of society breaking it down (eg via a “humanure” by having more sheets of toilet paper even scaffolding – an existing, flawed, are part of the process of redesigning composting system) to make an excellent per roll. But this still doesn’t alter the way of doing things. this problem. agricultural fertiliser.” fundamental problem of all that human The approach of redesign involves And what of my toilet paper shit being flushed down the toilet – the taking a step back from the situation, example? Nick and Kirsten of existing system remains unchanged. and reframing it more broadly. What Milkwood Permaculture love talking 1http://bit.ly/Ihhnam
28 YEOMANSPROJECT.COM And where does Yeomans come These include: in all of this? Interestingly, Stuart Hill • a lack of consumer demand at discusses the work of PA Yeomans the time for green products, organic and extensively in his explanation of pesticide-free foods; the EFFICIENCY-SUBSTITUION- • the flooding of the market REDESIGN concept. The poster we’ve with cheap “magic bullet” agricultural made tries to accumulate a whole bunch solutions (like superphosphates and of anecdotes and ideas about redesign weed-killers) making it easy for farmers stemming from Yeomans’ work. For to bypass Yeomans’ more long-term Hill, Yeomans’ approach to landscape solutions; and farm management is an excellent • a limited general understanding example of redesign. of ecological systems thinking in society Farming is often thought of in at large; economic terms – how can we get • Yeomans’ own style of operation the best yield for the least input? In – his writing is at times confusing, and the 1960s, chemical fertiliser and flips back and forth between the highly pest control became cheap enough to technical and the quasi-evangelical. make agricultural food production a Yeomans is often described as a global industrial process. But in an “pioneer” of sustainable agriculture. environment like Australia, with its Perhaps, as the cliche goes, he was poor soils and drought-prone climate, simply ahead of his time. These days, an industrial approach like this can lead he’s often cited as an influence on to diminishing returns – not to mention permaculture movement, which has to the degradation of the very resource risen dramatically since the 1970s, and (the land) upon which the whole begun to infiltrate mainstream thinking. enterprise relies. In permaculture teaching, For Yeomans, the problem is Yeomans’ Keyline design methods reframed by thinking of the farm are just as likely to be used as landscape as a wholistic system, rather a metaphor for a particular approach to than a resource to be used – and thinking problem setting and solving in a wide of the farmer as being “in the service” of range of circumstances (ie, not only for that system. farming and land management). And it’s The question itself then changes. this “integrative thinking” – the ability Rather than wondering how to preserve to bring experiences from diverse fields the precious little soil we have, Yeomans onto a problem situation – that makes asks: “how we can create an abundance Yeomans an important contributor to of new soil?” Rather than asking “how social ecology research. can I extract more product from this harsh climate?”, he asks “how can we improve the climate of the soil for the Human Nutrient Cycle Diagram – from the Humanure Handbook by Joseph life within it?”. Jenkins (via Milkwood) Having thus reframed the problem, Yeomans then set about to develop a whole range of interlinked approaches (beginning from the close observation of land shape and water flows) to “improve the capital” in the system itself. The idea is then to live off the interest, rather than depleting the capital. Those who are inclined to poo- poo this “organic farming” approach might say that it’s not workable on a large scale; that it’s merely a “boutique” method and cannot feed the earth’s billions. Arguably, such critics aren’t taking into account the fact that conventional farming has a whole host of unaccounted- for inputs (unrenewable energy, chemical fertilisers) and outputs (carbon emissions, long distance freight) which prop it up. In other words, the apparently high yields of conventional agriculture come at a cost which has, up to now, been bracketed out of the equation. A social ecology approach not only generates ideas for redesigning human-environmental systems, but also explores why good ideas may have failed to gain wider acceptance. In his own lifetime, Yeomans’ Keyline design system, for example, never became the “human environment revolution” that he’d hoped for. Hill hypothesises that a combination of elements may have contributed to this limited uptake during his active Keyline years (roughly 1950-80).
YEOMANSPROJECT.COM 29 Field Trip Lucas Ihlein Published: 1 November ‘11
world. But like us, they were interested in agricultural processes – an interest distinct from (even if overlapping with) their interest in art. There were a few who said they had a particular enthusiasm for “social processes as art” – of which our Field Trip was an example – so I suppose for them, the tour itself was an item of study. There were also some kids who just wanted to see the chickens. We arrived at Taranaki Farm around noon, and were greeted by the farmers: Ben Falloon, his partner Nina and their daughter Maya. Ben began his introductory statements by reminding us why we were visiting Taranaki, and not some e met at ACCA in the other nice-looking Victorian farm: Ian and Lucas hoggin' the mike... morning. Some enthusiastic PA Yeomans. Taranaki Farm has Wpunters beat us to it, and developed, over the last six years, were already milling around in the from a conventionally run cattle farm, foyer. They had brought cute-looking to a shining example of “regenerative picnic baskets and thermoses, and there agriculture”. That is, land which is on its was an excited feeling of agricultural way to better things, rather than running anticipation. Field Trip! down its biological resources until they are exhausted. Studying and applying Yeomans’ farm design principles is a key method in this shift for Ben and Nina. We all tramped off for our first paddock walk. It took about forty seconds for my mesh sneakers to sink deep into muddy water, and I definitely wasn’t the only one with impractical footware. [right] Ben walked us up to where his Like nerdy highschool students, cows were stationed for today. He we piled onto the bus… pointed out an area of land which he I quite like the period of calm was planning to develop according which a short bus trip creates. Someone to Yeomans’ Keyline principles. The Jumping the puddles in the paddock else is in charge of the navigation and the driving, and all you have to do is sit back and drowse, until you arrive. …unless, of course, you’re on a bus with Ian and Lucas, armed with a funny old microphone furnished by the nice bus driver. In which case, you’re likely to be regaled with stories about Yeomans (and about ourselves) for most of the journey. [top right] This was our “artists’ talk” about the Yeomans Project – the sort of thing you usually get when you go to the gallery and the artist stands in front of his/her work and gives you a bunch of extra info which hopefully will help you understand or appreciate it better. The great thing about rumbling along in a bus while you do this, is that you can have pauses to look out the window, and contemplate the landscape rolling by. These silences seem significant, not awkward. While we had the mike, we picked on a few folks on the bus to get a bit of a random sample: who were these people, and why were they on this trip? When you organise a Field Trip to a farm, starting from an art gallery, it’s helpful to know these things. Most of those we spoke to had some sort of affiliation with the art The contour is the line between the lighter area and the darker area of grass...
30 YEOMANSPROJECT.COM outside to see how all his dams and channels were working, and from this he would know how they could be improved. It was a constant cyclical process of observation and action. Ben, almost foaming with glee, told us that he is the same. The rain tells the truth about whether his Keyline design plan is working or not. After a visit to another dam, the crowd was ravenous, and so we sloshed back to the farmstead for our picnic lunch. This was lovely. Though it’d been threatening to rain all day, the sun shone feebly for just long enough for us to spread out our blankets in Taranaki’s ramshackle orchard, and recline for our luncheon en plein air. The picnic was a good chance for the Field Trippers to get to know each other a bit better, share some snacks, and chat about what they’d seen and heard. For those who had hitherto heard little of Yeomans’ Keyline principles, Ben’s rapidfire introduction needed to be calmly digested, so to speak. Small clusters of picnickers A new dam on Taranaki Farm organically composed themselves within the orchard [below]. The whole beginning of this process, he explained, I haven’t got a diagram of Taranaki After this explanation we tramped thing was very bucolic. (But why hadn’t was finding the contour of the land, and Farm’s water design to show you, over to look at an actual dam that Ben we thought to bring wine?!) making it visible. This can be done with but here’s one from Yobarnie (one of recently created. It’s a beautiful piece of And then it was off again, for the coloured pegs or stakes, or, as in this Yeomans’ farms on the outskirts of land engineering [top left]. second half of the day, to the “bottom case, by fencing off along the contour Sydney) which clearly shows a whole Ben showed us – this time with paddock”, where some of Ben’s Keyline and allowing the cows to graze up to the bunch of dams situated at crucial points peg and string lines – where the water experiments are a bit more established. edge of one side. [opposite page, bottom] in the undulating landscape, linked by flow channels will join this dam to We rolled down the hill and crossed a sort This allows him to “see” where water channels running between them future dams he will make. This is hard of bog [overleaf bottom left], where Ben the water can be made to flow, along [bottom left]. to get your head around. As one lady on had constructed a makeshift bridge so and just below the level of the contour. According to Ben, the purpose of the Field Trip remarked – sometimes the our woefully inadequate shoes wouldn’t He can then start to think about how to all of this is twofold. First, to improve water flow channels seem, to the naked have to suffer any more indignities. link this particular water flow line with the land itself: to bring extra moisture eye, to travel up hill! But Ben explained Crossing this bog – which to a elements like roads and dams. into the soil, increasing its capacity for that the eye can play all sorts of tricks, farmer might present itself as an irritating The basic principle here, Ben growing pasture to feed cows and so on; and it’s his trusty laser level that he inconvenience – was, to us cityfolk, an explained, is to keep the rain that falls and second, to build in a sort of water relies on to tell the truth about where the adventure in itself. (“Sophisticated” onto his land, on his land, for as long storage “buffer”, so that the land can water will really flow. urban dwellers, perhaps, don’t get the as possible. Ultimately, that might better take care of itself during periods There’s a tale about PA Yeomans, chance to wobble and play and risk mean that the rainfall landing on a of drought. that whenever it rained, he would race getting mucky very often.) hilltop could zigzag from dam to dam, following multiple channels, for a long time before it exits the property. In the meantime, it seeps into the soil, and fills up all those storage units – the dams.
Yeomans' farm, "Yobarnie", showing dams and water flow channels Picnic at Taranaki Farm
YEOMANSPROJECT.COM 31 A Keyline Dam System at Taranaki Farm
At the bottom paddock, we got to This system is pretty nifty. It see the beginning of his mixed forestry enterprise is, of course, beef. And so see an example of Keyline design in satisfies the intellect – physics and plantation [opposite page top]. it’s worth mentioning, before I sign action. Ben showed us two dams which all that. But there’s more. Part of the The following photo shows quite off here, the amazing system of “cell were strategically positioned in relation reason for doing this is that you can well how the forested land drops away grazing” which ties in with this whole to one another. I’ve tried to label the predict where water will be a lot of below the contour where the road we’re Keyline farming business. photo collage [above] to show how the the time, and therefore start to plan the all standing on is situated [opposite Taranaki employs a version of Joel water flows work. landscape accordingly. For example, page, middle]. Salatin’s beef management method1. So, the water comes down the hill you don’t have to wait for the dam to Importantly, Ben’s forest is not just This means keeping the cows in a really on the right hand side of the photo, flows overflow – you can release some of the for “feel good” purposes. He intends tight area (a “cell”), and moving them along a road (which has been bulldozed water whenever you like. In this way, to harvest the timber. Having a forest every day to a new piece of pasture. This in that position on purpose) and winds irrigation can happen, and the areas performs a host of other services too, way, the cows intensively graze – eating up in the big dam on the left hand side. below the channels can begin to support like providing shelter for the cattle. almost everything – including weeds – This dam, when full, will overflow and things like intentionally planted forests. Oh the cattle, we haven’t even got shit all over it, and move on. The grass the water will run along a channel to the This is exactly what Ben has onto them yet! has a shock to its system, and starts to second dam, on the top right hand side started to do, just on the other side of ...because, besides a bit of timber, of the photo. the crest from this system. Here you can the product which sustains this entire 1http://bit.ly/19TXQUs
Crossing the bog, single file...
32 YEOMANSPROJECT.COM regenerate rapidly. By the time the cows COMMENTS: come back again, some months later, the grass has fully recovered, and has Ian Milliss Posted 1 November ’11 deeper roots than before. In an ideal world, a mobile chicken I would add that it is always shed (or “eggmobile”) follows behind enjoyable to meet someone who is the cows, pecking at all the bugs in the articulate, enthusiastic and thoughtful cow manure, and adding even more and Ben was all of those things. It diversity to the nutrient mix. (Taranaki’s was great to spend time with him. chicken shed is built, it just doesn’t have The pleasure he took in the work he wheels yet!) was doing to recreate his farm was According to Joel Salatin, incredibly contagious and I’m sure most this method mimics the traditional people came away with a real sense of movement of animals through land: the creativity and awareness involved in “Herbivores in nature exhibit the process and also real sense of how three characteristics: mobbing for humanity’s looming difficult future can predator protection, movement daily be faced positively. onto fresh forage and away from Another point about how much yesterday’s droppings, and a diet Ben has achieved in a short time is that consisting of forage only – no dead two quite different forms of farming animals, no chicken manure, no grain, practice are still quite visible on the and no fermented forage. Our goal is Ben striding towards Taranaki Farm's Keyline Forest plantation - which you can see growing on the right hand side of the picture farm. You can still see the old structure to approximate this template as closely because there are old fence lines still as possible. Our cows eat forage only, a in place although they don’t function new pasture paddock roughly every day, because the wire has been removed. It and stay herded tightly with portable helps enormously in understanding the electric fencing. This natural model conflicting approaches that have been heals the land, thickens the forage, operating there. reduces weeds, stimulates earthworms, reduces pathogens, and increases nutritional qualities in the meat.” Below is an aerial shot of Taranaki COMMENTS: Farm, from Nearmaps. You can see the radiating lines coming from the dam in Lucas Ihlein Posted 5 November’11 the bottom middle of the picture – these correspond to individual cells used on a Oh also… On the way back on the rotating basis, day by day. Ben is able bus, I got to talking with a few final year to shift one thin electric fence wire each art students from RMIT. One of them day and the cows cheerfully shift to the mentioned that for her graduation piece, next cell for a fresh day’s foraging. she is going to hire a helicopter, to hover Unfortunately, our day had come in a stationery position over the city for to an end. We were already running an hour. behind time, so we skipped back to the I know this, seemingly, has bus to head back to Melbourne. nothing to do with Yeomans (although someone is bound to find a connection), I had prepared a special CD of Field Trip group inspecting Taranaki Farm Keyline Forest (rather crappy but topical) farming songs the reason I mention this is that if she for our weary Field Trippers to listen to to – amazingly, Ben, Nina and Maya one’s own eyes. And it’s thrilling to be happens to come here and read this blog (if anyone wants a copy, let me know), have been farming at Taranaki for six able to feel the land’s undulations, with entry, maybe she could get in touch and and there was much animated chatting years. What’s more, they started with one’s own legs. Of course, any narrative tell us how the event goes. about all we had seen and heard (and, I Yeomans’ Keyline methods just three and photographic account can only be a I thought it sounded ‘just the right noticed some drowsing) on the bus. years ago. shadow of the embodied experience we amount of crazy’ to be interesting… Oh, One last thing, which I have It’s fantastic to be able to witness had on our Field Trip. another thing! In the week before our big been meaning to draw your attention this transformation as it happens, with bus trip, Ian and I visited Ben at Taranaki to get the lay of the land. Ben hooned us around the farm in his little cracked- windscreen Suzuki four wheel drive. Ian sat in the front, I sat in the back. On the backseat, amongst laser levels, bits of old barbed wire, and odd rusty tools, I found two objects which, possibly, sum up Ben’s character. One, on the right [below], is a notepad with a listing of PA Yeomans’ elements in the Keyline Scale of Permanence. The other is a DVD of Kurosawa’s great samurai film Yojimbo.
Aerial View of Taranaki Farm showing lines left by cell grazing
YEOMANSPROJECT.COM 33
Yobarnie Heritage Update 2013
Ian Milliss Published: 1 November ‘13
ince my original research [see of that system. Such evidence of the from this challenging environment Overall the listing not only page 9], the heritage significance sustainable transformation of natural the prototype of a viable agricultural recognises the property but also gives Sof Yobarnie has now been landscapes by human agendas is rare in landscape now represented worldwide. official recognition to the importance recognised and protected. In March NSW and in Australia. - Integrity/Intactness: Although the of P.A. Yeomans as an innovator 2013 the NSW Government listed - Representativeness: Yobarnie Keyline System at Yobarnie has been and a figure of major cultural Yobarnie on the NSW State Heritage is of state heritage significance for its neglected since 1964, it has continued to significance. The listing is itself a Register, giving it protection as an ability to demonstrate the interaction operate passively to the extent possible major achievement for the many item of state significance. The listing between topography and poor soil and without maintenance and the overall Yeomans supporters who worked so protects the remaining parts of the the Keyline System, which created legibility of the system remains good. hard to bring it about. original property (including ten of the twelve original dams) from future redevelopment or subdivision and provides a framework for future restoration work or conservation through some form of adaptive reuse. The Statement of Significance which is required for listing noted that the property met the requirements for state significance on all major criteria. A summary indicates that while meeting the the state significance criteria the property is in fact of national and even international significance making it unique in Australia. The criteria are: - Historical significance: Yobarnie is the place in which the Keyline system was first developed and demonstrated. This system has since been adopted by farmers in almost every country in the world and is considered to be the precursor of the Permaculture movement. - Associative significance: for its association with Percival A Yeomans, inventor of the Keyline system whose achievements were recognised internationally by the Prince Philip Design Award, in 1974, and a nation- wide poll conducted by Country Life magazine placed him among the top 3 Australians who had contributed most to Australian agriculture. - Aesthetic significance: The distinctive cultural landscape resulting from the Keyline system is itself aesthetically pleasing and offers considerable scope for contributing to the visual and recreational amenity of any future adaptive reuse. - Social significance: Yobarnie is held in high esteem by the state’s (and indeed, the country’s) agricultural community, evidenced by a nationwide poll conducted by Country Life magazine that placed PA Yeomans among the top 3 Australians who had contributed most to Australian agriculture. - Research potential: Yobarnie shows evidence not found on any other property of Yeomans’ early experiments. - Rarity: Yobarnie is unique in preserving evidence of the early experimental stages in the development
Opposite page: Ian Milliss and Heritage Council of NSW map of Yobarnie indicating ‘state significant’area. Lucas Ihlein New chisel plow shank 2011 offset lithograph print based on an enlarged page from the 1970s sales pamphlet for Yeomans plows advertising one of his specialised tynes.
YEOMANSPROJECT.COM 35 Yeomans Project at the Art Gallery of NSW 28 November 2013 - 27 January 2014 Lucas Ihlein Published: 6 November ‘13
nd so it has come to pass. After and collaborators, f(ROUTE) and Artist thirty eight years of wandering as Family.) Ain the wilderness, the Yeomans PLUS: Project is finally coming to rest at the …we’ll be hosting some discussions Art Gallery of NSW. with the following luminaries, touching Exhibition Dates: 28 November on different aspects of Yeomans’ life 2013 to 27 January 2014. and work: The exhibition, which is an updated - Kirsten Bradley of Milkwood and enlarged version of what we showed Permaculture (on the impact of Yeomans at ACCA in 2011, will include: on contemporary permaculture - display cases including books and practices) artefacts lent by PA Yeomans’ daughters - Joanna Mendelssohn, College of - videos showing Keyline design in action Fine Arts (on the history of the AGNSW - prints produced on the Big Fag Press Trustees and their very “hands-on” - a large chalk map of one of Yeomans’ approach to exhibition planning in properties the 1970s) - the original Art Gallery of New - Stuart Hill, Professor of Social South Wales Trustees’ Minutes book Ecology at UWS (on the usefulness of which shows the decision NOT to Yeomans’ work for the philosophy of exhibit Ian Milliss’s Yeomans exhibition Social Ecology) back in 1976. - Wendy Yeomans, PA Yeomans’ - a big old Yeomans Plow daughter and a researcher at the Institute The show will also be making of Sustainable Futures at UTS (on her links to some contemporary artists father’s life and work, and her own). who demonstrate that things have And if that wasn’t enough, we also come full circle since the Art Gallery invite you to hop on a bus for our Field of NSW rejected the original Yeomans Trip to an early Yeomans experimental exhibition. In other words, unlike back farm outside of Sydney (free, but in 1976, it’s now totally acceptable for bookings required). the works of an artist (or art collective) Check out more exhibition details to consist almost entirely of agricultural, and related events at: botanical and permacultural processes.
The Modern Yeomans Plow Ian Milliss thanks Daniel Thomas, Frances Lindsay and Peter Laverty of the AGNSW The plow which is the centre piece of the Yeomans and Rebecca Meier for their support in the development of the 1975 exhibition Project exhibition at the Art Gallery of NSW is a proposal; Lucas Ihlein and Big Fag Press for collaboration, ideas, support and Yeomans Plow Company GP39-8 with five (5) OCS22C friendship; Hannah Mathews for the exhibition's resurrection at ACCA Melbourne in - 22" shanks and five (5) MDCC-16 - 16" Pasture 2011; and Wendy Carlson for rescuing him in time to make it all possible. Coulters and Depth Control Wheels. This plow is the most recent version of the plow which won the 1974 Ian and Lucas thank Allan Yeomans and Trevor Carter of Yeomans Plow Company Prince Phillip Design Award, gaining international Pty Ltd; Wendy Yeomans and Julie McGrath for dialogue and archival materials; recognition for PA Yeomans design achievements. Ben Falloon of Taranaki Farm; Kirsten Bradley and Nick Ritar of Milkwood Permaculture; Diego Bonetto; Andrea Lane of (f)route; Zero, Meg Ulman, Patrick Jones, Woody and Zephyr of Artist As Family; Darren Doherty; Louise Kate Anderson for her superb organising and design skills; Mickie Quick for excellent pre-press and printing on Big Fag Press; Michael Brown and the install crew at the AGNSW for custom paint work; and Joel Mu and Anneke Jaspers for making sure that this time it really happened.
Lucas Ihlein thanks Lizzie Muller for support and advice; Sue Muller for taking care of us all during the install period; The School of Creative Arts at University of Wollongong for research funding; and Nick and Kirsten from Milkwood for the introduction to Yeomans.
Videos in the exhibition were kindly supplied by: Gary Caganoff from Lysis Films; Jill Cloutier and Carol Hirashima from Sustainable World Media; Mark Russell & Nate Mitchell from Adventure Artists; and Geoffrey Booth from Keyline Archive.