So I recently joined the Permaculture New Zealand page on Facebook, and to my surprise, Mon Jansen commented on a query I had regarding gardening philosophy in relation to art. I received a ton of suggestions by the community and Mon kindly scheduled a video call with me on Wednesday the 6th. I found our chat affirming. I wasn't alone in my struggles regarding making art within the climate crisis. We discussed how we could shape our predominantly painting practice away from consumer culture and instead integrating permaculture philosophy into it. Is "making art" "making more stuff" thus adding to pathological elitist consumption. Through mutual internet hiccups, our chat was cut short. However, I am left with a wealth of information, insights, a bit of therapy, list of books, articles, authors and artists dealing with similar ideas. The climax of the discussion was understanding ways in which my practice could manifest. We considered whether painting subject matter that illustrated a permaculture philosophy or using biodegradable materials to make work was best suited to my practice. We spoke about the two different streams of "eco-art"; "eco-aesthetic" versus "permaculture/ regenerative thinking". Mon tends to lean towards the other, as she finds that using permaculture as more than just a method for gardening. Instead, working with this system through all aspects of her practice sits better with her ethically. For example, she uses bio-char to draw and then composts it completing its lifecycle by understanding its multiple functions. Eco-aesthetic speaks more to the idea of a theoretical ecological awareness but doesn't necessarily employ the functional aspects of regenerative thinking. I am, of course, rephrasing this conversation and my short term memory may have got the best of me and this reflection. What stuck with me: do I deal with an eco-centred philosphy merely aesthtically versus implementing its philosophy as well as its methods. I am not entirely sure yet, and I doubt I will know for sure this year or the next. Something Mon helped me figure out was that she has many years of experience in this field, but she is still dealing with these ideas. My practice won't be perfect; it will have better moments than others.
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