Thesis Journey

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Exploring links paper.
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Conflict and conflict management
I chose the blog format for this paper assignment.
I had started this blog 3 years ago for my RRU journal, with the same picture of my mom (at bottom), in a post. She was already so vulnerable and often lost by then. Perhaps this paper does not encounter the expected reflective qualities of master level writing, but I will try to express my choice. It holds a little bit of an intuitive angle, since that is also what I gathered from the assignment proposal which inspired me  :  « this paper is intended to deepen and further energize the work around completing thesis journey and learning from it ». It invites us to trust this can be seen as a work in progress / process of our « journey poster » both visual and written. (Robert ad Peter, EECO 680, 2014). The timeline angle of the first few paragraphs presented next will not all be part of the thesis journey presentation or poster, but felt they could help me focus on the origin of the various pitfalls and conflicts encountered along the journey afterwards.

Background
My whole thesis journey or Master enrolment decision -to start from the beginning-, launched a multilevel or multilayer inner conflict I could say. It began with previous education orientation shortcoming obstacles, which felt they interfered with my desire to pursue my environmental education and communication reflection, in the form of a Master’s degree, due to my lack of a scientific background. I don’t feel that I have a particular inclination for regrets, I suppose I have avoided some form of nostalgia now and then, by reflecting enough on my decisions along the way. On the other hand, spontaneous decisions always tend to attract me. In any case, previous choices seem to diminish my master’s options, until I found the MAEEC RRU program. The timing was perfect between family and work opportunities. Our 3 children were old enough, my job fulfilling and supportive enough, and my determination was strong enough to consider everything at once.

The purpose of this brief incursion in the MAEEC’s pre enrolment journey is to share a timeline of the journey’s story, which could seem related to inner conflict decisions. It aims to put the emotional engagement share of my options, in this perspective. Life’s uncertainties had a strong impact on my initial « plans ». Nevertheless, the outcome for me was clear. Conflict was quickly resolved, if it could be named that way.

« To each progressive gain elicits a corresponding loss »  (p.573)
Brutally summarized or reduced to a few sentences, as a caregiver to my mother caught in a psychological distress, which took the form of an Alzheimer diagnosis, changed plans. On a daily basis, it created overall organizational difficulties and by ricochet, postponed my education intents. Much more significantly, not only would my mother fear memorial degeneration and dread the total loss of her identity, but the painful prospect of her own slow psychological degradation and eventual death had already begun, before she could even truly visualize she would perhaps forget who were her cherished family. Such uncertain outcomes (but were they..) expressed themselves by a « very high level of anxiety » for both of us, particularly for my mother. We we're not taking risk here, although « known probabilities » were more likely to happen in the course of the disease's evolution, and although it felt there were no « benchmarks » that could « provide consistency » (Swenson, Rigoni, p.577). in terms of « controlling the situation », in face of the unknown on a psychological level, we could expect medical evolution to resemble other people's suffering in similar conditions. Perhaps it all didn’t exactly bring« peace into the room » (Bowling, Hoffman, 2000, title), but the conflict was not in the decision-taking. I integrated the only satisfying option -or so I felt -, and it is the love and emotional bond I had for my mother which decided for me.

« The complexity Connection ».
In trying to link the Ethical Problem Solving and Systems Theory paper readings to my mother’s inner conflict and my journey, various contributions the paper surprisingly offers the possibility to look at this problem from multiple angles, in regards with systems, interrelationships, and « feedback loops ». My mothers emotional journey and her physical « brain » would both soon experience « chaos ». Could hers and my situation combined be examined under the deontological view and the «inherent morality of the act» of caring for my mother itself? Unless considered under a subjective lens, the « concept of duty and of moral obligation » did not seem to correspond to my emotional or philosophical state of mind and hearth.  And a teleological view, looking « at the amount of good produced by the act» felt very egocentric, and could not offer any genuine foundations, unless one would examine objectively how was my mother taken care of under my hospices, or those of others, we could posit.  Words, almost taken outside of their initial context, still seem to make much sense in this setting. The « ‘space-between’ events » and « the process of change » also felt they were completely in focus with my mother's situation. « The step-by-step view of the problem, with a focus on the present rather then the future »  (p.576) she seemed to adopt at first, was a defensive protection, which delayed the day where she would let the « big picture »in spite of herself.

Ethical dimension and the principle of utility. (p.575)
The complexity and uncertainty, - themes we are presently pondering on- , had challenged both our presents, particularly my mother’s, one could legitimately observe. Our presence to one another had never felt so precious, so fragile and strong, simultaneously. Time was a precarious space and span we could not let interfere with our possibly brief moments of « conscious » life together. She experienced despair, feared loss and there was no such thing as hope in her mind (blink at ecopsychology.) Everything else could wait, and certainly could courses and a degree. As a paradox and a « reductionist view » (Swenson, Rigoni, p.575), of the « best » action in the short term, perhaps, in the end, it is also thanks to my mother’s legacy, that I could attend RRU courses. She was my adoptive mother, but we adopted each other.
(872 words. To be continued).

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Bowling, D. & Hoffman, D. (2000). Bringing Peace into the Room: The Personal Qualities of the Mediator and Their Impact on the Mediation. Negotiation Journal, 16(1), 5-28.

Swenson, D. X. & Rigoni, D. (1999). Ethical problem solving and systems theory: The complexity connection. Systemic Practice and Action Research, 12(6), 573-584. 
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photo : Taken by André / Baskatong 

DAY 2

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CONFLICT MANAGEMENT
Very interesting metaphors between conflict resolution and Aikido were brought to us by Robert, this morning. The quick motions examples Robert shared, embodied physically, demonstrated what can be experienced inwardly, certainly more profoundly by experts. Sort of an introduction to an attacking/receiving/defensive ballet.

COURSE DAY 1

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QUOTE, QUEBEC, SEED, LEAF, ROCK & RAY
This post is just to set me up trying to build the habit of daily little entries.
Next ones should start trying to be my assignment 1.

Being woken by the geese, greated by peacocks, seeing a rabit outside the Muse during morning writing minutes, meeting and presenting ourselves briefly, - wanted to quote « Vive le Québec libre»  (Général de Gaulles), but figured it would not set a nice -all across Canada- spirit), courses and general guidelines to start dealing with peace, conflict and leadership with Peter and Robert, first lentil burger at habitat, meeting new people through Legacy box team Charter and brainstorm (we are the CC me Street & the creative constraints), greetings with other cohorts, food, meeting triad, seeing -Ricky- Kool and Liza, beeing introduced to Veronica, a Montreal colleague who happens to work with one of my closest girl friend Dominique, made this first day on Campus feel like the real jumping in, reconnecting some dots has started

Actually my favorite song sentence which accompanied me in a boucle (Möbius strip) during thesis and I even think I blogged about once along the way, was Ray Lamontagne's (a New Hampshire born singer) « War is not the answer, the answer lies within you ». Il love his lyrics and voice. Here it is.
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WELCOME ON BOARD

photos : Lyne Lefebvre Edmonton Airport and & BC skies, 2014
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WELCOME IN ALBERTA...BEFORE BC
I wanted to start this last residency journey by a short -arrival- entry although I am a little tired to journal.  I woke up at 5 am in Montreal to catch an 8 am plane to Edmonton, before a transit to Victoria. I arrived starving at 12h30 which was 15h30 home time for my stomach & brain. I also realized I had forgotten my computer battery on the morning table beside my coffee, since I made sure I was packed ready to leave the night before, only having the computer to throw in its pocket...

This panel intended as part of a touristic informational/educational statistics design/concept, greeted me and other Westjet travellers - who paid more attention to white boarding passes then blue airport boards- as we were walking down the corridor to board on the transit plane in Edmonton. I had just seen a beautiful green garden wall covering 2 floors and regretted not taking a picture for my first RRU/Victoria blog, when this -aren't they proud- sign strongly reminded me how jet lag isn't just a metaphor in environmental education. It's feels like a reality, a «certainty», «not a proof of truth» Maturana and Varela might say.  (p.18 from a pre-res Bowling and Hoffman - Bringing Peace into the room paper, I am too tired to reference properly cite).

It also felt in perfect harmony with Swenson and Rigoni's introduction sentence that each « progressive gain (we understand we can perhaps disagree here on the use of the word -gain- or see it as a cynical approach to acknowledgement) elicits a corresponding loss » (p.573). I taught to myself that the «revenge effect » (not here meaning a reaction to a feedback loop) could take place right there, in the airport's corridor, that I thought I knew.

Time for sleep, as I can see in my lack of imagination. Sleep is catching up with me.




Bowling, D. & Hoffman, D. (2000). Bringing Peace into the Room: The Personal Qualities of the
Mediator and Their Impact on the Mediation. Negotiation Journal, 16(1), 5-28.

Swenson, D. X. & Rigoni, D. (1999). Ethical problem solving and systems theory: The complexity
connection. Systemic Practice and Action Research, 12(6), 573-584.
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"POSITIVE" + "EMERGENCY" - Robert

photo : Lyne Lefebvre
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POSITIVE EMERGENCY?
I have been wanting to do to many things at once and end up not focusing. Giving myself objectives of doing things one after the other, finishing one before starting another, I often fail...phone rings, job matters to take care of, get back to course/thesis for a short period, dog needs a run, I need to eat...Not often time to dive back into Findings, so start reading a course participant, expected in a reunion, not enough time left to answer, and time again flies too fast.

> I wanted to get chapter 4 finished, so I can have a better over all glance at findings..won't get there.
> I wished to send it to Lucie my supervisor before leaving for RRU...won't make it.
> I was hoping to journal a little post everyday. I haven't done it for the past week.
> Here is one (check)
> I had in mind to keep track of all the entrees in the 8 groups. Not quite there yet.
> I was hoping to get the readings done ahead. The plane will have to do.
> I intended to start choosing and translating my future board content. On res will have to do as well...
> I wanted to start preparing my pres for residency, just looking at which photos could suit my purposes takes me too long. I was hoping not to feel overwhelmed...
> Aside that, I don't have to run with my dog, he's in the country, swimming with friends (check)
...

So...Here is one thing done. A brief journal of the day, no matter how depressing it sounds to visualize things you -want- to do as -checking- them out. I am not really, but I am just observing. It may help me focus on one thing a day, each one a little bit, until I leave for residency. I did promise myself a year of peaceful and calm attitude towards multiple tasks needed, as opposed to always feeling I am running after time, which I hate, ca be a source of stress instead of a relief, and have put myself into more then often during the past 3 years I find.

I also wanted to make sure I responded Robert, one of our instructors, as he said he was « interested to hear more about how it takes you deeper and the kinds of insights it reveals. » This might be answered more clearly as chapter four takes form. Robert also commented he «sense(d) that the paradox between "positive" and "emergency" approaches is a key tension driving your thesis work.» I can at least say he's right that understanding this tension was my initial intent - although it came out that effective strategies for mobilizing and the strengths of citizen collective solidarity feel they came out to be central -, and that my findings so far have not helped me feel that my gut feelings, re/actions and personal subjectivity were the best approach to effective environmental communication... although I do share much of my interviewees impressions, and although I believe I have sort of - matured - or learned differently along the way, I remain with the similar feeling of dissonance I experience all the time when faced with awareness of our responsibility as opposed to our actions in terms of ecocide so far. Anyhow, what those 2 words inspired me in a glance, as a picture, was the one chosen for this little post. Positive and Emergency combined. Sounds like a Band-Aid won't be a good enough cure for the crisis though.
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BON MATIN / GOOD MORNING

photo et montage : Lyne Lefebvre
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I forgot to say I woke up to 2 bad environmental news (aside all the other terrible ones), which perhaps put me in a bad mood for the day (?). Well, at least I woke up informed. I usually wake up to the radio as my alarm. Radio-Canada.

One new was for you guys in BC, and the other for a little village here in Quebec. Yours stated that a Chinese petroleum company had come up with a deal for fracking with great financial compensation proposal for an indigenous group. It was stated as being a -good news- for BC and BC's First nation community (I had read it had many opponents). Then, the issue was over a little hamlet/village (168 people) in Gaspésie, called Restigouche, who adopted regulations to impose a minimal distance (2km) between fracking and drinking water sources to protect their drinking water, but only AFTER Quebec had authorized the exploration/exploitation (French article).The actual so-called Quebec law is 500 m. The company is suing the little hamlet for 1,5 billion, and the village's defense will cost them 200 000 to start with. They asked for help, but our Quebec government decided not to help. They we're hoping that their case could lead to a premiere positive initiative, in favour of water, against petroleum...

Instead, the PDG of Gastem (the fracking guys), had earlier said, when the little community and their mayor we're against the project, that «ecologists we're fascists»....well tough luck for them was decided last week since they voted a law prohibiting fracking close to their water. (The law is called le règlement dit de Saint-Bonaventure and 75 municipalities in Quebec, from citizen solidarity, have adopted it BEFORE the -enemy- came along, and 23 are working at it (source). It asks for 2km distance between a water source well and fracking.

The article states Mr. Savoie, Gastem's PDG words saying : «C'est un peu farfelu, ça, frivole, ridicule, étant donné qu'ils [les élus] n'ont pas d'expérience. Ils imaginent le pire. Et là, les «chemises vertes» arrivent, avec leur attitude fasciste. Il se fore 15 000 puits par année en Alberta et personne ne s'en plaint».

Which means in quick free translation « It's a little wacky, it frivolous, ridiculous, since they [Mayor and his politicians] do not have the experience. They imagine the worst. And then the "green shirts" come with their fascist attitude. They drill 15,000 wells per year in Alberta and nobody complains » said Mr. Savoie.

How not to feel sick, be outraged, remain positive and peaceful is not always as simple as it seems. Among some of my findings roughly and very briefly put part says : (in order to mobilize) people don't want to see tragic or aggressive images, catastrophism is not a winner, we need solutions, the limy little duckling stuck in petroleum is too depressing, encouraging guilt is not the way. We need to touch the emotions. We need to encourage the sense of responsibility, without the guilt feeling of being responsible...not easy. I am sort of resuming and translating partially some of my interviewees/activists observations very very freely here, with my warmest thanks for everything they have accepted sharing with me.

I will at least name them for now (they authorized me to do so). Patrick Bonin (Greenpeace), Martine Châtelain (EauSecours), Kim Cornelissen (AQLPA), Bruno Massé (RQGE), Maude Prud'homme (RQGE/Tache D'huile), and Jean-Philippe Vermette (Agriurbain).

Gregg Segal's «7 days of Garbage»

Alfie, Kirsten, Miles, Elly   © Gregg Segal

Michael, Jason, Annie and Olivia   © Gregg Segal

Marsha and Steven © Gregg Segal

Dana © Gregg Segal

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Just thought I would share this really interesting California photographer Gregg Segal's environmental lense  “7 Days of Garbage”  project. As Jordan Teicher's article on Slate (more photos), I saw from the Grist newsletter says : « the average American produces more than 4 pounds of garbage per day. That’s more than double the amount produced in 1960, and it’s 50 percent more than the amount produced by Western Europeans ». I asked the artist for his permission to publish it here. Should he decline, I will remove it.

I appreciate his work, and some findings from my research so far converge saying art is an effective trigger to reach a wide public from its ability to « talk about environment, without saying it » (free translation from my 2014 Kim Cornelissen interview), which had me ponder as I felt this was perhaps not a transparent or awareness trigger I would have hoped for, as if -people don't want to hear about it so, let's -hide it- but hope or trust it will touch them anyhow ...It also came through the interviews that art/creative happenings etc... also allowed one's own critical thninking to take place, which could encourage the desire to mobilize.  Although clear and understood scientific information had a potential to reach people, touching one's emotions was vital for most my interviewees in order to decide to engage in pro environmental activism and they all felt it was similar for other audiences. And art, as we can also imagine, came as one of the efficient ways to do touch one's emotions. Well here, I love the idea, find it creative and feel touched or challenged somehow.

 I also wondered if people's decisions to participate changed their personal view, and as to how much they were influenced in their consumption choices that week, knowing they we're taking part in the project. Were they -self-conscious-? We're they concerned with their habits? Did they experience guilt? Did they -control- themselves on fast foods or useless spontaneous buys? We're they frustrated feeling they had to buy specific products that particular week? Did they discuss the need to buy particular stuff between them? Did they -play the game with transparency? Or even, we're they influenced by the looks of packaging, we're they tempted to read the label contents?  Should that have had any effect on their choices, then, we can think that even simply asking them to participate brought some -positive- behavioral changes, or at least critical thoughts to some extent, being confronted to their own consumerism?

Really fascinating to think of what went through their heads as consumers, as subjects submitted to outside eyes, and how they related to the environment through this experience. A good thesis subject just right there I thought! Then, how do we, the reader receive all this material to ponder upon...
(back with more on art's potential...)
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MAEEC 680

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View where I am sitting, writing at the moment. It is still cold up here this week. Last week was warm. This is only the 4th or 5th butterfly I see. Not a Monarque unfortunately, in decline as we know, this one looks like an eastern Comma, but I am really not sure. Could be a Vice-roi or a -faux Monarque, but not as defined... In any case, will just take a break to help him/her out the screen porch.

MAEEC EECO 680 is under way starting July 7th, and so is summer residency on august 4th.
Here I am, a year behind most of my 2011 cohort pals, and still feeling I have quite a long way to go.
I know Liz and Jen, -former teammates and 2011 colleagues- will join residency at the same time I will. Although I feel I still need ALL the time I can get, to write, I will be very happy to meet our new summer residency course mates and instructors, and to reconnect with previous friends, instructors, trees, peacocks, dears and racoons as well :-)

Since Peter Norman and Robert Pidgeon, our instructors for this last stretch of MAEEC specify : « this is not intended to be a time intensive effort.  The intent is to begin reconnecting and preparing to get the most of the residency. » I will take their word on it !  Hoping to take the month of July, which is my month off from teaching and related University program activities, as prolific as I can, in order to get last chapters of my thesis further done with.

After what was a little bit of a demanding process, I can add I was given the opportunity to do my thesis en français -in French-, my mother tongue, which will also mean translating everything to English will be a little time consuming, here as well. So I might stick to the very basics, in order to reach my goal of getting the thesis as far as I can, before my new university tasks arrive mid-August. Doing as much as you can and making priorities, is something you also learn during thesis writing. I am not always great at respecting my personal deadlines, since priorities do change. A family of five, and friends my age having great life/health difficulties have taken me out of my thesis responsibility path. I sometimes feel overwhelmed, but I know thesis must wait, when people can't.

So my thesis is coming along verrrry slowly, and my supervisor Lucie is among the most patient women I know :-) aside being a sweet sensitive brilliant being everyone at RRU would love I am sure. I am writing chapter IV at the moment, which I can see « avec du recul » (with some prospective reading of the situation? hmmmm sound complicated -verify on translate quickly..- google prefers -with some hindsight- I would have spontaneously written insight no H, no D...which is also a reason why French sounded like a better idea ) that it would have been useful to have chapter 4 on its way, right form the start, except I had no interviews yet. On the other hand, preparing sensitive and meaningful questions before starting the interviews also meant having chapters one and two on their way as much as possible to make some sense of this threading puzzle of subject, questions, hypothesis and methodology, for which I had and still lack clear knowledge on various levels. Learning to figure some things out through readings has been an ongoing process...

So this was intended to reconnect, brake the ice of 680, and make sure I can access my former blog as a starter. Back with a post as course starts.
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THESIS 2013...

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AN EXTRA YEAR...

I will be brief and simple in my posts, since my thesis is WAY BEHIND, and writing it has to be my priority. But since I was given the authorization to write it in French, I thought I could keep this journal, to briefly share on my whereabouts with the Thesis for RRU. I am still waiting to submit my Ethical Review, since my supervisor, Lucie Sauvé, still has little comments to share with me in that sense. It almost feels I am at the same point as last year, when I left RRU residency (picture above)...Except I have found a -directrice- I am really happy to have and I am now a member of her research Center Centr'ERE, which is a great pleasure for me.

I have decided to take a second LOA for the autumn again, since I can't get much done while teaching with the various tasks that come along with our role. I am also evaluated at the end of the summer, which means I have to prepare a document of everything I have done for the past 5 years. It is quite a fastidious piece to do, and in August I will have to be committed to that document as well as to my class preparation for September. I will take a leave from teaching at UQAM during the winter, in order to focus on my Thesis and ideally finishing it. I may also take a methodology class during my autumn semester, if I can cope with the timing, since I realize I have a great lack of understanding of what I should be doing to get the thesis started and understand what I should be doing... It left me with a great deal of insecurity of ever being able to get a thesis written...

At UQAM we have 3 fields to cover in our tasks: Teaching/course/students, Community/involvement inside and outside of University which often means many committees, and Research+Creation (since I teach in the design field). All 3 should represent approximately 1/3 of our time, teaching in my case takes quite a bit of time and so does community. Part of my research for this year should be getting my thesis together...

I am doing a July reading and writing retreat for thesis, and here it starts.
The images I will share will be my surroundings, in the country, which made sense with Environmental education and communication inspiration for writing...

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CLOSING

Little racoon from RRU last residency. Photo: Lyne
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I will be very brief in summarizing the closing of the English part of this journal. After a Leave of Absence last Spring 2012, to get back into the courses I was giving and into my teaching activities, I was (almost) ready to jump back in January.  I was kindly offered to take until Feb 1st, which was great, January also a month to prepare my teaching activities, which had been planned to be far more limited in the winter, in order to do my thesis work. I guess it is normal, but being cut off from moodle and from possibilities to connect with my colleagues and triads, as I was form the content we had shared on moodle, the RRU library, and the interdiction to do any research or Supervisor seeking, was to disconnect me for sure, from the whole process. I took a real time off from RRU.

I was happy to come back in February, I was crossing my fingers for Lucie Sauvé to accept being my supervisor. I was very happy when she did. I had to provide some documents and letters of approval to Liza and to our Dean, in order to have permission both for a French supervisor, as well as to do  my thesis in French as well, therefore, I feel I am just ready now, to start it all. I have a schedule I hope to keep as much as I can, and I will come back here to post a link to my first French entry thesis journal project blog.

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LAST CALL ON CLIMATE

Gaspésie 2008 clin d'oeil à Cape Farewell
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As Buckland answers Lertzman in her interview, in regards with the dialog an artist can engage with someone else he says that you are “communicating, through the art, with one person who has come back with a story. And that is what art does.” Storytelling. In that sense there is no hesitation in Buckland’s mind that art are “phenomenally powerful, persuasive, exciting, engaging.” (p.115) The Cape Farewell project could be seen actually answering McKibbens question of where is the art ?  Various emotions related to Climate change were expressed throughout and through art.  From novel (Ian McEwan ), to choregraphy (Siobhan Davies), painters, sculptor, to much more, Buckland said “ If you accept climate change as a complete reality, which we do now, it’s going to turn society around in order to solve the problem; it’s an enormous cultural challenge for society.” (p.114) I figured Art had also often been considered a great challenge to engage with, in previous or modern society. These two had therefore seemed to have something to do together. Reaching out was not going to be easy either way.

The fact that “the scientific community does not yet know how to engage effectively with the media.”(p.113) is something often heard as well in the recent years. Buckland took the bet of change, in a meaningful emotional, artistic way. I always find it risky or perhaps a little pretentious when someone claims “ There was no imagery, there was no way of saying: now look, think about this. There was no clear imagery for conveying climate change.” Perhaps there was not much, and certainly not enough, could be a little more modest, even if the project itself had huge uncovered objectives and beauties. We have been exposed to documentaries, photographer’s work, and many people have been reflecting on environmental issues in installations and exhibitions (Ukeles 1995, Sudjai Chaiyapan who’s focus has been environmental degradation since 1990’s (although I am not a fan of his surreal work at all, engaged artists of the 70’s, many of whom already addressed the environmental urgency by means of arts, and so did architecture pieces, design, urbanism etc. Which does not deny the fact Cape farewell has brought a terrific contribution to the too few projects aimed at this crucial and newly named Global warming/Climate change dimension. Conservation art, such as 1948’s Soviet posters were also part of a huge movement to recognize Earth’s degradation. Illustrated children’s book were many to address environmental concern. And what about Land art. Many of those artists had an environmental impact reflection and discourse. Anyhow, with all respect to amazing projects, it is just always strange to feel the uniqueness of one's goal instead of acknowledging a path or seeking for an emotional construction with previous artists. Of course many other projects came later. Like Bruce Mau's Massive change exhibition and project you may like if you have not already seen it everywhere.

In terms of finding new ways to communicate, I agree with Buckland's claim that “ there have been many examples in the arts in response to social issues in the past, there has been a great resistance to be seen as‘‘campaigning.’’ I wondered if such resistance he considered was from the public or the artists themselves to be seen as campaigners? Well it was time for a Farewell since the blog deadline was in 5 minutes :-) I didn't have time to talk of Natalie Jeremijenko's Environmental Health Clinic, I had really enjoyed in previous course, and which reminded me of the fun theory a little. Except her's was Art. Not advertising. As if advertising is always inspiring itslef form the arts...often out of imagination.

Bye Renee, and thank you ...so much

McKibben, B. (2009). Four years after my pleading essay, climate art is hot. Grist Magazine, (August).
David Buckland, Founder, Cape Farewell, with Renee Lertzman. (2008). Environmental Communication: A Journal of Nature and Culture, 2(1), 110-118.
The work of Cape Farewell (Cape Farewell website) (DVD, "ART FROM THE ARCTIC" PENDING RRU ACQUISITION PROCESS)Bibi van der Zee I am not denying the emotional impact of these artworks
http://www.guardian.co.uk/artanddesign/2009/dec/11/copenhagen-climate-change-art
Phillips, P. (1995). "Maintenance Activity: Creating a climate for change." In Nina Felshin (Ed.). But Is It Art: The Spirit of Art as Activism. (pp. 165-193). Seattle, WA: Bay Press.

FAREWELL...is hard to say.

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WHALE WHALE, WHAT HAVE WE DONE...
l was going to continue writing about art-based communications, and connecting it with Renee's interview of David Buckland's and his cape Farewell project, really trusting these type of communications are deeply needed, when I received another care2 petition email - whale killing in South Korea for this one-, except, this one, today, was just too much. The picture of that beautiful slaughtered mammal because the SK government gave permission to kill considering they eat -all the fish- on their end of the ecosystem spectrum- was too much.  I burst into tears.

«South Korean fishermen have complained that whales are eating all of their fish. Now, the government has applied to the International Whaling Commission for permission to begin killing whales - supposedly to research whether the whales are, indeed, fulfilling their end of the food chain.»

I sincerely thought to myself that minute -we are in a -fkg- war-. I know it is not very constructive to think, to say, to feel. I even thought about in English (the petition being in English could explain it) since the F word is not what would have come naturally.  I swear in French as I said when I joined the MAENVEDCO.  The war to whom gets to have the food.  I was plunged into «La route», «the Road», Cormac McCarthy's beautiful, powerful writing.  Totally art-based, a novel which could be seen as a metaphor to our environmental crisis reality. A novel offering an extra proposal to answer McKibben's post asking «where is the Art»?

I again wondered when would the awakening occur... never I think.  History of humanity seems we did not learn enough through centuries to overcome our greed. We sort of erase as we go, like on a computer Control-delete.  Art, communication, love, name them all, so many before us have tried all of these options, we just don't get it. We have never collectively reached any sort of wisdom as a species, we fight our gods, our truth of nature, our access to land, our greed to food, our disrespect of others, we consider ourselves above it all... and we will stupidly extinct form lack of love.  We oly deserve it. Well, some more then others I also think, but being part of it all, we are all responsible. I mourn for those who will never be allowed the world we were had. But human was not ready to live in harmony with other species, non-human beings, with himself.  Even so, I won't ever let go. I hope to evolve constantly, and fight my own contradictions and behaviors until I die. I want to plunge myself to this mystery fully, for a future whatever that means. Besides my personal citizen social political environmental agenda, communication and education are one way to do so I suppose. But is it ever enough. I stopped crying for the whales (or for myself) and took that once more given awareness energy, to do something with it.

I started my little personal brainstormings.
Raising awareness, not the sea level. Hmm.. a poster?
Pressuring politics, not nature.  And I went on to deal with the loss...

I will come back to Renee's interview. In the meantime I will share a few Art-Based images I have in some prentations. I feel worn out, for nature. Incapable of doing or saying more for now.

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LIVING GRAFFITI
Their is the reverse graffiti mais but the living one as well.
Edina Tokodi is a Hungarian Graphic designer who also received an urban design base in Milano. Her green moss -guerilla- reminds the urban dweller that nature is not so far, while stepping outside, away from Gallery art. She sees herself as a “cultivator of eco-urban sensitivity». Her work can be seen in Brooklyn among other places.
Others also use Lichen like Anna Garforth and Eleanor Stevens. (see November 2008 post )
much more here
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Alexander Orion in Sao Paulo

REVERSE-GRAFITI. CLEAN.
In  Montreal, we have our own «Banksy» through Roadsworth. But Reverse-graffiti adds another dimension to engaged grafitti art. Some sort of Eco-art. No spraying, just cleaning, with soap and water.  Reverse, clean the pollution.  Paul Curtis (Moose) is a London pioneer in that sense. Just as Brazil Alexandre Orion, is in Sao Paulo. As they say, they disturb authorities who wonder how to condemn their art since cleaning is not YET a crime... The urban world, the city, as a creative canevas. Paul Curtis also does commercial work through, Symbollix, (for clients likeMicrosoft.)
link on  youtube.

English article.
more>
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CENSORSHIP,  FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION
IN THE FLAG EXERCISE


China flag / Internet censorship / Maxime Brunelle


Blood diamonds / Liberia / Alex Blouin


Canada flag /  GHG / Émilie Bertrand


Lybien flag  / amputation torture / Claire Burelli
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Some of my students work.

“LOVE OF NATURE AND THE END OF THE WORLD”

This will be a sort of in-between posts.
Such readings usually invite us to dive into our own little worlds, our personal memories.  «Our sense of home» (Nicholsen, 2003, p.36).
I realized in Creative writing class that I could never write poetically in English. Should I say poetry at all perhaps, since I have no claim of being able to do so in French either. For poetry to emerge I believe means listening carefully to your senses, which is something each of us can do, if we choose to engage in it. And then we can express ourselves in many various forms.  But in terms of writing, what happens if you can’t name things, impressions, feelings; what if the metaphors don’t exist in your mind, in your body, to make the connections between your thoughts, your senses (I voluntarily don’t use your soul) and your language. When your mind almost needs a dictionary to be able to think and share it sensitively.  Or at least with a common language.   Should it be thought of as being our own voice, no matter who is listening? Perhaps, then, you can turn to other forms of expressions but the verbal.  Creativity is such a vast and complex part of ourselves.  Just as it is life finally.

I started wondering if speaking with the heart could be done in another tongue then the one gifted to you as a child, your mother’s natural way to reach out to you and to say how much she loves you (or for some experiences, the opposite, an inability to do so.) Reading Nicholsen offered a path to these musings, «the vividness and loss of it (childhood) are connected with the fact that this is not a world of words». We see poetry all around us. Poetry isn’t all colorful, but it still feels like deep beauty to me.  It brings us to life, love, emotions, memories. It brings awareness. It often brings me to sense my mom.

How people saw or were not able interacting with the «Alzheimer-self of my mom» was something they truly missed.  She had learned « a mysteriously living silence» (1) she was initially so afraid of.  Of loosing the ability to talk, to recognize the ones she loved, to forget her own stories, her past, to forget how to say how much she loved me, she would say. Starting to read Shierry Weber Nicholsen’s, which Renee recommended as an optional but meaningful reading, reaching chapter 2, I knew I couldn’t write poetically.  I lacked words, but not emotions and reading often brought those emotions to the surface, as much nature does for me.  And it was also part of the reason I was here for.  A story which starts in childhood, like for all of us. My life with my mom is a long beautiful journey, I cherish so deeply.  Since childhood, it helped me feel love for all other beings, I am sure of that, from my friends and our children, for our little -tribe-, to strangers, to all species, to nature itslef. To feel our connection to the world.  A journey she gave me, and which brought me here as well.  She gave me words to speak for myself, they were French, but the words of love she would say either.  I keep being fascinated and grateful how those were the only words she never forgot. I love you. I love you to. And July is a month I always think of both my parents. I adored my dad who said he would wait til I he could celebrate a last birthday and wait for me to be back before choosing to leave us to ourselves. I was convinced I would marry my dad until I was around 6 or 7. I even asked my mom if she was okay with that. She smiled and said of course she was. It later brought me to see how things repeat themselves. My daughter asked me, when she was maybe...4, if women could marry.  Her aunt had a girlfriend.  Like my mom I said -of course they can, and she said : Because I want to marry you...  How can you not trust the power of love when such unconditional thoughts are expressed.

Maybe for the same reasons Nicholsen had chosen those words for her chapter : «The love of nature and the end of the world.» In my mom’s case, the end of her known safe world, the one of her spoken words, of memory, and feeling connected. Loving my mom so deeply probably helped me to reconnect with my own «separate self».  She was like a little bird who could not sing anymore, wondering why.  Reading Nicholsen say we were «made of the same stuff as the rest of the world» has always been a profound feeling as a child. It quickly became a meaningful reality. One we can now name «the whole», the «interconnectedness».  The link. But the «same stuff as the rest» was quite clear.  We have all say goodbye to the child within at our own pace. I perhaps never completely did, until my mother said goodbye herself. The «sense of home» (p.35) I had always tried to find inside me, needed all that love to be fed and hopefully found. Hoping to provide our own children a «home» which would help them become a «self.» (p.41) I was also thinking I really wanted my forever struggle to give them with that sense of self, a future to trust that self could flourish.

Well, well…I am not reading this over. I let go. Hoping it’s not heavy to read. Personal stuff do us good but can be not so interesting for others to read.

(1) Colette Richard cited by Shierry Weber Nicholsen.
Nicholsen, S.W. (2003). Chapters 1, 5 & 6. In For the Love of Nature and the End of the World: the unspoken dimensions of environmental concern (pp.7-33, 129-159, 161-194). Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.

ART-BASED STREET COMMUNICATION

Spain 2008



Paris 2009


Paris 2009

Berlin 2009

Parc de la Villette in Paris used to be a huge slaughterhouse.
Much more to see on their web.
Image Credit Flickr User Neozoon

 
I added this one for Kieran.

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DEAD ON ARRIVAL

I love reading Grist and really admire Bill McKibben's engagement as much as I think the Cape Farewell project is meaningful, so reading the suggested articles “What the warming world needs now is art, sweet art (and I initially read Street art!) and Renee's interview with David Buckland felt it was -right on- for me (will save this one for next post).  It felt a close as can be to my teaching matters and thesis interests. I agreed with McKibben's claim that in terms of Climate change/Global warming feels that “oddly, though we know about it, we don’t know about it.  It hasn’t registered in our gut; it isn’t part of our culture”.

When McKibben asks “Where are the books? The poems? The plays? The goddamn operas?” I figured this could take a few posts even just to get the on the surface of the subject, it got me really into it, hoping to share with Renee some other work I really appreciate (thinking Renee might be my only reader :-> for this course blog from now on).  Some Street-Art or Urban Intervention, (Gorilla Graffiti style, name them all...) examples I use for my class content and presentations or have shared on my course blog to get the students going on the projects they are asked doing themselves, since that is exactly what they do. (Art or design can be a matter of framing as well). They are asked to find creative ways to engage through their visual communications and through Urban Intervention engaged projects.  It won't be giving this blog a literary oriented angle as it perhaps could, but images are another way of trying to communicate our concerns, fears, musings, just as it is a short attempt to start answering McKibbens' question at the same time, I figured. A way which therefore felt the most appropriate.

 So I was hoping to start with a few projects for this penultimate post (or posts). UpCycling, a word used a lot in French as a trendy anglicism (I don't like anglicism in the French language, everything is -ing- now.  I even once read -green dating-... but my reaction to anglicism would be subject to another post.) ...Nevertheless, UpCycling* is of great interest since it aims improving the life cycle of -products- or services, or in such case, sends a creative message while adopting a coherent responsible way of doing so.  I saw this project a few years back, a life-free fur, which had a strong resonance for me. The use of fur, under this artistic form of communication, somewhere between recycling, awareness and critical provoking o thinking campaign, was inviting to reflection.  Neozoon is known to be a 2008 Parisien and Berlin born collective of artists, whom use the urban spaces, streets, web and public institutions as well, to question humans' relationship to animals (here with used furcoats).  Neozoon's original website (2008) would open with a quote from one of my favorite film when I was young "Planet of the Apes" **.   I mean, the 1968 original one of the recent one I haven't seen, although I usually love Tim Burton's work. (The original version of the film (by Franklin J.Schaffner I read on the net) will lead to a series of feature films long before the 2002 remake of it, as we know.)

* UpCYcling
I found it interesting to paste the UpCycling definition Oxford definition gives for UpCycling : “reuse (discarded objects or material) in such a way as to create a product of higher quality or value than the original”.  If indeed the artistic and awareness use of reused fur was of higher value then any fur coat, -in some people's framing (like mine per example)-,  nothing could ever have higher value then the animal itself...

** From the 1963 novel by Pierre Boulle

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Short  Neozoon interview from Wooster Collective on Good Is (photos de Vitostreet)

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