Tree Planting – Andy, Jackie, Helen, Nadine and me. Great conversations – tree planting as a positive commitment to the future and trees as repository of the past. Bird song.
PhD Archive
Welcome to the Phd Blog
Keeping the blog was an important thread in weaving the research, the drawing practice and community facilitation. The degree of Doctor of Philosophy was awarded by the University of Wales Trinity St. David in 2018.
Abstract
The research considers why aesthetics, the subjective ways in which we
experience and value places, and nature’s agency are not readily included in
decision-making processes. This action research adopts a hopeful, participatory
and auto-ethnographic inquiry into the potential for developing and applying a
relational and environmental walking-art practice to overcome this disconnect; an
approach which attempts to reconnect art and life, cultural and natural systems.
Metaphor is used as a method to reflect upon an emergent art practice. The
research considers Felix Guattari’s ideas of transversality, developing an ethicoaesthetic paradigm as a critical framework, taking into account the work of relevant
practitioners and specifically Grant Kester’s arguments concerning reciprocal
creative labour. The framework is developed through a weaving metaphor and
applied to three community-led land-use change case studies; a canal restoration
project, caring for a community woodland and Landscape Character Assessment.
The weaving metaphor becomes both a process and an art work capable of
revealing and helping to incorporate subjectivity into traditionally objective
decision-making processes. As well as facilitating community-wide dialogue, the
research has, in some cases, lead to action being taken alongside nature’s
agency.
The research evaluates the transformation of the art practice and its impact, which
suggests the positive agency of art as a practical aesthetic in a social and
environmental context.
The thesis can be read here:
https://repository.uwtsd.ac.uk/id/eprint/1311/13/Keating%20R%20Landscape%20final.pdf#:~:text=As%20a%20part%20of%20post,with%20people%20in%20the%20Stroud
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River
River meeting in Bristol. Project development and sharing of sketch book work plus visit to Arnolfini exhibitions. Left hand image below from video installation, part of an exhibition by Sophy Rickett, ‘To The River’.
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Vitae, SMU Symposium
Revisiting the Vitae framework having reinterpreted criteria. Added to Amanda’s timetable for the later phases of the symposium and publishing.
Stitches out.
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Swansea: River, SMU Symposium, Tutorial
10th to 14th, time in Swansea drawing with Phoebe, including ‘Synchronised’ over water photos, meeting with Amanda Roberts and Paul Woodland, tutorial with Drs. Rob Newell and Andrea Liggins and talk by Andrew Carnie.
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Watery Landscapes
Writing meeting with Dr. Iain Robertson and follow-up writing. Good progress. More questions than answers? Found a way to deal with this.
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Folly Wood, River, Vitae
Writing and circulating Folly Wood AGM draft minutes.Downloading Vitae Researcher Development Framework tool and completing it ready for tutorial next week. Overcame problems with security settings and macros.
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Folly Wood, River, Vision 21, Woodland Pilgrimage
Making images for woodland pilgrimage animation. Good to be finding time to make work amongst on going ‘relational management’ aspects of my practice. I wonder why as they are all a part of the process? A feeling of completion perhaps? Although I know that making the work is only one step of many along the way.
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Tutorial. Lecture, SMU Symposium
Attended Dr. Robert Newell’s lecture on ‘Solitude and the Sublime’ followed by a tutorial with him.’ Situatedness of self in the world’ as theoretical basis for landscape painting.
Meeting with Amanda Roberts about SMU Symposium – method and methodology. Unable to help with finances but agreed to chair event.
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SMU Symposium, Watery Landscapes, Folly Wood, Countryfile
Interesting looking back over what was achieved today – so much is about keeping projects and relationships moving along. I am aware of a tension between project management/co-ordination and making work. Making work as a way of facilitating community engagement in landscape change. It very much reinforces the need to be a part of a team and to be clear about expectations regarding the length of any relationship – this carries its own issues as so much of the work is exploratory.
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Folly Wood AGM
Preparation for and chairing of Folly Wood’s First AGM. A good turn-out and three additional people agree to be directors.
At the last moment I decided to convert the piece of paper that Lucy Guenot and I drew tree’s on into the agenda/presentation sheet. The idea being to bring the woods into the room.
