1st – 6th
Writing most of the time – 5.30 AM start on these great, clear mornings.
Talk to Common Wealth AGM about River Project.
First Friday Walk from Amberley to Nailsworth along the rail path and back along contours.
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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Thesis, Walking the Land, River
24th – 30th
re-writing preface, chapter 1 and making a start on chapter 2.
Planning First Friday Walk
Negotiating further River Exhibitions/venues
straightening sticks
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Thesis, Good from Woods, Folly Wood
17th – 22nd writing thesis, developing diagrams as a link between theory and practice. Still refining focus – and of course this leads to even more possibilities…
Folly Wood core group minutes
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River, tutorial, Folly Wood
10th – 16th
Tutorial with Rob, Andrea and Catrin helpful and frustrating – frustration down to incomplete nature of writing presented and new tangents…
Put River exhibition up at The Exchange (Social Enterprise Centre)
FIrst Folly Wood wooding day plus core group meeting
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Thesis, Good from Woods, First Friday Walk, Stroud Nature
3rd-7th, mainly writing with usual administration/organisation of ongoing projects.
Writing and associated reading still revealing new tangents or threads to be woven in…
Good from Woods meeting – still negotiating ethics and planning approach
First Friday walk along River Corridor in Stroud – Capels Mill, disused railpath and canal
Stroud Nature Consortium meeting – introduction of ‘consortium projects’ idea and planning of festival and network event
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Thesis, River
writing
Walk with Naomi Wright talking about various aspects of socially engaged environmental art practice.
River project management meeting with Kel Portman and Lucy Guenot – Skyped Tara in Amsterdam.
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AHRC Seminar
Attended AHRC seminar in Birmingham on recent call – decided against it largely due to time scale.
Coincidentally our neighbour was there, talk about connecting communities and there was a Tate travelling exhibition of William Kentridge Prints in the building.
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Folly Wood, AHRC bid
Meeting with Seb Buckton and Mark Harrison, and with Phil Tidy from Small Woods Association. Good to see the woods again and get away from the computer. Helped formulae plan for next core group and activity day. Ground flora already benefitting from light after the the thinning we’ve done. Woodruff in profession.
Developing AHRC bid with Sue Porter and Glenn Hall.
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Thesis, AHRC bid, Weave
20th to 28th reading and writing is firing off ideas for more making – needing to concentrate on writing is hard to manage.
Meeting with Max Comfort at Wallbridge and walk along canal reviewing various community engagements.
Developing AHRC bid with Sue Porter and Glenn Hall based on Derby Walk.
