First Fridays are our monthly series of informal artist get-togethers where the conversation may stray from the triassic to contemporary reusable plastics — and just about anywhere in between.The sessions last about an hour and are friendly and informal. Participants come from across the world and are always a mix of ‘regulars’ and new people.
February’s First Friday will be a live event with featured artist James Aldridge: Queer River.
Mark Leahy (one of art.earth’s Directors) will host artist James Aldridge. James has been our featured artist for January, and for the First Friday event he will discuss his current project Queer River. Starting with his local river, the Avon in Pewsey Vale, Wiltshire, his project has involved walks, conversations, reading, writing and making. Using the river itself and the idea of the river as prompt and impetus James has considered how queering the discourses of ecology, of environmental art, of landscape and of nature can open possibilities for a different engagement and experience of our immediate surroundings. By actively queering these contexts connections to wider situations of oppression, exclusion and difference can be brought to awareness. Following James’ presentation on the project, and a conversation with Mark Leahy, there will be time for questions from and discussion with the audience.
Here is the chat from this session.
And as a PS, Rebecca Burrill (who was watching at 8am her time in the US) offered this:
In answer to some of what James was saying near the end of the session, including about dance, and movement and sound perceptually I can point you to these recent short articles. Would you like to read?
Languages of Nature, Languages of Art:
Ecocentric languaging: Persons, art and education: https://www.ecologicalcitizen.net/pdfs/v04n1-10.pdf