On this episode of Free Range, host Mike Livermore is joined by Jenny Kendler, the artist in residence with NRDC. Kendler is an artist and activist whose work focuses on climate change and biodiversity loss.
The conversation begins with a discussion of one of Kendler’s ongoing works, Amber Archive. To draw attention to the anthropogenic loss of biodiversity, this piece represents an imagined future where humanity is interested in undoing the harm that has been done. There are a number of energy intensive, high-tech initiatives in place to preserve DNA of threatened species, but Kendler imagines a more ancient and analog way (0:46-9:33).
The next work Livermore and Kendler discuss is Underground Library, which represents a library composed of discarded and unread books that sample the history of nonfiction works on climate change. This piece surveys what we’ve known about the state of the climate and how that knowledge has been dismissed. Many of these books went unread and were discarded from libraries as a result. Kendler uses a method of burning known as biochar to burn and eventually bury the books, representing their destruction and simultaneous preservation (9:34-17:48).
The Bewilder project highlights butterfly and moth eye spots which are not their eyes, but act as a decorative camouflage to evade predators. This piece serves as a biomimicry strategy inspired by activists who publish guides on how to disrupt facial recognition technology. The next piece is Birds Watching, which is a 40-foot sculpture that depicts 100 eyes of birds that are threatened or endangered by climate change. This piece is intended to represent the birds’ gaze upon us, leading viewers to question their relationship to these animals (17:49-29:21).
Studies for Bioremediation is a series of photo collages with a relationship to problematic monuments in Richmond, VA. Bioremediation allows for plants or living creatures to remove toxicity from a site. Creating a physical representation of this metaphor, Kendler implemented the idea of planting Kudzu, a quick-growing plant, at the base of the statues and letting nature do the work. The next piece is Music for Elephants, which is a restored 1921 vintage player piano with an all ivory keyboard. The music is based on data from scientists that work on elephant poaching. The keyboard plays a note for each month based on the amount of elephants that might die. This piece has a temporal existence as it unfolds through time, similar to extinction itself (29:22-48:52).
Kendler’s art is organically arising, stemming from a deeply research driven process. She finds a synchronization between the concept and the material which is very carefully articulated. Her work is always about culture change, as she emphasizes the importance of a contemporary moment that requires all of us to rise in whatever ways we can (49:53-1:01:52).
Tag Archives: arts
Season 1, Episode 23
On this episode of Free Range, UVA Law Professor Mike Livermore speaks with Henry Skerritt, Curator of Indigenous Arts of Australia at the Kluge-Ruhe Aboriginal Art Collection at the University of Virginia.
Skerritt begins by introducing the Kluge-Rhue and how this collection of over 3,000 works of Indigenous Australian Art ended up at the University of Virginia. He explains that while aboriginal Australian art is the longest continuous artistic tradition in the world, it is also a contemporary movement that was used for political representation in the 20th century (0:49 – 4:50).
They discuss the connection between art and politics, explaining how aboriginal art has played a role in asserting property rights for indigenous peoples. Skerritt discusses Milirrpum v Nabalco, the first significant case for indigenous land rights in Australia, which was initiated by the Yirrkala bark petitions in the 1970s. Ultimately, the political movement spurred by the bark petitions led to the Aboriginal Land Rights Act of 1976 and continues to have substantial influence today (4:50 – 11:00)
Livermore and Skerritt then discuss an aboriginal painting called “Djambarrpuyŋu Mäna” or “Shark of the Djambarrpuyŋu Clan” by Wilson Manydjarri Ganambarr.
Link: https://madayin.kluge-ruhe.org/experience/pieces/djambarrpuynu-mana-shark-of-the-djambarrpuynu-clan/
Skerritt discusses the relationship between the patterns and designs in the work and the cultural stories and traditions that they reference. (11:30 – 16:17). Livermore and Skerritt then discuss the relationship between contemporary Aboriginal Australian art and traditional art practices. (16:20 – 22:51).
Skerritt and Livermore then turn to the diversity of cultural traditions that inform Indigenous Australian art. He explains that these paintings have ancestral narratives, called songlines, that serve a deep narrative and cultural function, connecting people from different clans and places. He describes the songlines as the world’s most beautiful GPS system that talks about ownership and belonging (22:58 – 26:55).
They then analyze a work by Dr. Djambawa Marawili titled “Journey to America.”
Link: https://madayin.kluge-ruhe.org/experience/pieces/americalili-marrtji-journey-to-america/
They discuss the main story of Bäru, the crocodile man who brings his ancestral fire into the world. He explains that the overall message of the painting is that if the Aboriginal Australians put their art into the world, it can give them power and political representation (27:00 – 36:10).
The question is raised over the relationship between political representation versus appropriation and the difficult challenges this sometimes raises (36:11 – 43:10).
They analyze another piece by artist Noŋgirrŋa Marawili, one of the oldest painters working today.
https://madayin.kluge-ruhe.org/experience/pieces/baratjala-baratjala-2/
Her works bring up questions of tradition and innovation: it both grabs the attention of the contemporary art world and maintains connection to traditional designs and practices, speaking to two different audiences at the same time (43:12 – 49:30).
They discuss how artists today have to engage with a globally connected world, that every great artwork has to speak both to its own place and the world around it. Skerritt discusses how Aboriginal artists do not sacrifice their own unique identity to produce their works and that they insert their identities into larger dialogues of art and politics without giving up power of where they come from (49:31 – 52:13). Skerritt describes the movement as an extraordinary cross-cultural gift that teaches us the lesson that even though we may not all have the same culture or speak the same language, artists can find common ground and communicate in their own unique ways (52:15 – 57:32).
Season 1, Episode 21
On this episode of Free Range, Michael Livermore speaks with Matthew Burtner, a Professor of Compositions and Computer Technologies in the music department at the University of Virginia. Burtner’s work explores ecology and the aesthetic link between human expression and environmental systems. His latest album is Ice Field.
Burtner begins by discussion how his music tries to decenter humans. (0:51-2:29) After listeners hear a snippet from the title track, Livermore inquires about the physical logistics of how he recorded this track. (3:58 – 8:13) Burtner recalls the improvisation he did while on the ice field and describes how environmental music appreciating a new kind of beauty. (8:21 – 11:55) He goes on to explains his commitment to understanding these natural systems as independent forms of aesthetics. (12:00 – 17:30)
Burtner describes how he uses sonification to translate environmental data into sounds. He describes how sonification allows us to listen to sounds new kind of sounds, like light reflecting off waves, and to transpose temporality by taking decades worth of data and turning it into a musical phrase we can perceive. On Ice Field, two of his works use sonification, “Ice Prints” which uses ice extent data from the Arctic and is mapped into piano music and “Sonification of an Arctic Lagoon.” (17:32 – 21:20) A snippet of his track “Sonification of an Arctic Lagoon” is played. This piece takes different layers of data and creates musical sounds, this 4-minute piece is 1-year worth of data mapped into musical form. (21:21 – 23:29)
Livermore and Burtner discuss the differences between sonification and a more common impressionism approach to relating music to the natural environment. Burtner explains how data is not always what he may want it to sound like and may not be satisfying as music. He explains that you can either try to change the data, which won’t represent the system anymore, or listen to it and find the beauty. (23:31 – 29:05)
Burtner discusses different approaches to eco-acoustic music: presenting environmental data as sound (sonification), field recording natural sounds (soundscaping), and using natural features as instruments in human-environment interactions. Livermore and Burtner discuss the different technologies used in these techniques and how they are theorized. (29:15 – 36:44)
Burtner delves into his favorite examples of soundscape field recording that he has done, playing snippets of both. (36:46 – 41:53) Burtner explains that these recordings transpose our listening outside of our human centered perception. (42:00 – 46:26)
Livermore poses a question about aesthetics theory and how the relationship between the deep tradition we inherit affects our way of appreciating these types of music. Burtner explains that knowledge helps open up the world to different dimensions of aesthetics; that it becomes richer the more he learns. (46:30 – 51:26) Burtner discusses how environmental politics has unintentionally played a role with his music and that he appreciates that his music can be a part of that type of discourse. (51:27 – 55:43)
With climate change already happening, Livermore asks how much of Burtner’s work is coming to terms with these inevitable changes; Is it mourning, celebration, or are they entangled? Burtner describes that art has always given us a place to deal with tragedy, that music gives us a space to mourn. He explains that inside all of these tragedies are modes of sustainability and restoration; they don’t always have to be about loss. (55:44 – 1:00:57)
Livermore ends the episode inquiring about how listeners should approach and interact with these conceptual pieces at different layers. Burtner describes that the music is designed to be understood on its own and on another level as conceptual art. He hopes that it can be a multifaceted experience of listening. (1:01:03 – 1:05:43)
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