The theory and practice of a regenerative system of creative making

WCU Author/Contributor (non-WCU co-authors, if there are any, appear on document)
Perry Houlditch (Creator)
Institution
Western Carolina University (WCU )
Web Site: http://library.wcu.edu/
Advisor
Perry Houlditch

Abstract: Having grown up on a farm in rural North Carolina in my youth and remaining an avid gardener through the all stages of my life -I have developed a deep appreciation and awareness of the environment and its natural systems. As the conversation surrounding climate change looms and its impact becoming increasingly apparent, I began reflecting on my studio practice with a critical lens, looking for a way to respond and reframe my creative process in this paradigm. I proposed to myself two questions: What could a regenerative system of creative making look like? How can my studio practice function regeneratively with the environment? The key term in these questions is Regenerative. It is an idea I frequently came across in books regarding agricultural reform and practices which were not only meant to work symbiotically with the environment but to further remediate materials and resources. I decided to adopt this terminology into my studio practice, striving to find a new way for myself to create which was sustainable in its ability to source material and remediate waste as responsibly as possible. This thesis describes my proposed system making, a system that will take many more years of work to fully implement, and further describes how this research and shift of intentionality is reflected in my current artwork. My goal is not to lay out the way to make creatively in a time of climate change, but to offer an example of what such a system may look like. My hope is that this may be of some inspiration for others to reframe their daily tasks or process of making to one that helps mitigate the challenges we, and our future generations will face.

Additional Information

Publication
Thesis
Language: English
Date: 2021
Keywords
Art, Climate Change, Making, Meta-Modern, Painting, Regenerative
Subjects
Climatic changes -- Art
Painting
Creation (Literary, artistic, etc.)
Inspiration

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