Materiality

Collecting Materials together

A collage of ‘stuff’ being gathered together to be explored in forthcoming enquiries. Olivine – derived into ‘ hemeB’ the complex Fe molecule at the heart of haemoglobin (and similar transport fluids in other animal and plant organisms). Iron oxides – oxidation of iron thought to be what made it’s uptake possible by bacteria and thus evolving across bio/geo-logical divide. Also an egg – introducing calcium to the story. Iron oxide powder, chlorophyll in liquid and powdered form and mineralised animal remains – fossils in limestone.

What to do next? Not sure in practical terms but ideas are buzzing around after an interesting tutorial around some of the reading I’d been pointed towards after the proposal presentations. Currently mulling over this…..

“…categorical distinctions between the “brute materiality” of geology’s “external world” (rocks, minerals, mountains) and the soft, “inner” worlds of biology’s living things. According to current scientific narratives about life, earth, and life on earth, it’s possible to claim, without taking too much poetic license, that we humans are walking rocks. We may be living creatures, but our aliveness is composed of geologic materials such as calcium, iron, and phosphorous. And the comparatively tiny living organisms that inhabit the earth’s surface, be they humans, lichen or bacteria, are now seen to be key players in setting up and precipitating monumental geologic processes and planetary-scale chemical transformations in geologic materials. The earth would have a completely different geologic self if there were no life on it.”

Ellsworth & Kruse, 2013. p.17

New Module: Semester 2.

What strange times! There is a Corona Virus pandemic. This first week of ‘lockdown’ has been spent preparing a new proposal. No clue how this is going to work out while University is shut!!!!! There’s not an inch of space here in which to work as the house is full of all the babies for the allotment – every table top, windowsill etc. and it’ll be some time before it’s clement enough to put them in the poly tunnel. Hey ho. Nevertheless, some ideas have been placed in the obligatory PowerPoint presentation and perhaps rather ironically, we kicked off the new module with online presentations on April Fools Day – you have to laugh.

Allotment Babies

And, as if lockdown isn’t bad enough, this appeared outside the house….

‘Lock in’ in addition to ‘lockdown’

The proposal aims to build upon the assessment feedback and other critical inputs about the book project which include introducing an element of movement to the work and/or exploring materiality as a way of articulating mineral and biological interconnectedness concepts better – rather than merely illustrating them – more babble from the alien lexicon perhaps – but I am determined to get my head around this distinction!