Artillery Magazine

Tag: environment

  • PICK OF THE WEEK: Brandon Ndife Matthew Brown

    PICK OF THE WEEK: Brandon Ndife
    Matthew Brown

    Brandon Ndife’s practice is grounded in vital materiality that considers matter as lively and metamorphic, bound to forces and encounters that push and pull, tumbling ceaselessly into rambunctious states of transformation. 

    Biomorphic clusters of industrial and organic materials form viscid assemblages that pulse with emergence. Fragments of household ephemera—ceramic plates, a baby stroller, a mangled folding chair, knobs of furniture—wade through gloops of paint and resin that seem to twitch as they meld and mutate, destabilizing their original significations and meaning. Ghostly drawings of flowers and plants in states of decay serve as vanitas gestures, whispers of matter. Awnings installed along the gallery’s walls resemble vignettes or stage sets, evoking an eerie sensation in their obsoleteness. 

    The urban topography of Los Angeles lends itself to Ndife’s exhibition and ongoing interest in what Mike Davis calls “the radical politics of shade.” It calls attention to urban environmental inequality, which, in Los Angeles, can be traced quite clearly in a satellite map of the city where shade and vegetation are visibly lacking in historically redlined neighborhoods. Ndife considers how inequity manifests in matter itself, calling attention to the forces of injustice and agency in which we are inherently implicated. This emphasis on the sentience of urban material brings to mind the legacy of the assemblage artists based in Watts in the 60s, such as Noah Purifoy and John Outterbridge. While Ndife doesn’t reference this legacy directly, his practice evokes ideas that expand the field of assemblage, questioning how we think about and engage with materials and systems on macro and micro levels. Theorist Karen Barad’s words compliment this point, stating that “matter itself in its very materiality is differentially constituted as an implosion/explosion: a superposition of all possible histories constituting each bit. The very stuff of the world is a matter of politics. Matter is not only political all the way up and all the way down; it has all matter of matters inside it. Planetary geopolitics inside a morsel–a strange topology, an implosion/explosion of no small matter.” 

    Matthew Brown
    712 N La Brea Ave
    Los Angeles, CA 90038
    On view through January 21, 2023

  • Reconnoiter: Patricia Watts

    Reconnoiter: Patricia Watts

    Patricia Watts is the founder and curator of ecoartspace. She lives in Santa Fe, New Mexico, on the unceded land of the Tewa people.

     

    ARTILLERY: What was the crucial purpose in founding ecoartspace?

    PATRICIA WATTS: When I came up with the concept for eco­artspace in 1997, I envisioned it as a physical space where children and their families could learn about the principles of ecology through immersive environments created by artists. In its latest iteration since 2020, it functions as a global membership platform online where artists and scientists can learn about each other’s work, share resources and develop collaborations.

    What are your outstanding accomplishments?

    I’ve focused on art and ecology since 1992, almost 30 years. I’ve worked with hundreds of artists, mainly in California, and have assembled over 30 art and nature exhibitions. I’ve conducted video interviews with 30 pioneering ecological artists. There are not many curators that have had this focus for so long.

    How do you gauge the efficacy of art that promotes ecological awareness/change? Is it functioning within its own silo or reaching mainstream culture? How do you know when it’s having its intended effect?

    A majority of eco-artists are painters, sculptors and video artists. Their work is accessible for collectors, although galleries do not typically represent community arts practitioners or artists whose work is researched-based, collaborating with scientists. These artists, who are usually situated in the public sphere, have to seek support from foundations. I believe the full range of art-making practices keeps the conversation alive.

    An art world focused on careerism and commodification, [and]environmentalism centered on activism and communal goals can be opposed in their aims. What kind of balance is necessary between environmental ethics, aesthetics and personal achievement?

    Artists need to make a living, and art dealers connected with collectors can educate about artists concerned about the natural world. What would it take for artists and dealers to turn collectors away from work that has nothing to do with the reality we are facing today, to support art that makes a statement about the impacts humans have on the landscape? We need to be bold, stand up to those with disposable income to encourage an eco-consciousness.

    What are the critical dialogue(s) that eco-artists need to address today?

    We’ve gone beyond warning people about climate change—that it’s coming. It’s here, and people know it. If they are still in denial, they’re belligerent because they don’t want to change their habits or be responsible financially. Many eco-artists have followed the
    research for 20 to 30 years now and know that behavioral changes are imperative for our survival. While government leaders try to address climate politically, the real solutions are on the ground, regenerating soils, protecting forests and oceans—more in the realm of activism. However, traditional artists can help create more activists, which is desperately needed.

    What does the future of ecological-based art depend on?

    It depends on people with money who care about the natural world, who are willing to invest in programs that will rebuild our soils, support creative people who can imagine and make a real future where we do not depend on fossil fuels. We need innovative thinkers who can see the potential for artists, divergent thinkers, to play a role in this transition to a livable future.