the plan is a life-as-art project focused on the parallels of life and viability amongst coral reefs and the urban landscape. in its simplest terms, a circumnavigation exploring environmentally threatened areas and the populations dependent on those areas, with the findings being used to develop work as a traveling art residency complete with exhibitions.
at first, it started with just a passion for nature, art and cultures around the world, and a desire to explore. then came concern about the declining state of the planet and the loss of key historical art and archeological sites. ‘how many other buddhas would be destroyed before i got it together? how much longer would the coral reefs and their dependent populations survive pollutants and oceanic acidification?’ and the list goes on. the concern became overwhelming and the decision was made. we leave fall of 2013.
the plan looks something like this:
a carbon neutral (carbon positive if we can manage it) eco-tour as a circumnavigation on a sailboat. a combination round the world, cultural and environmental exploration. a traveling art residency complete with pop-up exhibitions. instead of being the typical tourists whose brief visits revolve around just seeing a few select highlights from the guidebooks, we’re interested in spending as much time as possible in key locations, to learn about the place; to acquaint us with the culture and the people who live there, to get the opportunity to learn how they do things and their history. we want to document the amazing flora and fauna we find, raise awareness of the threats they are exposed to and volunteer to help where we can. i’m hoping to spend time with scientists and marine conservationists learning, helping and sharing the experience so others understand how valuable and threatened these natural resources are.
why does it matter? what’s the connection? i find the parallel relationships between ecosystems and human cultures fascinating. I find a beauty in the symmetry of life amongst coral reefs and see the comparison/contrast to that of the urban landscape compelling. Thousands of different species living together in a balanced yet dense ecosystem. Those reflections of life in a reef system mirroring our own societies; turf wars, service segments of the reef population which maintain others. Even an entirely different nightlife which appears after dark. This varied and amazing animal classified as coral, provides the backbone to a crucial and most diverse area of life on our planet, but reflects our own civilization as well. The degradation of these reefs are not only a reflection of our carelessness, but a sign of what is to come for ourselves as we age and suffer disease and our environment as a whole. My desire is to increase awareness and action to protect our planet’s living history and not be forced to sit by and watch these treasures slowly decline from being what was once so vibrant into a mere memory of their former existence.
