Garrett

Theater Matters – notes from Earth Matters on Stage 2009 part I

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Okay, so I can’t keep my nose out of it…

I’m here in beautiful Eugene, Oregon attending the 2009 Earth Matters on Stage: A Symposium on Theatre & Ecology at the University of Oregon. Last night was the official beginning of the event with keynote speaker Una Chaudhuri giving a talk on what she has dubbed Zooesis, or the discourse of animals (or, rather non-humans) in the media.

As I emerged from the talk I looked at Ian Garrett of the Center for Sustainable Practice in the Arts and Moe Beitiks of the Green Museum Blog and said: “I’m not smart enough to be here.” Which is to say if the opening moment of EMOS 2009 is a reliable indicator, it will be a highly academic affair. Chaudhuri was followed by obligatory phases of mingling with strangers (not my forte) while smugly observing the corn-based disposable cups, paper plates and napkins, an engaging, often heart wrenching (though also quite academic) play by EM Lewis called Song of Extinction, and the most structured post show discussion (aka talkback) I’ve ever participated in, led by Cal State LA professor and playwright Jose Cruz Gonzalez. Part of me thought, “oh, I shouldn’t have stuck around for this.” It had the effect of stifling the power of the play, and its masterly intertwined themes. I jotted on my program during the talkback this tidbit: “Robbing the visceral through incessant deconstruction.” But that’s my own problem, right?

More later…

Go to EcoTheater

Mammut Magazine #2

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{Mammut #2 cover by Teira Johnson}

Mammut #2 is done and ready for you to read!

The second issue of the magazine, which I co-edit with Roman Jaster, has a special focus on urban nature with contributions by Nicholas Bauch, Maya Brym, Ian Garrett, Charlie Grosso, Teira Johnson, Gerard Olson, Camilo Ontiveros, Nick Romaniak, David Snyder, Ashwani Vasishth, Sue Yank, and an interview with Ari Kletzsky.

Order a print copy or download a free pdf at mammutmagazine.org.

Also, join us for a release party at The Lounge at REDCAT on Sunday, May 17 from 3-6 pm. REDCAT is at 631 W Second St, 90012 in the Disney Concert Hall in downtown LA. RSVP or invite your friends to the event on Facebook.

Thanks for reading!

> Mammut is a biannual magazine dedicated to all forms of creative production that have a relationship with nature, landscape and environmentalism. Read more at mammutmagazine.org 

Go to Eco Art Blog

Mammut #2 Release Party

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MAMMUT MAGAZINE :: ISSUE #2 :: LIVING WITH THE CITY

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RELEASE PARTY

at

The Lounge at REDCAT

Sunday, May 17, 3-6 pm,

Parking: Free street parking on Sundays!

Please join us as we celebrate the release of Mammut #2 at The Lounge at REDCAT. We’ll have copies of the magazine for you to look at and buy, drink specials and a chance to discuss the magazine with the editors and contributors.

MAMMUT #2 has a special focus on on urban nature and features contributions by Nicholas Bauch, Maya Brym, Ian Garrett, Charlie Grosso, Teira Johnson, Gerard Olson, Camilo Ontiveros, Nick Romaniak, David Snyder, Ashwani Vasishth, Sue Yank, and an interview with Ari Kletzsky.

Mammut is edited by Matthias Merkel Hess and Roman Jaster, and designed by Roman Jaster.

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Mammut is a biannual magazine dedicated to all forms of creative production that have a relationship with nature, landscape and environmentalism. To order a print copy or download a free PDF version, please visit http://www.mammutmagazine.org/

view the invite on Facebook

Mammut Magazine // Exploring the intersection of art and nature

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ISSUE #2 SPRING 2009: LIVING WITH THE CITY

As the worlds population is increasingly concentrated in urban centers, how we choose to interact, develop and live in these cities will only become more important. With a variety of perspectives but by no means comprehensive, we hope this issue offers new ideas, directions and ways of understanding urban life.

Featuring contributions by Nicholas Bauch, Maya Brym, Ian Garrett, Charlie Grosso, Teira Johnson, Ari Kletzsky, Gerard Olson, Camilo Ontiveros, David Snyder, Ashwani Vasishth, and Sue Yank. Cover design by Teira Johnson.

Mammut Magazine // Exploring the intersection of art and nature.

Mammut is one of our Partners and we’ll be promoting the magazine at Earth Matters on Stage and other future conferences. Please check out the introduction to the CSPA included in the issue. Plans are in the works for the CSPA to guest edit a future issue.

The Rising Tide Conference Floats Many Boats

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Rising Tide Conference

Last weekend, I was at the Rising Tide Conference: Art and Ecological Aesthetics, hosted by the California College of the Arts and Stanford University and was on a panel talking about the importance of art in any vision of human sustainability. I emphasized the notion that if we’re going to make art that is supposedly also “for the Earth” that we better think about what the Earth might actually need, otherwise it’s just green paint or wishful thinking. It might be helpful to consider art for human and non-human needs from beginning to end (materials, making and where it goes after we’re done with it, and after that). What would the worms and watersheds actually notice and appreciate? They had a very diverse group of speakers and some fun architectural design ideas floating around. Met some great artists in person (finally) who I’ve been wanting to connect with: Linda Gass and Ian Garrett of The Center for Sustainable Practice in the Arts, to name just a few. It’s good to interconnect and jabber at these things but we need more biologists, land managers, business people and public policy experts at these conferences. All of you in those fields, please consider inviting eco-artists and their ilk to your next conference and vice versa. We need to be building ever-larger arks people. NOAA indeed…

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