Wednesday 7th October 2020, Willow Fisher
In today's Wednesday guest lecture we were introduced to Brazilian artist Jorgee Menna Barreto who was enthusiastic in presenting to us his artistic ideologies, artwork, and exhibitions. He is currently a professor in Brazil and he has been working on this particular research since 2014.
To begin we were given an insight to Jorgee's mindset and his attitudes towards his art practice, he stated that he recognised food as an art and centred his attention to the production of food. Despite being an artist he wanted to enable himself to perceive research and practice academically, so he kept one part of his mind in academia and the other in art. This allowed him to not differentiate his work as an artist and an academic, looking at work with a broader perspective. Amphibian is what he stated was his trajectory, thoroughly feeding his research from his artistic practice. to his ideas.
Jorgge focuses on looking at the relations of site specific artwork and agroforestry, relating this to the varying ways of cultivating land. He has strongly implied as well as others that industrial agriculture has substantially impacted the environment, drastically altering the landscape and its culture. Due to this severe change Jorgge finds himself drawn to land art and site specificity, and feels attentive to the landscape. Hes very much interested in how we can look at the landscape as a collective sculpture. A suggestion has been made that makes us wonder, could we possibly take more responsibility? What could we do to help? What could we do differently? Jorgge gestured towards the thought of could the choices we make when eating impact this transformation? Keeping with the concept of sculptures, he thought about the digestive system, but instead of looking at it conventionally as a means of benefiting just the human body, look at it more thoughtfully and from an artistic point of view. He considered contemplating the digestive system as a sculpting tool.
His original plan to present at the Biennial show, consisted of possibilities in restoring the land. His work focused on what we eat, more specifically what was eaten at the event, therefore contributing to the regeneration of the land. In 2014 he collaborated with a biology and agriculture department, in order to construct his research for his artwork. The intention of this collaboration was to expand his vision and in turn receive varying perspectives. When they arrived at the island his partner immediately acknowledged 25 miscellaneous species of weeds, most of them edible. Jorgge was disheartened at this encounter because although he was an artist and was familiar with recognising things that would normally get looked past, he didn't even consider the weeds presence on the land and notice them.
A definition of a weed that related to this experience and subject of the unliked plant caught Jorgge's attention back in 2014. It went along the lines of depicting a weed as "a plant that wasn't valued where it was growing". He found himself fascinated by this unconscious understanding of the plant, that weeds are considered invaders in society, and valued the interpretation for the weed. Him too having a gestational thought of weeds being undesired traditionally. This encounter really impacted Jorgge's understanding of nature and his attitudes towards them. He found himself captivated with this concept of unwanted feeling with plants, relating it to the controlled landscape that has descended amongst us all over the world. Unfortunately a vast amount of people desire perfection when it comes to the landscape around them. Infiltrating these natural places with machinery and chemicals to destroy unpleasant wild plants, weeds. An identity is built contextually for this weed that automatically makes it an unwanted and a negative thing.
Jorgge collaborated with another artist, where together they began drawing these plants. This experience enabled him to to theorising about relating to the island through our digestive system. From the weeds they encountered on the island they created smoothies from the edible ones, looking back to site specific work. The bottles of smoothies were then distributed to the public. Therefore linking to that conceptual idea of drinking the island, they are then relating to the island, looking at it not only with their eyes but also their gut. Relating to the place through their digestive systems. The implantation of our bodies associating itself with the place with its particular space and landscape.
When I first read the brief for the artist we were going to be introduced to and what theme of art he creates, I felt cautious as I wasn't really familiar with art practice relating so thoroughly to the environment, and making that connection to our internal selves and bodies. However when Jorgge was discussing his point of realisation with the wild plants as a turning point for him, and his perception on such negative natural substances I couldn't help but feel drawn to this art practice. I myself admire the environment and in particular find delight in growing plants from seeds and accompanying them from the start to the end of their life. So I found that I was really fascinated by his approach to this recognition. He went back to basics with simplifying down to drawing workshops just to encourage people to establish that intimate relationship with the weeds, that had been unnecessarily stripped from them from the unfortunate social norms of today. I also favour drawing to more complex art forms so to hear from an artist that they put in motion these drawing workshops I felt a great deal of admiration. Jorgge through doing this was able to completely rearrange peoples mindsets and attitudes to the subject matter from this seemingly ordinary exercise. Spending time with the wild plant, naturally drawing from it physically reinforces that sense of natural order and emphasises the power dynamics from the land and people. He could have easily strayed from this and took a more modernised approach, telling the participants to draw from a picture they had taken on their phone, but chose not to. I really value this natural ideology of taking part in the activity and conducting a more traditional way of art practice.
A Dutch artist invited Jorgge to the Biennial show which took place in a park. A response to this natural exploration was to search the park for all the weeds it presented, collect them, then make site specific smoothies. The public and artists soon realised that edible wild plants surrounded them within the park, and that looking at the place with a naked eye wasn't going to be helpful for this exercise. This practice invited the public to truly open themselves up and broaden their perception on the seemingly ordinary area, and all it exhibits.
A drawing workshop was conducted that welcomed the participants to really activate their perception over the landscape. Jorgge told us that he felt truly motivated by an English botanical teacher who had stated that "if you haven't drawn you haven't seen". It really guides us to wonder what it is in the act of drawing that makes us see perception and reality. A broad feeling of intimacy was felt throughout the workshop when drawing the weeds individually, allowing you to really gain a comprehensive relationship with that particular plant. When finished with the drawing it was said that you could begin to notice the species more and more, re informing us that this type of wild plant exists all around but we just didn't notice it before. The result of us beginning to open our eyes to observe allows for the natural atmosphere to become more diverse, and in a way us noticing these wild plants were contributing to them un-flattening the landscape. Throughout the drawing process there was a shared interest in the relationships with the plant, inhabiting it and getting to know it. This was found the be the focal point of the workshop rather that producing a good drawing.
The site specific smoothies that were made from these edible weeds that had been explored through drawings were then distributed at the Biennial event. As well as these, ordinary drinks were provided which received an aspect of competitiveness between the offerings, Jorgge reinforced the message that these plants had the ability to tell us stories. Just like when we draw them were learning from them. A prominent thought appeared throughout the event and it was wondering what these food teach our bodies. He questioned what the difference was between eating a plant that's not been cultivated and ordinary food.
I would have never taken this kind of proposal to making that connection with the land to our digestive system, and execute this concept producing smoothies from the practice. I believe this to be a truly unique approach and really heightens the ideologies behind all the research and purpose of the project. Jorgge through creating these peculiar drinks has cultivated all of this practice into various final pieces. Each smoothie is different none of them taste the exact same, and I think this message can be reinforced for the whole practice to determine a clearer and deeper understanding of site specificity. He has not only used the resources from the land but it also feeding this unique information to its audiences, Furthermore creating an active environment within the exhibition by distributing them at the show, as well as enabling us to really relate to the land where the drinks ingredients has originated from.
A fact I didn't know until this lecture was that the dandelion is related to a lettuce. This is important because its again linking back to that immediate negative assumption about weeds. It made me think that if these plants were presented in an entirely different context would our perceptions of them change. This is exactly the thought process that Jorgge followed. He brought to our attention the possibility of varying information that can be brought into out bodies when eating, questioning what dialogue its presenting to us. What is the input of this process? If we are to eat a plant straight from the ground including its roots and residue of the soil we would be welcoming the richness and personality of that plant. With this concept in Jorgge's mind this led to the development of his next work, he produced dandelion ice cream. Which was presented in 2017, London in the Serpentive Gallery. During the planning of this work Jorgge emphasised how we would internally respond to stuff like this, He explained that our taste has a domesticated taste resulting in us being unable to find pleasure in bitter foods. Dandelion has a bitter taste. It turns out that the liver likes bitter tastes its just our mouths that unfortunately decide what we like and what we eat. Our mouths are in a constant battle with the rest of our body, wanting to have full control over what enters our bodies.
The starting point for creating the ice cream took place in Hyde park. Here the volunteers were encouraged to work with the wild plants and in return learn from them. After this were drawing workshops for the weeds collected, it was insinuated that drawing became a slowing down tool for many. That spending time with the plant they were able to really familiarise themselves with it, resulting in altering the state of perception whilst doing these observational drawings. Jorgge collaborated with an Italian chef to create the plant based ice cream and it turned out that people loved it.
An exhibition in Liverpool called Light Night presented the dandelion ice cream to the public, but beforehand encouraged participants to take part in the collecting process and drawing workshops. The context in which the ice cream was presented in was pleasant, having a yellow cart offering the work which created a beautiful atmosphere surrounding the perception of it. People were eager to expand their mind and taste it and they eventually ran out of ice cream because it was so popular.
I think this active environment in which Jorgge has created for the presentation of his work and interactivity is very significant. He could have just ended his practice with the engaging drawing workshops. Because them alone successfully alter our perceptions on wild plants and their purposes and unfamiliar beauty and independence. However Jorgge went that extra step in really experimenting with that involvement. He's done and adapted his original concept, from producing smoothies from edible wild plants to developing a more precise flavour with the collection of the dense weed dandelion that we all encounter on a daily basis. In doing this he has opened his audiences eyes to the environment around them they choose to ignore and label inconsiderate forces of nature. Therefore I believe his portrayal of his artwork and the response was most certainly positive and clarified Jorgge's intended meaning and thoughts. I think his exhibition favourably reinforced his ideologies of site specific art and relating to the land through our digestive system. The reception he encountered with this work was with high admiration, with people really finding his work fascinating and delicious. Furthermore broadening their perspectives of ways to look and relate to the land around them.
Another exhibition took place in the Netherlands, again following the formalities of conducting drawing workshops and gathering local weeds. People who participated were directed to pick one plant they believed to be a weed, this became the criteria for the activity. Running along the aspect of spontaneous plants that are not cultivated. I think the purpose of this activity is really stimulating in reintroducing that aspect of spontaneity. Keeping the participants unfamiliar with their subject matter and giving them the choice of what to pick and make their own thoughts to establish its identity. I find the spontaneous approach quite interesting because its similar to that dense understanding of us actually not really knowing and understanding the land around us, furthermore confusing their identities and being kept in the dark. To me its almost like Jorgge is favouring nature and giving it the advantage, with allowing the humans to make their own assumptions of what they have collected and then work with. I really like the spontaneous aspect to the workshop because I feel it suggestively links to Jorgge's original conception of people being unconsciously ignorant to the land around them, when actually if you take the time to really look and focus on it you will discover facts and natural ideologies you didn't know before. I think its a very questionable practice that really encourages its guests to open themselves up with exploration of their mind and common sense, and really begin to ask important questions about the environment and natural culture and they immersed in daily.
Later in Switzerland Jorgge had a residency at Utopiana. He felt himself feel a certain desire for the french name and interpretation of weeds, Mauvais, meaning bad herbs. Reinforcing this theory that wild plants are insistent not planned, leading to their spontaneous nature in which they are perceived. The possibility that these plants could be interpreted and read as a language occurred to Jorgge. He approached this work differently replacing the drawing with cenatype. The experience brought together all these different species onto large spreads of fabric. The idea prominently occurred throughout the process that the result of the togetherness of the plants really brought attention to the imagery that they were once isolated in the world. What fascinated Jorgee was this consistent thought that these weeds could become a text, when accompanied with each other we could write with these loose characters. The lasting impression from Jorgge was that he could potentially create an equivalent to the alphabet from these plants. For example the dandelion could be the equivalent to the letter D and so on. Although Jorgge was eager with this production and the humanising of the plants he didn't want to personify them to much were they were to become too submissive. So he left fragments of it loose and gestural so that it could be read naturally, not forced. Jorgge visualised this work and deemed it similar to a Forrest in a way, with the imagery substituting itself as a parallel language. That could be read and interpreted in various ways, forms, shapes and colours. He recognised this artwork as a way of bringing a community to the plants.
When this lecture had concluded I found myself in a completely altered mindset than I was when it began. At the start I was unsure and quite simply didn't really understand how this artist could make such a substantial link between site specific work and the humans digestive system. But after sitting through that lecture i'm left wondering about all the possibilities that could be put into practice, I've really started to think of how the art world can begin to relate to the land. Its something that I thought was so separate from each other, I had the grounded understanding of artwork reflecting the spaces in which it was produced. However I've not really encountered an artist whose perception takes that extra leap in confidence and practice until I listened to Jorgge Menna Barreto. I admired everything about the talk, from his deep and loving way in which he expressed his interest in agriculture and site specific work, to that intimate relationship he created an introduced others to. Resulting in enabling people to accept new perceptions and understand the land more.
As of yet I am unable to relate Jorgge to any practical work I am currently working on now, however I will now keep into consideration this natural possibility of changing perspectives of land if a project following these interests does appear. I would like nothing more than to use this artist as an influence for future projects and research as I have really admired his artistic attitudes and practice, and now have a greater understanding of the environment around us.