What's the Matter with You?

 03/03/22

Misty, 'drizzly', damp, temp. 6 degrees Celsius. 

12 attendees. Guest artist, Amy Stretch-Parker, an artist/educator based in Cumbria on the Furness peninsular. 

Amy's practice combines many elements relevant to the Saturation Point project. Her work is influenced by the natural world: the sights, sounds, tastes, smells and textures that surround her and her 'art is life, life is art' perspective encompasses foraging, herbalism, cooking, gardening (permaculture) and craft-making. There's also a metaphysical aspect to her practice: an interest in pre-Christian rituals - when the relations between human and more-than-human were more reciprocal, inter-connected and more in tune with the seasons... old pagan traditions that resonate with ancient Daoist philosophy, anthropology (Tim Ingold), animism,post-humanism and contemporary ontologies contemplating the potential of matter and non-hierarchical theories. 

We headed south towards a mossy outcrop of stones that resembled a natural alter. We each found a 'sit spot' - to be quiet and absorb peripheral sound allowing the unnatural drone of the motorway to become part of the meditation.  

We drank pine needle and resin tea and someone found a toad.

In each accompanying note book I taped a self-portrait by Li Yuan Chia, a socially engaged artist who formed a creative gathering space in Cumbria, the LYC Museum and elements of my practice are influenced by his inclusive approaches and poetic aesthetics. I asked the question - What is he trying to say in this portrait? Is he trying to merge with the landscape? By concealing his face does he become matter/material? I suggested the participants think about the edges between their body and the earth and imagine a material de-centering. What would that feel like?

Li Yuan Chia

            

On the way to the outskirts of the woods we stopped to examine lichen patterns on stones and touch jelly ears. At the top we used hearing trumpets to amplify sounds.

On the way back I realised it was still raining. I was wet and began to shiver but for a while, in the belly of the woods, I had stopped noticing myself - the interior - and turned all my attention outwards, mingling my senses with the exterior - I read recently that when you look at or listen to something you are touching it - the light is making contact with the retina, sound waves are hitting the ear drum - so by noticing something we are implicit in an exchange.    

A collection of plant material was foraged during the walk - mainly ivy leaves, berries, blackberry leaves and beech leaves. These will go into the pot to make the second dye bath.

‘Listening in wild places, we are audience to conversations in a language not our own.’ Braiding Sweetgrass, Robin Wall Kimmerer

Images by Debbie Yare