Reflections:
I found this action to be quite trying. Without a clear picture of where to start, I decided to take it as an opportunity to transition my actions away from the forest on Piers, and acknowledge that I had been extracting elements from my living environments.
I shot the outdoor footage in Strathcona Provincial Park over the reading break. While a provincial park, a place I associate with conservation and protection, we witnessed industry all around. Right outside the park, man-made dams surrounded by cut blocks. Within the park, mining operations, and a large fuel semi coming from the dead end one-way park road. You’ll see some evidence of these human footprints in the footage.
Though on a much smaller scale, I have been collecting from the forest. I needed to take the time to appreciate that tendency, to question it, and reconcile with it. Not such a straight forward process.
My second video sprung from that point. A certain amount of romanticism and value tends to be attributed to handmade household objects, especially those made with natural materials. By this, I refer to handmade ceramics, expertly carved wooden spoons, or hand-woven textiles. Either purchased for oneself, received as a gift, or self made, the craft element of the object identifies it. For the most part, I treasure these kinds of objects much more their commercially produced counterparts. This video was my foray into how we quantify the handmade v. the artificially made. Craft v. industry. There is a lot to be considered here — i.e. financial accessibility, ethical production, and environmental consequences. I look forward to unpacking this more throughout the semester.
I definitely learned that making videos can be scary. Which is why I need to try it more. There are few mediums that can transport you the way that motion pictures can, particularly in a day and age where we can’t leave our homes and communities all that much. I strive to take on the challenge going into next year of incorporating this medium further into my practice, however that may work out to be.