Agnes Denes*
The 2020 15th edition of the Lyon Contemporary Art Biennale was devised it stated in the press release, as 'an ecosystem at the intersection of biological, economic and cosmogonic landscapes'. It was to be, it suggested, a biennale that would bear witness to the shifting relationships between human beings, other living species, the mineral kingdom, technological artefacts and the stories that unite them and I would have been fascinated as to which artists were selected to illustrate such a powerful theme. It was of course postponed until 2022 because of the outbreak of corona virus. The title of the biennale, Where Water Comes Together with Other Water, was taken from a Raymond Carver poem but the principles that were underpinning all the rhetoric were I would suggest, those of permaculture. David Holmgren in association with Bill Mollison, developed the twelve design principles of Permaculture and I have used them before as design principles when working with contextual studies for the university's design program but I have as yet to propose them as also valid principles for fine art practice, which I am doing now. Working with the principles of permaculture can be a vital response to the problems facing us all right now, and they have the advantage of being principles that can be used by anyone using the smallest plot of available earth. However as principles they can be applied to other activities including drawing and the making of art, I have decided therefore this time to present the principles as if they were a manifesto for fine art practice.
The Twelve Principles of Permaculture
1. Observe and Interact
Being observant and responding to what we see is really important in moving towards a more ethical and sustainable way of life. We can learn from nature, and from other people, observing how others have moved to a greener and more ethical approach, and working with the world around us to succeed in our goals.
As an artist making observations and responding to what has been seen is central to the way work is developed. The more we look the more we can learn, but perhaps we can focus more on the nature of systems of interaction, be these about people, people and things, people and other animals, things and animals, things and things, i.e. trying to open our vision out to include non human others, so that we can move ourselves away from always being the centre of everything.
2. Catch and Store Energy
Energy is abundant on our planet. Learning how to catch and store that energy – in plants, with renewable energy infrastructure, or in other ways, is key to living a sustainable way of life. Growing your own food at home is a great way to catch and store energy from our sun. Passive solar design also offers opportunities for architects, engineers and designers to make further use of this abundant energy source.
As well as exploring the possibility of projects that can directly respond to the storage of energy, such as creative planting and growing, you may also want to think about how art making can itself be seen as an energy store. Can an artist operate like a battery? Can rechargeable artwork be produced?
3. Obtain a Yield
Taking the three core ethics of permaculture into account, we can work with nature to get all the things we need. Obtaining a yield can be as simple as using organic gardening techniques to provide food for our families – but it can also be about obtaining a non-tangible yield: happiness, health… or mental well-being. Living a sustainable lifestyle that sticks to permaculture principles can allow us to obtain all sorts of more intangible yields as well as the obvious tangible ones.
When making a drawing you are often involved directly with a non-tangible yield. Practicing the close observation of nature can lead to mental well-being. Some of the processes of art making can be seen as mindful exercises and these coupled with more sustainable approaches to art making, can become embedded into a lifelong approach to working with as opposed to working against nature.
4. Apply Self-Regulation and Feedback
Understanding where we’ve succeeded and where we’ve gone wrong is vitally important to creating real and lasting change. For example, by analysing and evaluating all the things that we bring into our homes, we can make better purchasing decisions moving forwards: reducing, reusing, recycling and regulating our worst consumerist tendencies.
A regular critique of what we do is already central to most art practices, and by linking that critique to one that includes an awareness of how our work impacts on sustainability, we can gradually build more robust tools with which to analyse our various working practices.
5. Use and Value Renewables
By using the power of the sun, the wind, or the water, we can power our homes, grow our food, and regenerate our environments. Rather than relying on finite and polluting fossil fuels, we should make full use of renewable sources of energy: for example, switching to a green energy supplier – or even generating our own power with solar panels or other renewable infrastructure at home – is something many of us can do to move to a more sustainable way of life.
Can these ideas be used in the making of artworks? It may be that we need to make certain choices that change what we might do. Do we include some of these issues in any proposals for future artworks? Where does the use of renewables within art practice begin?
6. Produce No Waste
Moving towards a zero waste lifestyle means looking at all the trash we chuck out and trying to eliminate it. We can do this by reducing the amount we buy, by buying wisely, by reusing or recycling where possible, by composting, and by working with ethical companies who look at waste throughout the entire life-cycle of their products.
We can reconsider what we make our artwork from. Are there possibilities for recycling when making work, how can the idea of recycling be embedded into the conceptual development of an artwork? Does an artist need to make anything? Do we need to move away from making objects and work towards the freeing of art from a material framework?
7. Design from Patterns to Details
Whether designing a new vegetable garden, or an entire new sustainable way of life, we have to look at the big picture before we get bogged down in the little things. Thinking holistically, about all areas of our lives, can help us move forwards in a positive direction.
By being aware of the bigger picture we can develop a much more robust framework within which to work. Many artists historically have developed manifestos for practice, permaculture principles could be the pattern for the development of these. Are there other ecologically sound frameworks that could be used as models for art practice?
8. Integrate Don’t Segregate
Plants work well in diverse systems – the same is true of people too. Planting polycultures (guilds of plants which work together) is just one example of how this principle works in the real world. And as well as applying this in the garden, we can also apply it to communities, groups or organisations. Sustainability is something we achieve together – through collaboration and co-operation – it’s not something we do alone.
To think about how your art practice needs to be integrated into and with others. How does your work effect others, are there opportunities to engage others with your practice? How do you work in collaboration with other people, other animals, other things? Who could you cooperate with?
9. Use Small, Slow Solutions
Every journey begins with a single step. Whenever we try to do too much too soon, it’s easy to become overwhelmed – and though big changes can bring big benefits, they bring bigger risks too. Making small, incremental changes is the best way to move towards sustainable change. For example – don’t start a farm, try a small windowsill garden. Don’t overhaul your entire shopping philosophy – change things one ethical purchase at a time.
All artworks begin with a small kernel of an idea. That scrap of paper with a sketched out concept might be as powerful as a huge sculpture. Begin small and gradually grow your ideas in conjunction with sustainable thinking. Work slowly, savour the process of the gradual growth of a concept as it moves from one stage to another.
10. Use and Value Diversity
Just as ecosystems work best when filled with a greater variety of different plants and animals, so human society functions best when an variety of different people are represented. In your garden, home and your life in general, it’s a good idea to promote and value diversity in all its forms.
Diversity is vital to how you will communicate your ideas. Who's culture are you celebrating? Who's aesthetics are you working with? Does your work communicate beyond your subgroup preoccupation? Who are you talking to and how do you value others?
11. Use Edges and Value the Marginal
Sustainability is about making use of all the resources that we have at our disposal. Whether we’re talking about land use, work places, homes or society in general, making use of all we have involves valuing fringes and fringe elements. This might be as simple as using a neglected corner of your outside space to grow more food, or something more abstract, like thinking outside the box.
Artists have traditionally been able to operate within and around the edges of society. Can this position be fostered and strengthened so that you are actively working to bring ideas from the edge of society into its centre?
12. Creatively Use and Respond to Change
Finally, change is an inevitable part of life. It’s important to remember that permaculture isn’t just about now, but about the future. We design for change, understanding that things will alter over time. The changing seasons, changing attitudes, our changing climate… how we respond to these changes will shape sustainable progress in the years to come. These principles are a starting point for an understanding of permaculture, and can begin to give us an idea of how we can translate thought to action, and transition to a more ethical – and truly sustainable – way of life.
Make art for the future, not to sustain the past. Too many of our approaches to art making are rooted in models that are now outmoded. We don't need to make art for museums, we need to make it to survive.
* Agnes Denes has been at times associated with 'ecovention' a term that was supposed to represent a new art paradigm that would focus on teaching how art could help society by getting directly involved in the world.
Ecovention artists stated that they would take responsibility for extending various environmental principles and practices out into various communities. The exhibition 'Weather Report' brought to public awareness a range of artists working on sustainable ecological issues, if you are looking to explore work of this sort looking at the artists that were exhibited is a useful beginning: Kim Abeles, Lillian Ball, Subhankar Banerjee, Iain Baxter&, Bobbe Besold, Cape Farewell, Mary Ellen Carroll (Precipice Alliance), CLUI (Center for Land Use Interpretation), Brian Collier, Xavier Cortada, Gayle Crites, Agnes Denes, Steven Deo, Rebecca DiDomenico, Future Farmers (Amy Franceschini and Michael Swaine), Bill Gilbert, Isabella Gonzales, Green Fabrication (via Rick Sommerfeld, University of Colorado, College of Architecture and Planning), Newton Harrison & Helen Mayer Harrison, Judit Hersko, Lynne Hull, Pierre Huyghe, Basia Irland, Patricia Johanson, Chris Jordan, Marguerite Kahrl, Janet Koenig & Greg Sholette, Eve Andrée Laramée, Learning Site (Cecilia Wendt and Rikke Luther), Ellen Levy, Iñigo Manglano-Ovalle, Patrick Marold, Natasha Mayers, Jane McMahan, Mary Miss, Joan Myers, Beverly Naidus, Chrissie Orr, Melanie Walker & George Peters, Andrea Polli, Marjetica Potrc, Aviva Rahmani, Rapid Response, Buster Simpson, Kristine Smock, Joel Sternfeld, Mierle Laderman Ukeles, Ruth Wallen, Sherry Wiggins, The Yes Men, and Shai Zakai.
See also:
Object orientated ontology and drawing
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