IU - Exploring the Intersection of Art and Humanity To Tackle Climate Change? Insights from Artists Miles and Melanie.

"If you hit a wrong note, it's the next note that you play that determines if it's good or bad." — Miles Davis

In humanity's quest to harmonize natural processes with industrialization and tame the beast of extreme climate, I consider problem-solving approaches from my artistic practice and the artistic world.

As a master of improvisation Davis embraced musical mistakes as valuable chances for growth—an approach we can apply to all aspects of life. How we respond to so-called errors ultimately shapes the final outcome. Humans have the unique ability to transform something "wrong" into something "right."

How does this apply to our environmental issues? Consider that as a species homosapien is a young species. Having thumbs instead of hooves our brains have evolved to create, and invent, to problem solve to make us not mammalian beasts but human.

Mountain Moving
On exhibition in the GRUNWALD GALLERY of ART IU.

The artist Melanie Cooper Pennington teaches Sculpture at Indiana University.

One of homosapien’s greatest inventions is industrialization. We are now clearly seeing and feeling the impact of industrialization on our ecosystems. The most important question humanity has to answer is — will industrialization be a “bad” note?

By adopting Miles’ mindset, we can discover new and innovative ways to address climate change and find harmony between nature and industry. As an eco-artist I consider problem solving perspectives that I use in my creative practice to visualize and transcend conventional thinking to create a better world.

I am engaged in an artist in residency program at Indiana University direct by the Arts and Humanities Department. The university recently launched an Environmental Resilience Institute, as well as a new A&H laboratory dedicated to Environmental Futures. They created a research platform to allow arts and humanities scholars at every level of education—to connect.

My first visit at IU was with Melanie Coooer Pennington. Melanie, creates mammalian sculptures to investigate the borders between the human/animal body and its psychological states. Melanie’s work provides an emotional visual to the power of thumbs by replacing them with hooves. Thumbs changed everything.

I saw Melanie’s Mountain Moving, thought provoking sculpture the day I started writing this post about Miles Davis and his creative process.

I believe through art and culture, we can move the industrial mountains facing humanity — our next note can create a masterpiece.

Earth Moves - almost didn’t

Done! My gloves are proof. For weeks, my schedule was jam-packed with proposals and large-scale projects that needed my attention. Amidst all the chaos, I was also starting a brand new sculpture for the Mayor's Office of Cultural Affairs' Earth Day Celebration. I thrive when I can hyper-focus, but this time I almost let something slip through the cracks. "Earth Moves" was in danger of being incomplete by the deadline. With less than a week left to finish, I knew I had no choice but to push myself harder than ever before. I woke up at 5:00 am every day and worked tirelessly until 4:00 pm, without taking a lunch break. I felt every muscle in my arms and shoulders ache, but the feeling of being fully present and working towards something important was truly exhilarating. I couldn't disappoint Necole Irvin and let "Earth Moves" fall short of its potential. After countless hours of welding and crafting, today the sculpture was finally installed on the 3rd floor of the Julia Ideson Library. The end result is a, call for action work of art made from welded steel, lath, indigenous clay, grass, and glass beads. It was a true labor of love that I poured every ounce of myself into. #earthday @lanolalady #mayorsofficeofculturalaffairs #houstonmayor #cindeeklementart #work #gloves #drive

Golden-reined Digger Wasp - fascinating and gentle despite its sinister appearance.

This is one interesting creature, so interesting I pasted the article below.

Despite its vivid alarm coloration, the Great Golden Digger Wasp is not an aggressive species of wasp. They tend to mind their own business and can be found sipping on flower nectar during the summer, but in the early spring, females prepare to lay eggs.

Females will dig into loose soil and create many deep tunnels. When established, she then covers them to hide their existence. A female will track a small insect and sting them to paralyze them, but not to kill them. Once the prey is immobile, she will clutch it using her antennae and mandible (mouth parts) in order to fly it back to the tunnels. While in flight with her prey, it is not uncommon to see birds like robins or tanagers attempt to steal her meal from her by chasing her until she drops it. No other known species of Digger Wasp is known to be harassed by birds in this way. If the female is successful in returning to her tunnels with her catch, she will place the paralyzed prey aside to quickly inspect a tunnel. If it looks like it's still intact, she will pull the paralyzed insect, head first, down into it. She then lays an egg on the insect, exits the tunnel, and covers it over again. She repeats this process for each tunnel. Unlike other wasps, she does not actively defend her nest. Once hatched, the wasp larvae will feed on the living, yet immobile, insect until they are developed enough to leave the tunnel lair in the summer. Eventually, the parasitism of the paralyzed insect kills it.

Scientists are studying the behavior of this unique species. Great Golden Digger Wasps seem to display a type of internal programming. If their insect prey is moved away from the tunnel while the female inspects it, she will emerge, relocate it, bring it back to the tunnel entrance and start the inspection all over again. Every female exhibited the same repetitive 'start inspection again' behavior when tested in that way.

Females have also shown that they do not keep a tally of how many insects they catch versus how many tunnels they create. If some meals are stolen by birds, they do not realize that they are short on insects compared to tunnels.

With such gorgeous orange and black coloration, mild demeanor, and interesting behaviors, the Great Golden Digger Wasp is one to admire, not destroy. Perhaps a careful observer will discover even more fascinating things about this species.

Symbiosis Relationship 9/2022

Skipper and Pokeweed

Endangered bumble bee and Salvia

Coral honeysuckle and a native bee.

Mocking bird using an American Westeria vine as a lookout for insects to eatt.

Passiflora incarnate and carpenter bee.

Turkey tail mushrooms breakdown rotting trees recycling the nutrients.

Jumping spider

Pachodynerus erynnis, known generally as the red-marked pachodynerus or red and black mason wasp and Lantana camera. Lantanas are complex, I am not certain if this is a native to tropical US or an import. I think it is camara since I see beetles and wasps on it.

Clouded skipper on Lantana camara.

Common green June beetle and lantana camara.

Genus Pyrisitia minisa Yellow butterfly

Golden-reined Digger Wasp

Despite its vivid alarm coloration, the Great Golden Digger Wasp is not an aggressive species of wasp. They tend to mind their own business and can be found sipping on flower nectar during the summer, but in the early spring, females prepare to lay eggs.

Females will dig into loose soil and create many deep tunnels. When established, she then covers them to hide their existence. A female will track a small insect and sting them to paralyze them, but not to kill them. Once the prey is immobile, she will clutch it using her antennae and mandible (mouth parts) in order to fly it back to the tunnels. While in flight with her prey, it is not uncommon to see birds like robins or tanagers attempt to steal her meal from her by chasing her until she drops it. No other known species of Digger Wasp is known to be harassed by birds in this way. If the female is successful in returning to her tunnels with her catch, she will place the paralyzed prey aside to quickly inspect a tunnel. If it looks like it's still intact, she will pull the paralyzed insect, head first, down into it. She then lays an egg on the insect, exits the tunnel, and covers it over again. She repeats this process for each tunnel. Unlike other wasps, she does not actively defend her nest. Once hatched, the wasp larvae will feed on the living, yet immobile, insect until they are developed enough to leave the tunnel lair in the summer. Eventually, the parasitism of the paralyzed insect kills it.

Scientists are studying the behavior of this unique species. Great Golden Digger Wasps seem to display a type of internal programming. If their insect prey is moved away from the tunnel while the female inspects it, she will emerge, relocate it, bring it back to the tunnel entrance and start the inspection all over again. Every female exhibited the same repetitive 'start inspection again' behavior when tested in that way.

Females have also shown that they do not keep a tally of how many insects they catch versus how many tunnels they create. If some meals are stolen by birds, they do not realize that they are short on insects compared to tunnels.

With such gorgeous orange and black coloration, mild demeanor, and interesting behaviors, the Great Golden Digger Wasp is one to admire, not destroy. Perhaps a careful observer will discover even more fascinating things about this species.

Symbiosis - the ripples

For many artists, satisfaction comes from selling their work. For me, happiness comes when others mimic my work.

A little over a year ago, I met a young couple with a commercial landscape business dept. I invited them to be part of my social sculpture water + air + citizen that took place this past winter. I shared with them the next phase of Carbon By The Yard. This spring I among many volunteers, briefly helped Maggie and Isaac install their inspiring monumental version this spring. Luckily it survived the drought and made the Chronicle.

This Novrmber 5th carbon By The Yardwhich will take place this November 5th. During the community family celebration on November 5th, the relief Carbon By The Yard will be transformed into Carbon Sink. Stay tuned to learn more.


The white pedestal?

When I started in the MFAH Glassell School block program, I needed pedestals for my smaller sculptures. I made stark white cubes as I saw in museums and galleries.

Over the years, my work has transitioned to tell a specific story. I make work to reveal the beauty in diversity, the messiness in the natural world and the connections between all living things on the planet. And most importantly, I work to inspire society to step into a rhythm that will flow with the natural world and celebrate the beauty in its messiness. My work conflicts with borders that separate, clean lines that divide and sterile objects.

The white cube pedestals are a symptom of sameness, monocultures and sterile environments, a symptom of me wanting to ” look “ like I belong and fit in. A change is an imminent.

I am leting my eyes and mind play with how objects that physically support my work should look. Work that reimagines urban landscapes to balance humanity and natural systems should not be sterile cubes. What should, - what could they be?

The images below are some thoughts I am considering. .

Rocks

Bricks

Stones or concrete.

Cracks

Dried plant material

Electrical wire

Upcycled lawn furniture.

Palm tree trunk skin

Salvaged construction site rotting root with interesting chain link necklace imbedded across her shoulders.

Symbiosis - relationship 8/2022

Orange blister beetle and

Orange blister beetle and Ratibida columnifera

prairie cone flower. The beetle eats problem insects.

Gulf fritillary butterfly's mating and green anole ruins the mood.

Xylocopa virginica, the Eastern carpenter bee has evolved to the exact height to Maximize pollinating Passiflora incarnation. This relationship is one of my favorites in Symbiosis.

Soaking wet American bumble bee (endangered bee) using a Missouri ironweed leaf as an umbrella.

black mud daubersa, is a solitary wasp. This female his hunting for caterpillars to provision her mud nest. Plants recognize the vibrations of caterpillars chewing. This causes the plant to send out pheromones to attract wasp to keep the caterpillars down. She seems frantic.

Ascra bifida, exploring crabgrass and Marsh Fleabane (both volunteer plants) hunting for moths, caterpillars, harmful beetles, aphids and other pests. They are valued citizens in “Symbiosis”. Oddly there is very little online about this sweetheart of a stink bug.

American Mockingbird and American beauty berry.

On the left side of the image perched atop the dead olive tree a Mockingbird searches for insects. Camaflouged by the orange trick background a juicy dragonfly flies into to the upper right corner of the frame and catches the alert Mockibgbirds attention.

Cyathus stercoreus

Dung-loving birds nest fungus also known as splash cups.

Cyathus stercoreus

Dung-loving birds nest fungus also known as splash cups.

When a raindrop hits the cup's interior, the peridioles are ejected into the air tearing open the purse. In the lower part of the purse, the coiled funicular cord expands. The peridioles, followed by the sticky funicular cord and basal hapteron, land on a nearby plant stem or stick. Flying through the air, the line wraps around the plant's stem. The peridiole remains attached to the vegetation. In a natural setting, a grazing animal may eat it and later deposit it in that animal's dung to continue the life cycle. This amazing amazing creature breaks down dung, and captures raindrops.

Brown Anole

The ESTERN CARPENTER BEE AND PASSIFLORA INCARNATA

A dragonfly lays eggs in the still water of a trough pond. Her nymphs keep the mosquito larvae in check and are protein for the Texas mosquitofish.

Rumblings - diversifying and implementing systems thinking.

All living and nonliving matter are connected in form or system. Through my work on “Symbiosis,”  I have witnessed the power of holistic management, also called systems thinking. I can see that Changing our decision making process to consider whole systems and connectedness is the solution to our environmental and social issues. Changing how society thinks is the driving force in my art.

With this new awareness I am inspired to consistently reflect it in my work. I have decided to rethink  “Rumblings,” which began as a collection of monotypes of 50 of the 10,000 bee species. It wasa mono crop of bees. However, you can’t separate the interconnection between bees, humans, or other living organisms and the earth's natural systems. We are all part of the living planet Earth. I will start applying systems thinking to all my installations. “Rumblings ” will celebrate the relationships among a diversity of species up and down the food chain.  I will weave into these pieces the relationships that whisper of Earths biological processes and Physical  and chemical Elements. The connections can be obvious or  subtle, they can be  unmeasurable or invisible. This will be fun.

Endangered Knowledge: The Soul of Humus — The Bison in the Texaco Star

The Bison in the Texaco Star

The third pasture/exhibition

 As in agriculture that rejuvenates the soil, the bison has rotated to its third pasture/exhibition. It began in a historic grain silo/art venue in Sculpture Month Houston's Altamira, which considered modern caveman's materials and message to the future, followed by the Blue Norther exhibit, where the bison addressed extreme weather's connection to soil. Now it brings its message to the Houston Forever exhibition in the former Texaco Building in downtown Houston.

The Star building, former home of Texaco, the company that developed the Spindletop gusher in 1901 and took the US into the oil age, is a key location in the sculpture's rotation. The bison in the Star embodies our civilization's conflict "between" ecology and commerce. Before Spindletop, oil was primarily used for lighting and as a lubricant. With Spindletop's abundance, Texaco began marketing petroleum for mass consumption. What can we learn about natural carbon cycling through the soil from the herd's eating and waste habits — also called consumption and regeneration — contrasted with the development of the energy industry and our society's mass consumption without individual responsibility for regeneration? Comparing and contrasting these two energy sources, both receive energy from the earth: one where each consumer returns carbon to the soil and the other supplying a chain of energy but still trying to figure out how to repay its debt of carbon for future generations. Integrating natural systems of regeneration can steer our innovation and creative minds to a future in which consumption, conservation and regeneration of earth's resources are in balance.

 

Endangered Knowledge: The Soul of Humus

Today‘s progress may not look like much, however I worked 7 hours. I was focused on filling the tiny spaces in the groin, inside its flanks and rear end. And I was careful not to catch my skin on the sharp edges of the late. It is razor-sharp and requires careful deliberate moves.

Endangered Knowledge: The Soul of Humus

I attach the lath with airplane safety wire. Think of lath as the skin. Once the armature is covered in lath/skin, I will add the fur/soil/dried native plants.

Endangered Knowledge: The Soul of Humus

Today's work

Yes, I use a sewing tape measure

Yes, I use a sewing tape measure

I worked on his middle

I worked on his middle

Endangered Knowledge: The Soul of Humus

A few weeks ago Nash Baker took some in progress shots of my SMH piece. Then I had two weeks of off and on heat exhaustion. It is a rough summer to have an outdoor living sculpture and a piece that requires welding in a space that does not gave AC. I have finally replenished the minerals in my body and I am back to work on my bison. The temperatures are going to be extremely high this week to work outside. :(

Working on Endangered Knowledge: The Soul of Humus in my garage welding studioPhoto by Nash Baker

Working on Endangered Knowledge: The Soul of Humus in my garage welding studio

Photo by Nash Baker

Endangered Knowledge: The Soul of Humus

Progress from the last two days of work.

I worked on building the muscles on his neck, left leg bulk, sagged his bellie and made him a man.
Sagged bellie and manhood

Sagged bellie and manhood

Endangered Knowledge: The Soul of Humus

Ferlocks, hocks and nape

Right front leg chap and starting to build the neck muscles. The neck muscles are massive.

Right front leg chap and starting to build the neck muscles. The neck muscles are massive.

I build the legs on separate days. Left keg the hock curves up and right keg the Hock curves down. I still need fetlocks. I think bison have two per foot. More research

I build the legs on separate days. Left keg the hock curves up and right keg the Hock curves down. I still need fetlocks. I think bison have two per foot. More research

IMG_9164.jpeg

Endangered Knowledge: The Soul of Humus

Todays work- His right back haunch and leg.

Endangered Knowledge: The Soul of Humus

Front legs and right shoulder

Front legs and right shoulder