Welcome to Perspectives. Art. Ecology.

Welcome to Perspectives. Art. Ecology., the exhibition, and the Coming of Age Project. I'd like to invite you to participate in this forum to discuss issues about the future of our environment - particularly those elements that are important to you.

What would you fight to preserve for future generations?

Take the time to read the posts and the comments others have left. Watch the blog videos on this site and feel free to respond to anything you see. Read the "how to comment" information in the right hand column.

Thank you for giving us your time today.

Counting down the days

As the days count down to the opening of Perspectives. Art. Ecology., I'm starting to wonder whether or not discussion about the future of our environment has any resonance in the current climate.

My readings of the weekend papers, particularly the lifestyle sections are particularly telling...much space dedicated to the latest fashions, household items and latest architectural/renovation trends...more and more ways to use spend money on resource-hungry items that supposedly "enrich"our lives. The whole recessionista idea of recycling, reusing and buying better quality less often seems to have been short-lived.

How do we seriously reduce our impact on the planet and our local environment when the mass media and society's influencers are still encouraging us to upgrade, upsize and overhaul our lives with the latest must-have items?

Rugby league commentator, Phil Gould made a comment in the Sun-Herald on 17 May which said: "We just need one generation to break the mould." He went on to write, "...it's peer group pressure that gets the best results."

Apply this sentiment to issues surrounding the future of our environment, and I think we're in trouble.

Empower the people of the river

On ABC Radio's Western Plains Rural Report on Thursday, 14 May the CEO of RiverSmart Australia, Dr Bill Phillips made the comment that when you walk into the pub and ask anyone in a riverside town how they feel about what's happening with our rivers, they simply feel disempowered.

This report can be heard by following the links for the 14 May Rural Report at http://www.abc.net.au/rural/nsw/westernplains/

How are you feeling about the state and future of the rivers in the Central West? Do you feel empowered enough to make a difference?

For more information about RiverSmart Australia go to http://www.riversmart.org.au/

Parrots or jobs - can't we have both?

A story that hit the headlines in the media today (11/5/09) leaves me wondering about how blinkered decision-makers and stakeholders (which includes rural communities) are when it comes to options for a sustainable future. At the moment the arguments seem to be either/or...black or white. The 161 comments on the ABC News page makes interesting reading (yes, there's some rubbish in there as well)...particularly those that wonder about whose responsiblity it is to invest in green jobs. Do rural communities take this initiative, or do we wait for a legislative response and a higher power to determine when and how it happens?

Parrot 'putting hundreds of jobs at risk' - http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/05/11/2566058.htm

Coming to fruition

As the creative processes of producing artworks for the Coming of Age Project comes to pass for a time, and the focus becomes more about the technical aspects of bringing a show together in the austere, reflective space of a public gallery, I've paused to wonder about the role of creativity in problem solving.

The difficulties of bringing together an exhibition are probably not that different to the problems we face managing environmental issues. In a gallery setting it is almost expected that creativity will be applied to finding a solution. The benefits of doing so are evident...to artists and curators at least.

Does our future hinge on creative problem solving? Can art play a concrete role in stimulating discussion, facilitating different view points and ultimately finding creative solutions to the big issues of sustainability and regeneration that face our world?

I invite you to respond to the questions on this blog and the ones in this post - as the Coming of Age Project and the Perspectives. Art. Ecology. exhibition explore different takes on the past, the present and future of the environments in which we live. This blog will be on display in the Perspectives. Art. Ecology. exhibition. Feel free to contribute before, during and following the public exhibition period. We'd love to see you in the blog tent at the gallery!

Perspectives. Art. Ecology. on show at Dubbo Regional Gallery - The Armati Bequest, Western Plains Cultural Centre, Dubbo, 23 May - 19 July 2009

An artist's perspective - Kim

In this video blog, I have attempted to explain some of my concerns about the future of our enviroment - the motivation for the Coming of Age project.