This course will focus on the creation of artwork utilizing locally available materials and ecologically benign methods. For artists this is a unique opportunity to explore the lowland tropical rainforest, to experience this vital ecosystem not only intellectually, but on tactile and visceral levels as well. Work will arise from personal interactions with the local environment, and students are encouraged to experiment with new forms of artistic expression and media.
There will be technical demonstrations including the following:
-processing clay & adobe for sculpting
-weaving cordage from plant fibers and vines
-bamboo
-rubber tapping
-natural inks, dyes, and charcoal
-fashioning pens & brushes
-the artistic utilization of other natural resources
This is an intensive course, and students are expected to be working in the field or studio every day. Initially the class will focus on familiarization with the lowland rainforest ecosystem via morning and afternoon hikes and discussions regarding the environment and the conceptual frameworks that shape personal responses to it. We will also gather natural materials that may be used in the creation of artwork and explore potential locations for site-specific works. The bulk of the technical demonstrations will occur in the first 2/3 of the session, so that they might prove useful in student work. As the course progresses, more time will be given over to students so that they may devote themselves to individual projects. These projects may be in any medium, 2D or 3D, and are not required to utilize the demonstrated methods. The primary requirements are that they respond to or interact with the local ecosystem, and that they in no way cause harm to it.
An understanding of the critical issues involved in the creation of art in or of the environment is of particular relevance to this course. Slide lectures and discussions will take place in the evenings at regular intervals. We will consider contemporary artists, including Goldsworthy, Mendietta, Long and others who achieve direct interactions with the environment, and artists such as Beuys, Sonfist and Chin who address environmental politics. We will also explore the Pre-Columbian art of Costa Rica and the conception of the local ecosystem which it presents. Additionally, Non-Western art traditions including Chinese landscapes, Native American petroglyphs, and Australian Aboriginal ground designs, which not only aesthetically express complex cosmological notions but also physically integrate land, art, and artist will be introduced. The presentation of a range of philosophies regarding the interaction of art and nature is intended to spur critical discussion and exploration and provide reference points for critiques.
Required art supplies:
-sketchbook
-pens, pencils, erasers
-small bottle of gum arabic
-multi-function knife (leatherman, swiss army, etc.)
-wood glue
As students will spend a lot of time in the rainforest, rubber boots are necessary – hiking boots are not sufficient, no matter if they are waterproof, because after a couple of days of rain the mud puddles get very deep. These only cost about $15-$20. You will also need to have a daypack, either thoroughly waterproofed or with a trash bag lining the inside. It is also helpful to have Ziploc bags for smaller items which can be harmed by exposure to water. Defogging solution and lens paper for glasses, binoculars and cameras are also useful. Write-in-rain notebooks, calculator, magnifying glass, and graph paper are not necessary for the art classes.
Students need to think about the environmental impact of the supplies that they bring. Recycled paper is strongly recommended for sketchbooks. Ecover and Dr Bronners are good biodegradable soaps for laundry. Bring rechargeable batteries and a charger for flashlights, walkman, etc., because in Costa Rica most garbage gets burned, and standard disposable batteries are full of toxic heavy metals.
There are a few books that you might want to look at before or during your time at La Suerte. These are entirely optional, but the more knowledge you acquire before you get here the more advanced class discussions and critiques will be.
Fragile Ecologies: Contemporary Artists’ Interpretations and Solutions by Barbara C. Matilsky
Land and Environmental Art ed. Jeffrey Kastner & Brian Wallis
Between Continents / Between Seas: Pre-Columbian Art of Costa Rica (out of print, but generally available through interlibrary loan)
The Mythology of Mexico and Central America by John Bierhorst
A Brief History of Central America by Lynn V. Foster
Costa Rica: The Ecotraveler’s Wildlife Guide by Les Beletsky
Environment Under Fire: Imperialism and the Ecological Crisis in Central America by Daniel Faber
The Song of the Dodo: Island Biogeography in an Age of Extinctions by David Quammen