Sara Gevurtz and Thomas Asmuth present their paper: Eco-Art and Sciences in an Age of Cynicism for the Association for the Study of Literature and Environment (ASLE) 2020 Nearly Carbon Neutral Biennial Conference. Every other year the conference does a meeting using teleconferencing to reduce impact from travel.
In this talk, Asmuth and Gevurtz will discuss how they critically examine how ecological conditions are communicated. In question are abstract visualizations of data points and graphing normally associated with this kind of work in data science. The team is critical of the separation of the tangible experience from the observable conditions and the separation this creates psychically from the audience.
The team combines the measurements and materials (data points, photographs, water, and other items) collected during interdisciplinary fieldwork to create installation art. They attempt a more direct interaction with the viewer. They adapt pedagogies historically based on wonder and discovery to function in the age of crisis, cynicism, and uncertain ecological futures. They are compelled as artists and citizen-scientists to educate, communicate, and inspire in the shadow of climatic and ecological upheavals.