Weintraub, Linda. What’s Next? Eco Materialism and Contemporary Art: What’s Next
Your response will be to answer one of the three questions in this chapter in relation to the artwork described in the readings:
Complete the Reader Interaction and explain the reasons for your answers. Finally, comment on the last question: What’s next?
Consider this comment as the reflection of your learning journey in this course.
Continue working on your prototypes and make sure that you have at least 3 iterations from your previous prototypes. If you discarded a prototype you can propose a new one. Post the progress of your project 2 to your blog. Come prepared to present your progress in the next class.
deadline is next Tuesday before the class
Individually, you will experiment with making a dye from food. Document the recipe and technique thoroughly through the Lab Report Document (Sample here) and upload to this folder (make a subfolder with your name and then a subfolder with the dye’s name). After creating the dye, you will experiment with Shibori and dye a small piece of fabric of at least 25cm x 25cm. Document the step-by-step technique through the Lab Report Document and upload it to this folder (make a subfolder with your name and then a subfolder with the name Shibori). In your blog post about the experience. Start by briefly commenting on what you did and the challenges you faced. Finally, write your reflections and takeaways from this activity.
10% (can resubmit until week 12): Contextualize your research in the context of the course readings (choose 2) and themes (choose 1). Approx. 350 words
In my presentation on Chiharu Shiota’s installations, I introduced her artworks and analyzed her use of thread and found objects as materials. Her works, particularly her iconic webs of yarn, exemplifies the intersection of materiality, viewer engagement, and the temporality of art, which can be understood in relation to both the circular economy and the experiential dimension of installation art.
The concept of the circular art economy emphasizes sustainable material usage and reuse, aiming to reduce the ecological footprint of artistic practices. Shiota partially embodies this practice through the reuse of donated objects like keys and shoes. However, her reliance on synthetic threads reveals a tension between her works’ ephemeral nature and environmental sustainability. Integrating biodegradable materials or repurposing threads could enhance her alignment with circular principles, reinforcing her themes of memory and impermanence.