Changing the course of nature, a series of actions, grew out of a fundamental principle that the embodied and living Self (as organism) alters the existing flows of the ambient natural system — the system which the Self is (merely) the energized extension of. If one envisions life itself as being a negentropic phenomena occurring as part of a field of energy without known limit, then it makes some recursive sense that a life-form would seek to extend the alteration of the flows that are moving around it, through it. Predation is a form of this, eating, consuming; sensing even could be construed to be an alteration (as Quantum) confirms — that the observer changes that which is observed. Alteration, fluctuation, change occurs at all scales.
One easily accessible phenomena that presents the idea of energy flow with a certain universal precision and intuitive simplicity is water. Fluid flow surrounds the body in water vapors, airs, sprays, and floods, while we also consume this flow directly, finding necessary sustenance for the body-system. Although the internal system is, topologically, simply an extension of the surface area of the external skin — both skin and gut are sensitive interfaces with submerging energized flows — with liquid energy flows everywhere.
Life speeding up entropy …
(the tool — axe, hand, mortar&pestle, hammer, rock, saw, shovel, rope (or use ‘natural tool))
“non-destructive” ?? (impossible not to change), but constructive/destructive don’t really apply
chopping down the dead birch tree in the Catskills (@ Bill’s place)
sawing a tree for fire wood
breaking off lower (dead) branches of all trees in an area
pushing down dead timberrrrrrrr(!)
adjusting the flow of water in a creek
trundling rocks (rolling with gravity)
throwing/skipping rocks into/across water bodies (skipper)
tying trees together (rock to tree)
watching anything
digging a hole
the body (hand on things, stepping on ground, in water, etc.)
Video — (finding a rock, digging it out, moving it, digging a hole to get dirt to fill the first, and replacing the rock in the second hole and covering it up.) (crushing a handful of leaves (mortar and pestle))
Changing the Course (of History/of Nature)
This series of performances takes place in isolated areas in the American West where the artist encounters moving water. Water in the West is a fundamental issue. Watch this space for evidences of change:
or go here…