Radical Landscapes
Darren Pih
"Radical Landscapes" was an exhibition shown at the Tate, which explores how the British landscape is not just scenery, but rather a political, social and ecological space. The idea is that this space is shaped by protest, ownership, identity, and environmental change. Key themes in this show, which interest me and inform my practice include:
- trespass and right to roam
- land ownership
- environmental activism
- climate crisis
- folk tradition and ritual
- migration and identity
- resistance to industrialisation.
I believe that my work is a radical iteration of the landscape, and researching this exhibition and project has allowed me to begin thinking about how my work can become political and ecological. I have started to consider land ownership and how this can impact the true nature of the Peak District. My work also ties into folk tradition and ritual. Slow, handcrafted textile practices are rooted in the Peak District, as neighbouring cities such as Manchester and Leeds are renowned for their textile manufacturing industries.
The main industries in the Peak District are farming and tourism, meaning that the land is shaped for an economically successful means, rather than the preservation of native wildlife and flora.
There have been various protests surrounding access to the Peak District, from the Right to Roam Movement to the Mass Trespass.
The 'right to roam' is important to my artistic practice, as it allows me to connect with the landscapes, especially natural, non-human-created environments, by observing, creating, walking, and collecting materials for my tapestries. My work has evolved into facing more political issues, such as resisting the Anthropocene, ecology and landscape ownership.
This embodied experience of creating also allows me to explore and connect to the landscape through touching and foraging, rather than viewing it from afar.
Roaming is also a key factor in creating my work. As explored through Tim Ingold's Lines. Wandering and wayfaring, not only on my walks but with my threads, provides a sense of freedom and journey. It is because of those actions of Benny Rothman and the Kinder Scout Mass Trespass, that we can roam and explore the Peak District, instead of being confined to paths and lines, which is where the true creativity and appreciation of nature can form in my work.
Sources: Tate Liverpool, Hayfield Kinder Trespass Group, Peak District National Park, Benny Rothman