My final piece is strongly derived from Aldo Leopold’s essay ‘Red Legs Kicking’ (Leopold, 2021) whereby he describes his childhood wonder for the natural world. Inspired by this essay and it’s underlying message of respect for the natural world, I decided to nurture my own connection to the environment around me through a journey of observing natural forms in my own garden and places of significant meaning for my family. In my final piece, I used a colourful kaleidoscopic film projected onto a white installation to reflect my own wonder and curiosity for the natural world, and the feeling that, having given myself time to appreciate and be present in my garden, my eyes had been opened to its beauty and complexity. A kaleidoscope became the ultimate inspiration for the film as through this way of seeing we find original patterns and shapes, where the reflections distort what we would otherwise observe.
The white tubes were inspired by my research into the origins of life and the theory that oceanic hydrothermal vents are hotspots of diversity where life of earth originated. They are painted black on the inside as the darkness represents the vast amount that is unknown about the natural world, reminding the audience of the human ignorance into life’s intricate complexities. In this way I have brought together the origins of the world I observe around me in the physical installation, while reflecting onto it the wonder and amazement I experience with my own eyes at the world I can see in front of me. Us humans have incredible knowledge about the world around us, but there is much more to learn; we must stay humble and curious in order to have an ethical relationship with planet Earth.
Humble Wonderings. Kaleidoscopic film projected onto an installation, to reflect my wonder and curiosity for the natural world. Through the creation of shadows by the audience onto the piece it gives a level of immersion, while also captivating the imagination with the hypnotic nature of the changing patterns and colours.