COMPOST 8" x 10" print

“Science asks us to learn about organisms. Traditional knowledge asks us to learn from them”.

-Robin Wall Kimmerer

This artwork is from a 2022 wall calendar project and is exploring how change happens in the more-than-human world. What is the pace? What is the scale? The catalysts, the intelligence, the resources? The plants and animals are powerful teachers and offer abundant examples of how, specifically, to practice a cooperative, interconnected life. Here I explore examples of Pollination (sharing), Metamorphosis (forming), Germination (growing), and Decomposition (Dying). Each monthly page includes a few questions about how these examples might translate to human experiences.

Decomposition: DEATH. COMPOST. Composting is a process that works to speed up the natural decay of organic material. Assisting with this process of turning waste into something useful can be done in many ways. Even some toxic substances can be remediated with specific assistance to the decaying process. The earth’s potential to metabolize and decompose is extraordinary. Can you think of rotten ideas or systems would benefit from being transformed in this way? What agents of change would be needed to assist in the process?