Words by DR DEMETER
Photography by NESS VANDERBURGH PHOTOGRAPHY
““Ecology becomes poetic when the creative expression of other beings stirs our own desire to become expressive, to unearth words, pictures, and melodies for this sublime experience of aliveness. When you encounter the azure plumage of a peacock, you enter a creative exchange. It is not passive, but is instead an invitation to participate in the radical poetic beauty of the world… it is about entering into and participating in the world that lies before and among you with a profound level of engagement and care”
On Sunday 5th of June, the first annual Tarkind community art event took place to celebrate takanya/Tarkine. Tarkind initiative is all about Heart, Art and Science with the takayna / Tarkine forest in Tasmania. Our values go further than the forest: We are creating a community who values kindness for living systems: ourselves, one another, all ecologies, past & future generations. We host an annual children's art & citizen science initiatives. Go to www.tarkind.org for more information.
Reconciliation Week had just completed on the 3rd and World Environment was on the 5th. A special time to convene with Gemma O’ Rourke (an Artist, Healer and Yoga Teacher. She creates and teaches drawing on her Shamanic connection to Mother Earth and the wisdom of Celtic and palawa ancestors). And Dr Keith Martin-Smith invertebrate biologist who is a passionate teacher and photographer. Tarkind is an emergent project, my family and I met Dr Keith Martin-Smith in takanya/Tarkine in late 2021 as a part of the Bob Brown Foundations Bioblitz. Over the Summer we connected with Gemma O’Rourke and from here Tarkind was born.
Celebration of the artists works with the Tarkind banner by Gemma O’Rourke.
the day in reflection
We gathered in the takanya inspired part of the Hobart Botanical Gardens with Gemma O’ Rourke, who shared a beautiful welcome to country, sharing stories with us about the sophisticated and loving connections First Nations people had with the land for approximately 60 thousand years. The cultural story is a significant one when we talk about takanya - it is hard to express and comprehend the depth of connection First Nations people had. Feeling with our hearts into this space and imagining how profoundly different the world can be if more people had this connection. We have deep gratitude to Gemma for her sharing. In reflection: how can animistic cultures guide the process of western self-decolonisation?
Biophilosopher Weber articulates that love - the impulse to establish connections, to intermingle, to weave our existence poetically together with that of other beings is a foundational principle of reality. The fact in modern life there is a disregard of this principle, lies at the core of a global crisis of meaning and ecological devastation - leading to the avalanche of species loss and in our belief that the world is a dead mechanism controlled through economic efficiency - hence the state of takanya today, which is threatened by destruction by mining and logging.
Following our Welcome to Country we went to the POD where Dr Keith Martin-Smith gave an insightful presentation about life in the forest, prior to making art.
The first art activity was a group Reconciliation canvas led by Gemma O’Rourke. Each person placed their hand on the canvas and imprinted it with chalk and reflected on what Reconciliation meant to them.
As part of Reconciliation Week this piece of art will be gifted to the Riawunna Centre at UTAS.
Artists then began to paint their own pieces based on the knowledge shared with them from Gemma and Keith about takanya. What emerged was a beautiful process of creativity, connection, collaboration and clarity!
A beautiful process and much to celebrate.
We will now run an exhibition on Saturday July 2nd, 2pm - 5pm at KIN CREATIVE SPACE at Kingston Beach Hall, Tasmania. Thank you to everyone for making the day so special and creating awareness about takanya. Thank you to Gemma O’Rouke, Dr Keith Martin-Smith, Tatjana Pejic, Emily Wood, Danielle Gilbert-Beynon, Jodi Henry, Yehuda Samuels & all parents for making it such a special day.
