arboreana
Since Darwin's Origin of the Species, it has been accepted that plants and humans share a common if distant ancestry. Our predominant western view of trees is as a passive resource. We urgently need a more empathetic view that preserves rather than harms our biosphere. Recent discoveries in plant neuro-biology indicate that trees are able to communicate; react to a wide range of stimuli, hold memory, warn of danger and cooperate. New findings point enticingly to plants producing and using sound. These discoveries are attracting interest in the further disciplines of linguistics, anthropology and philosophy. At the same time, ruthless exploitation and land clearing are leading to the extinction of ancient forests, their flaura and fauna ecosystems along with stored carbon.
The Arboreana Project is an umbrella for a number of projects that I've been working on for the last year with assistance of a Creators Grant from Creative Victoria.. Like my previous large scale work Dance of the Bee, Arboreana reflects on the connections between human and non-human life through sound and music and the creative and philosophical possibilities of interspecies collaboration. An important element is the recording of the sounds and music of trees and their environment.
In 2021 Astra will premiere The Word for World - for choir, ensemble and recorded tree and landscape sounds. This work has its origin in the Arboreana Project and reflects on the trees and forests of Taungurung Country.
Science creates knowledge. Art creates empathy. For meaningful action, both are needed.
For a conversation with Tim Entwisle on ABC RN about tree listening click here.
listening to a manna -gunambura - gum - e. viminalis, Strathbogie Ranges - Taungurung Country 2018
sources of tree sound/music
sonogram of manna - gunambura -gum - e. viminalis
