Tattfoo Tan S.O.S. Action Guide

S.O.S. ACTION GUIDE Based on an art project by Tattfoo Tan to create a Sustainable. Organic. Stewardship.

Presented by ecoARTspace as part of an Art & Ecology Learning Guide Series addressing environmental issues through replicable social practice art projects

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Getting Started Overview/What participants will learn The Story of the S.O.S. project Letter from Tattfoo Tan

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Climate Change and Food Security

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Sustainability 2.0 (includes timeline)

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S.O.S. MOTTO 1: BE PREPARED l Develop mastery in stewardship Get certified in composting, pruning, permaculture, and recycling

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S.O.S. MOTTO 2: BUILD CHARACTER l What is your identity in the world Uniform Badges S.O.S. Pledge

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S.O.S. MOTTO 3: BE A GREEN CITIZEN l Activate your community S.O.S. Mobile Garden S.O.S. Mobile Classroom S.O.S. Urban Farmer

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S.O.S. MOTTO 4: TAKE ACTION l Invite others to develop skills S.O.S. Herbarium S.O.S. Free Seeds Library S.O.S. GREENade S.O.S. GREENraid S.O.S. 5 P.M. S.O.S. Black Gold

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History of Art and Food

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Supplemental Activities for K-12 Motto 1 - S.O.S. Headquarters - Worm Palace - Swap-o-rama - Hack Lab Green Design Collaboratory Motto 2 - S.O.S. Design Lab - Pocket Collecting - S.O.S. Comic Book S.O.S. Cinema Motto 3 - S.O.S. Radio - Vertical Gardening - Moss Graffiti - S.O.S. Brigade Weather Station - Native Plant Archive - Bug Emporium - Energy Machines Motto 4 - Creative Activism Toolbox - Micro-Greens Market - Farm-to-School

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Common Core Standards

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Resources

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Credits/Acknowledgments

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OVERVIEW The S.O.S. ACTION Guide was developed to accommodate a wide range of participants including nonprofit organizations, school groups, and individuals. It can easily be used for a weekend workshop, an entire semester, or annual project of selfexploration, certifications, and community projects. The guide is considered to be a reproducible tool for anyone interested in taking action addressing issues around sustainability.

Sustainability science has emerged in the 21st century as a new academic discipline. However, it was on March 20, 1987 that the Brundtland Commission of the United Nations first published a report titled “Our Common Future,” which stated “sustainable development is development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.” This idea of sustainability has changed over time although it was built on the fundamental pillars of Ecology, Economy, and Equity. Participants of this guide will develop their own understanding of the term as they explore ways they can contribute to developing adaptation processes for their local communities.

Activities found in the guide have been broken into MOTTO’s, which can be executed individually or all together, and at the depth that corresponds with the learning goals of an organization or institution. Included in each S.O.S. Motto category are ACTION STEPS to create your own placed based S.O.S. project. At the end of the guide are RESOURCES and SUPPLEMENTAL ACTIVITIES sections that can be aligned with Common Core Standards.

PARTICIPANTS WILL TAKE ACTION IN THE FOLLOWING AREAS:

S.O.S. (Sustainable. Organic. Stewardship.) is a multi-year project that Tattfoo Tan began in 2009 to address how we can live more sustainably. By acknowledging the shortage of food on a global scale, his S.O.S. projects such as S.O.S. Pledge, S.O.S. Free Seeds Library, and S.O.S. Urban Farmer ask that we consider more closely what we are eating and where our food is coming from. Tan truly believes that in order for us to live more sustainably that we will need to grow at least some if not most of our own food. This way we can ensure through hands on gardening that what we are eating is good for our health and well-being, while also reducing environmental impacts of industrial agriculture including the use of pesticides, C02 emissions from transporting goods, air pollution and soil depletion.

S.O.S. began as a local grassroots project and was closely linked to the neighborhoods of St. George, Stapleton and Clifton/Park Hill in Staten Island. Staten Island is New York’s often forgotten borough when it comes to progressive food programs aimed to cut across class and neighborhood lines.

Borough representatives and residents are rarely integrated in city-wide conferences, events, and policy development. This exclusion is due in part to Staten Island’s unique geography, low overall population density, limited public transit system,

and unfamiliar neighborhood characteristics. Thus programming and initiatives that might apply to other New York City neighborhoods are rarely extended to the borough.

S.O.S. is the logo or brand that the artist wears as a merit badge on his coveralls while performing eco-actions such as activating his S.O.S. Mobile Classroom while working with school age children. It is his motto and is part of his “do-gooder” identity or invented boy scout persona which he incorporated into his art practice after taking certificate courses in composting, pruning, permaculture and neighborhood leadership in New York City. Tan’s eco-actions have been primarily local, however, his goal is to do good for the entire planet. And, since Tan is only one person, he is now inviting anyone around the world to recreate or replicate his vision for a sustainable future in their own backyard and communities.

Skills Mastery & Certification WWW.TATTFOO.COM

Self-Identification & Character

Stewardship & Skill Sharing

Community Engagement & Placemaking

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GETTING STARTED

Tattfoo Tan is an ecological artist who lives on Staten Island in New York. For over a decade he has created numerous public art projects, both temporary and permanent. His artworks are community-based and inspire participants to consider what actions they can take in their daily lives to create positive environmental changes in the world, such as composting, seed saving, and growing your own food to name a few. His art practice is immediate, direct, and explores effective ways of relating to the individual in society, collapsing the categories of both ‘art’ and ‘life’ into one. Within his hybrid art practice both minds and bodies are engaged in actions that transform the making of art into a ritualized and shared experience.

Tattfoo’s work has been shown in various venues and institutions including: Queens Museum of Art, The City of New York Department of Cultural Affairs Percent for the Arts, Lower Manhattan Cultural Council, The Center for Book Arts, Bronx River Art Center, Project Row Houses and The Laundromat Project. He was recognized for his artistic contributions to the community as a recipient of a Proclamation from The City of New York, and was also given the Twenty-Eight Annual Award for Excellence in Design by the Public Design Commission of The City of New York for his super graphic on Bronx River Art Center.

ABOUT THE ARTIST: TATTFOO TAN

THE STORY OF THE S.O.S. PROJECT

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Dear S.O.S. Stewards, I am so glad that you will be participating in the S.O.S. projects. Inside of you is a seed waiting to germinate. Think of this guide as another force to push you to take the right actions in your daily life, in your family, and in your community-at-large.

When I first started to investigate climate change, food politics, social equality, I found that it is all connected, a large entangled web weaved by us humans to gain power and wealth. It can be profound to comprehend, as I too have noticed this pressure in my own life and financial situation.

I hope you will be motivated by the examples in this guide and that you will continue to investigate further on topics that you are passionate about, learn more about them, find solutions, and share these skills with others. Learn. Practice. Teach. This is an effective formula that I use in my art practice.

The biggest hurdle you will face is actually in your own mind. What stops you from doing these actions is yourself. Do not ask permission, listen to your heart, find what is right and then do it. Define your own social norms, think like a young child, behave like one, and have faith that you can influence the next generation to set them on the right path.

So, welcome to the S.O.S. movement of ONE! Because the only person you have absolute power to change is YOURSELF. In earth we trust,

With a world population expected to reach 9.6 billion by 2050, the question of whether there will be enough food to go around is a challenging proposition. Food security touches our everyday lives in several ways. It’s important that food is readily available through sustainable distribution channels, and that we have access to food through affordable means, as well as know how to utilize food nutrients best for our health. Uncertainty about food is one of our greatest fears.

Over the last century, supermarkets have become our main source of food supply. However, it is a business model that is ripe for failure, as its scale is not sustainable. An average American grocery store is around 46,000 square feet, approaching the size of a football field. Inside, thousands of food products are stockpiled from around the world. And, the price of all that abundance is a lot of waste: The USDA estimates that supermarkets lose about $15 billion annually in unsold fruits and vegetables alone, and throw away, on average, 12 percent of produce and 7 percent of meat and poultry.

Food security connects with a range of environmental issues in very direct ways. Food is central to human survival and food production is dependent on weather or changes in climate.

Food is a climate change issue Food production contributes approximately 30% of greenhouse gas emissions that are contributing to climate change. However, food production being compromised by the need for more energy sources. Land is being used to grow crops which are turned into biofuels. And, while biofuels reduce the carbon impact of transport, they also put pressure on food security.

Food is a health issue The food we eat, along with other habits and lifestyles, determines our health. The media swings from reports of starvation

Scientific advances particularly in genetic modification of seeds have resulted in the patenting of staple foods like corn and soy. Meanwhile the increase in food production has also impacted both soil health and water quality, with agricultural run-off as one of the major sources of river pollution.

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By 2012, 88 percent of corn (maize) and 94 percent of soy grown in the United States were genetically modified. And, now, instead of farmers collecting their own seeds from each year’s harvest for the next year’s planting, they are buying GMO seeds every year and are paying for the intellectual property of what was previously natural and free of cost.

in Africa to reality TV shows about obesity and anorexia in North America and Europe. In reality 30% of the world’s population is malnourished and another 30% is obese. Developed countries waste 30%-40% of food. This happens at every stage from farm to fork and, and like with energy, food waste is where individuals can make a difference.

Food is a land use issue Food production uses approximately 40% of the world’s land and 70% of fresh water. The amount of land available for food production is under pressure from residential and industrial development. Now that more than 50% of the world’s population lives in cities, we are more reliant on food being transported to us for purchase rather than growing our own food. However, it is estimated that 20% of our food needs can be met by urban agriculture.

Food is an economic and employment issue Worldwide, 60% of farmers are small-scale and they produce 50% of the world’s food. In the developed world we have industrialized farming, which means that fewer people are growing food.

In North America and Europe this has created a disconnected from food production and is seen as part of a wider disconnection from nature.

“After cars, the food system uses more fossil fuel than any other sector of the economy. As for healthcare reform, the chronic diseases forcing spending ever upward are rooted in the way Americans eat.

You cannot expect to reform the health care system, much less expand coverage, without confronting the public-health catastrophe that is the modern American diet.”

MICHAEL POLLAN (2014)

The 1948 Declaration on Human Rights includes the right to food (Article 25), and there are several organization’s with mandates on food production at a global level including the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and World Health Organization (WHO).

These organizations were created to protect food production and public health for all.

READ: Can We Feed the World & Sustain the Planet? Smithsonian magazine http://www.geog.psu.edu/ sites/default/files/Scientific%20 American%20Article.pdf

CLIMATE CHANGE AND FOOD SECURITY

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formation of an organization to raise awareness of the need for “sustainable” development as developed nations recognized their responsibilities for environmental issues stemming from their industrialization and resulting economic growth.

ENVIRONMENTAL

Originally called the World Commission on Environment and Development, the Brundtland Commission was founded in 1983 with Norway’s Prime Minister Gro Halem Brundtland as the chair.

Its mission is to unite countries to pursue sustainable development together, especially in light of the rising tide of globalized economic growth and the acceleration of global degradation of the natural environment which begun to come into sharp relief at the same time. This commission gave us the current common definition of sustainability and sustainable development in its seminal report, Our Common Future, published in 1987.

SUSTAINABILITY ECONOMIC

SOCIAL

In 1968 the United Nations Economic and Social Council was urged by Sweden to hold a conference on human interactions with the natural environment. The resolution passed. In 1972

It was the Brundtland report which first advocated the idea that the “environment,” previously considered separate from human action in relationship to “development,” is really inseparable.

Before that they had been concerned solely with political goals and economic growth. The report identified these as linked: “... the ‘environment’ is where we live; and “development” is what we all do in attempting to improve our lot within that abode.” However, twenty five years later, the website of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency states: “Sustainability creates and maintains the conditions under which humans and nature can exist in productive harmony, that permit fulfilling the social, economic and other requirements of present and future generations.” Again, giving more weight to development.

Sweden would host the United Nations Conference on the Human Environment, bringing the issues of human impacts on the environment into international politics. It was a decade later, following the formation of The International Union for Conservation of Nature in 1980, that world leaders would push for the

Sustainability is based on a simple principle: Everything that we need for our survival and well-being depends, either directly or indirectly, on our natural environment. The development, growth and longevity of our societies and economies are inexorably linked with the natural environment.

Sustainability is based on a simple principle: Everything that we need for our Sustainability, and more specifically Sustainable Development, to create a thriving planet and home for humanity, can be approached by looking at the balance of natural resources, economic access and social equality in order to “meet the need of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.”

IMPORTANT TERMS/ CONCEPTS PRINCIPLES OF SUSTAINABILITY 1. Maintain or improve the quality of the environment and environmental systems 2. Maintain or improve quality of life for humans in balance with non-human life.

3. Improve local economic vitality and equal access to economic resources 4. Promote and improve social inclusion and equity

KEY SUSTAINABLE PRACTICES 1. Leave resources which need to be pulled out of the ground in the ground 2. Use renewable and responsibly harvested resources and energy 3. Avoid toxic, non-biodegradable chemicals and products derived from those chemicals 4. Buy locally grown and manufacture products 5. Buy fair trade

Sustainable Development: Economic, social, and environmental policies and practices that meet the need of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.

Systems Thinking: Understanding how things influence one another within a whole.

Examples include ecosystems in which various elements such as air, water, movement, plants, and animals work together to survive or perish. Within sustainable development this may include considering how economic policy, such as tax code, will affect the environment by encouraging or incentivizing types of investment. Or, it could include how environmental policy pertaining to resources might affect politics and social change, such as water rights negotiation impacting indigenous populations.

Wicked Problems: Describes a problem that is difficult or impossible to solve because of incomplete, contradictory, and changing requirements that are often difficult to recognize. Not evil but resistant to resolution. Many key issues in sustainable development are viewed as “Wicked Problems” as they look at the social, economic and environmental factors and how they are interrelated.

Life-Cycle Assessment: A technique to assess environmental impacts associated with all the stages of a product’s life from-cradle-to-grave and give a more complete view of it’s environmental impacts.

Benefit Corporations or B Corp: An incorporation model in the United States which is designed for for-profit corporations to include and weigh social and environmental concerns, in addition to profitability, in their decision making process. Previous models of incorporation effectively forbid companies from prioritizing social and environmental issues if they were to negatively impact profitability. Similar emerging models include low-profit limited liability corporations (L3Cs), and flexible purpose corporations.

6. Be transparent 7. Give back to the environment and society

sus.tain’abil’i.ty:

n. the ability to meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.

SUSTAINABILITY TIMELINE

1955 - Air Pollution Control Act of 1955 is passed

1866 - The word “ecology” was coined by the German biologist Ernst Haeckel 1886 - Audubon Society founded

1892 - Sierra Club incorporated with John Muir as President

1962 - Silent Spring by Rachel Carson published alerting us to the dangers of chemicals

1967 - Environmental Defense Fund is created to pursue legal solutions to environmental damage 1970 - Clean Air Act passed & First Earth Day celebration

1972 - Water Pollution Control Act is passed

1983 - World Commission on Environment and Development, the Brundtland Commission, founded

1973 - Endangered Species Act is passed

1992 - The United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED), also known as Earth Summit convenes 172 countries and resulted in Agenda 21 (a non-binding, voluntarily implemented action plan for sustainability), as well as the formation of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).

1987 - Brundtland Report, Our Common Future, is published

1995 - Parties to the UNFCCC meet in Berlin at the 1st Conference of Parties (COP1) to outline specific targets on emissions

1997 - At COP3 the parties establish the Kyoto Protocol in Kyoto, Japan, in which they agree to the broad outlines of emissions targets

2002 - Russia and Canada ratify the Kyoto Protocol to the UNFCCC bringing the treaty into effect on February 16th, 2005 1998 - Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating System developed by the U.S. Green Building Council

2011 - World population reaches 7 Billion and is increasingly interconnected

2008 - World food, fuel and financial crises converge, food prices increase by 43% in one year

For a more In Depth Sustainability Timeline go to: http://www.iisd.org/pdf/2012/sd_timeline_2012.pdf 8

SUSTAINABILITY 2.0

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S.O.S. M O TTO

Develop mastery in stewardship

ACTIONS • Identify local environmental stewardship certificate programs • Enroll and Complete stewardship certificate programs.

Stewardship certificate programs (Composting, Pruning, Permaculture, Recycling)

Why wait for others to certify you? Let’s each be our own specialist.

Environmental stewardship refers to responsible use and protection of the natural environment through conservation and sustainable practices. Aldo Leopold (1887–1948) championed environmental stewardship based on a land ethic “dealing with man’s relation to land and to the animals and plants which grow upon it.”

There are 3 types of environmental stewards: doers, donors, and practitioners. Doers go out and help the cause by taking action.

For example the doers in an oil spill would be the volunteers that go along the beach and help clean up the oil from the beaches.

A donor is the person that financially helps the cause. They can do anything from donating their money, to having galas or other fundraisers. They are typically governmental agencies. Lastly there are practitioners. They work on a day-to-day basis to steer governmental agencies, scientists, stakeholder groups, or any other group toward a stewardship outcome. Together these 3 groups make up environmental stewards and help keep the ecosystem running healthy.

Anybody can be an environmental steward by being aware and knowledgeable of the world around them and making sure they do as little as possible to negatively impact our world. Without these groups it would be hard to get any sort of sustainability in our increasingly technology, pollution, industrial based world.

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S.O.S. MOTTO 1: BE PREPARED

Neighborhood Leadership Institute Certificate

Tattfoo took the Master Composter Certificate Course in 2009, which aims to train an enthusiast to be a compost expert and spread the compost knowhow, making a meaningful impact in the community! The train-the-trainer course is designed to promote the practice of home composting and the reduction of our city’s solid waste and consists of 21 hours of classroom training (including two field trips), and 30 hours of volunteer outreach service in compost education and promotion. The course is free and is funded through the New York Compost Project by the NYC Department of Sanitation Bureau of Waste Prevention, Reuse and Recycling.

In the Fall of 2010, Tattfoo took Skills-Building Workshops through the Citizens Committee for New York City for volunteer-led groups and individuals interested in working on community improvement projects. In this Workshop he learned: Basics of Community Organizing: Bringing neighbors together to work on issues that matter to you; Group Structure: Build and maintain an effective neighborhood association or community group; Navigating City Government: Learn how government functions, who is responsible for what, and how to have your community issues addressed; and Grassroots Fundraising: Supporting your group’s work with community fundraising efforts.

NYC Compost Project http://www.nyc.gov/html/nycwasteless/html/ compost/compostproj.shtml!

Tattfoo’s Story For my S.O.S. project I enrolled myself in various green courses and acquired certification for my green knowledge. In order to flaunt my new found skills I created a merit patch for my gray coveralls that I wear during events and gardening sessions. I’m intrigued by the process and the power that is bestowed by the agencies that provide certification. I am also propelled by my thirst for knowledge and also to challenge my endurance by going to classes and performing community service requirements for these courses.

NYC Master Composter

ACTION STEPS

Neighborhood Leadership Institute http://www.citizensnyc.org/workshops

1. Research local stewardship certificate programs in pruning, composting, permaculture, and recycling. You can usually find workshops through your local University or Community College extension programs or research centers. Environmental nonprofit volunteer programs are also a place to look for certifications.

Depending on where you live, in a rural, suburb or urban environment, there will be range of resources. You can even become a citizen naturalist or citizen scientist through programs such as the National Wildlife Feder- ation and the National Science Foundation online. Also, check out your local arboretum, botanical garden or ecology center.

2.Enroll in courses to get certification after researching what is available. Decide which certifications that you will need to address your local sustainability issues in your community. Prioritize your list of courses and com- plete them as they become available and as time permits.

3. Follow through with your course training so that you can gain certification. If the course does not offer a formal certificate, ask if they can create one for you or if you can create your own. Get their signature to make it official.

Be sure to get a picture of yourself with your certificate and the course supervisor for evidence that you can use when you share your skills with others.

READ: Leopold’s Land Ethic Fact Sheet http://www.aldoleopold.org/AldoLeopold/LandEthic.pdf

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S.O.S. M O TTO

What is your identity in the world

ACTIONS • Assess your identity in your community • Create your personal uniform that reflects your identity

• Design or appropriate merit badges for your uniform • Take the S.O.S. Pledge

Tattfoo’s Story Tattfoo Tan is a graphic designer who studied painting as a child. He moved from Malaysia to New York in 2000. He first lived in the East Village where he made paintings. He loved the location, but not his tiny apartment, so he moved to Brooklyn to find a larger space to make his art. But as Tattfoo’s paintings got bigger - and more numerous - he needed still more space, so he moved again to an even larger studio on the ground floor within walking distance of the Staten Island Ferry. Here he had access to an outdoor garden.

Although Tattfoo experienced success with selling his paintings, having exhibitions in New York and Philadelphia, he was not content with making art that would be stored away, maybe never to be seen again. This felt passive and in some way…. wasteful!!

Then and Now Tattfoo also felt that the system of consuming art, or collecting objects, was old school and asked why as creative thinkers should we be trapped by a system of overproducing, waiting to be discovered, begging gallery dealers to provide exhibitions? He questioned why we need so much assurance and approval from other people? This led Tattfoo to what he refers to as his reformation of the art world, with the goal to de-commodify art as a valuable object and instead make art that consists of ideas put into action. He then chose to make the general public his audience and to empower anyone and everyone to be an artist. This idea was inspired by the work of German artist Joseph Beuys who created the term Social Sculpture to illustrate his idea that art’s potential to transform society includes human activity that actually shapes the environment.

ACTION STEPS 1. Watch the video The Empathic Civilization.

2. Write your story, who you are, where you come from and where you live, what kind of person are you to your friends and family, and to yourself.

3. Think about what you wear and how you look to the world, what people might assume about you from your choices of clothing.

4. Choose a uniform to modify or create as your own personal costume that reflects your inner goals and values, which you feel are important for making the planet more sustainable.

5. Find old merit badges that can be re-purposed or altered to attach to your uniform. You can also design pin buttons or logos for belt buckle and t-shirts.

S.O.S. MOTTO 2: BUILD CHARACTER

LA Urban Rangers, Los Angeles Fallen Fruit, Los Angeles

How to Build Character through Integrity http://www.wikihow.com/Build-Character-Through-Integrity Military l Boy Scouts l Girl Scouts l Nurses l Judges l Eco-warrior l Super Heroes

http://empathiccivilization.com 12

I’m an artist. I’m a designer. I’m a gardener. I’m learning. I’m looking for solutions. I’m you and you are me. We are all one, connected and interdependent in a closed system planet call Earth.

Our only home.

While this guide may reference the language of a formalized club, Tattfoo’s S.O.S. project is not associated with any uniform wearing organizations or trades. The S.O.S. project is an open and inclusive platform for all people of all backgrounds to engage in creative placemaking and for identity building activities regardless of race, class, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation or gender identity. Tattfoo and ecoartspace invite you to join us in building a more equitable and sustainable world that is affirming for all people.

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Merit Badges Merit badges are typically used by organizations to acknowledge or reward participants for completing a set of activities that teach them valuable skills. In recent years Boy Scouts of America have required mandatory badges in both Citizenship in the Community and Environmental Science. And, they also have a new sustainability badge.

Like Tattfoo, as an individual artist making an artistic statement, you can also create your own unique badges to acknowledge your accomplishments, good deeds or skills learned by collaging words on pin-back buttons or by cutting and sewing fabric to make your own hand-stitched version. For Tattfoo’s Master Composter Badge, he redesign the “Caduceus” symbol of divine providence altering the embryo of life from a serpent to a red worm and placed the icon of the earth at the background to show that composting save the planet. Because Tattfoo is also a graphic designer, he designed his badges himself and then had them professionally produced.

#SOSPledge The S.O.S. Pledge is modeled after the The Pledge of Allegiance. It was transformed by Tattfoo into a more eco conscious pledge to ensure that we work as a team and that every small effort counts in effort to save our only home, Planet Earth. It is a unique artwork that is based in a concept, a mission, a promise that carries its message and virtue formlessly across all mediums and platforms to suite any budget, aesthetic, size and location. It and can be proudly displayed in a public area.

Tattfoo has created the pledge as a marble mural in a school, on a plywood board in a community garden, on a handkerchief for portability, as an online petition and even as a temporary tattoo.

Below the S.O.S. Pledge is made available for your use to spread the message. This particular stencil font, with a break in the face is also great for silkscreen, stencil, vinyl cut, CNC milling and laser cut.

How-Tuesday: Embroidered DIY Merit Badges https://blog.etsy.com/en/2013/how-tuesday-make-a-merit-badge/

Build Character behaviours

Purpose, identity, beliefs, values & capabilities

ABOVE THE SURFACE (WHAT YOU SAY AND DO)

BELOW THE SURFACE

Sue Spencer-Knight, an international leadership coach from the United Kingdom who works with businesses and organizations believes that ultimately, sustainability can only be built on the transformation of human character.

To illustrate this concept she created the iceberg model, which proposes that behaviors (what people say and do) are determined by what is below the surface (purpose, identity, beliefs, values and capabilities). Point being that we cannot change behaviors sustainably without changing the sub-surface drivers.

Spencer-Knight states that the transformation of character which is essential for true sustainability will naturally emanate from below the surface where economic motivations of extraction and exploitation of the natural environment will be supplanted by those of human contribution and service.

These drivers that underpin sustainability can translate, over time, to the transformation of character. But can we change?

Spencer-Knight says we definitely can, and that for eons, humanity has been driven mostly by survival drives. When the survival drive is our default mode, more elevated and altruistic expressions of character, innate in humans, are suppressed.

As more of us begin to see that our ancient embedded drives are actually counter-productive, and compromising our survival, she believe we will refine our character and generate sustainability drivers for the benefit of our businesses and communities. As we improve our character, a more sustainable environment is a more compatible ecosystem to work and live in. Over time, we learn that sustainability is in our self-interest. As we reach a tipping-point where these drivers become more common, there will be multiple unintended beneficial outcomes.

SIGN HERE

DATE

SEE FRACTURED ICEBERG (Sustainability in Resources)

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S.O.S. MOTTO 2: BUILD CHARACTER

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S.O.S. M O TTO

#SOSMobileGarden

Grow Food S.O.S. Mobile Garden can be a discarded shopping cart retrofitted into a mobile edible garden that Tattfoo uses to parade around to engage the public. Discarded shopping carts can be found in many different places and are utilized by individuals who have survived through economies of recycling.

These wire frame vehicles often represent a lifestyle of consumption and excess as much as the objects they contain, and also seem to be subject to the same fated disposability. While shopping carts are often a sign of homelessness, urban decay or neglect, they can also be a symbol of renewal and transformation of our food system. Anything with wheels and room to grow will work!

ACTIONS • Design your own personal garden • Grow your own food • Share your garden with your community

Tattfoo’s Story The popularity of community gardening initiatives around the country is a sign of our times, considering the rise in industrial farming practices, and organic food movements. If we take a close look at the cost of producing and transporting crops, it’s clear that our current food system is having a disastrous effect on ecosystems worldwide. From increased carbon footprints, water and resource consumption to soil erosion and habitat destruction, agriculture is a dangerous game that threatens the health of our communities.

To address some of these issues I’ve created mobile and urban gardens by using available resources such as an old shopping cart, an abandoned handcart, and a cargo bicycle. I’ve also transformed a plot of land near my home into an urban farm that produces food for local neighbors and myself.

Understanding Food Systems We all eat food, yet most people don’t know where their food is grown or how far it travels to get to their plate. In the past, food systems were “bioregional,” meaning food was grown and consumed within a small radius of where someone lived. Today most foods are shipped from around the country or world. Some crops like wheat are grown in the Midwest, while oranges are mostly grown in Florida because of the weather, soil type and amount of rain. Other foods – like bananas or mangoes are shipped around the world.

MOBILE GARDEN

ACTION STEPS 1 - Log on to craigslist.org and search the free items posting or dumpster dive 2 - Look out for items that can be easily roll around like office chair, luggage, stroller, shopping carts, skateboard etc.

3 - Contact donor and pick up items 4 - Fix any broken parts and convert the item to a planter 5 - Be creative and design your mobile garden 6 - Remember to put some holes at the bottom for drainage 7 - Place edible plants into Mobile Garden 8 - Now you have a living sculpture 9 - Start a Mobile Garden parade with your friends and neighbors

Why is it important to understand food systems? Because our health is closely linked to what we eat, how our food is grown, and what foods are available in our communities. According to the American Diabetes Association, there has been a substantial rise in Type 1 and 2 diabetes across the U.S., with over 22.3 million Americans living with the disease. The cause being a combination of environmental pollutants that disrupt the immune system, how much and what types of foods are consumed, and one’s predisposition or genetic legacy.

Industrial food production has clearly contributed to a rising obesity epidemic and ecologically unsustainable farming practices, using more fossil fuels than any other sector of the economy to make chemical fertilizers and pesticides, to power farm equipment and to provide refrigerated transportation. While we are just beginning to understand some of the social and ecological consequences of these practices, the real benefits of sustainable and healthy foods are more evident each day.

Questions to Ask Yourself Who grows my food? Where does my food come from? How far did my food travel from where it was grown to my home? What resources are used to transport my food?

Was my food grown organically? Is my food genetically modified? What are the connections between my food and my health? How does growing food impact the environment?

Can I grow some of my own food? Where would I grow my own food? What would I grow?

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S.O.S. MOTTO 3: BE A GREEN CITIZEN

S.O.S. MOBILE GARDEN

17

#SOSMobileClassroom

SLOW DOWN

S.O.S. MOBILE

CLASSROOM

Bike culture is growing in America and this idea piqued Tattfoo’s interest to investigate further into the cargo capability of a bicycle. In India there are vendors who use bicycles to fulfill one’s livelihood. Velocommerce is business that is dependent on the bicycle (from the French word ‘velo’ referring to bicycle). It is about the mobility of property, and it challenges notions of ownership and private capital. It is special because it exists at the intersection of entrepreneurship, mobility, sustainability, grassroots innovation, cultures, local economies and decentralized.

S.O.S. Mobile Classroom was created from a unique multi-usage cargo bicycle, which functions as a mobile classroom when parked on the street or doing a workshop in a school or community event. It is a catalyst for an interesting green conversation and for spreading the message of sustainability. Tattfoo’s mobile classroom engages participants while doing workshops and provides a real-to-life scale model of what a mobile garden and a compost bin would be by hauling all the necessary equipment along.

ACTION STEPS 1 - Adapt or re-build an old bike working with your local bike shop or organization 2 - Design and plan activities you will present from your mobile classroom 3 - Gather materials for your activities from donations or reuse/recycle centers

#SOSUrbanFarmer Urban gardening has become increasingly popular in cities across the United States. As food prices continue to rise and the ecological impacts of industrial farming become more apparent – people are starting community gardens, rooftop farms and greenhouses in a variety of ways. In our urban environment, we may be lacking of land that has exposed soil but don’t let the concrete pavement stop you from enjoying gardening. Recycle urban artifacts such as a discarded bicycle to be repurposed into a trellis. Reuse dried branches as a barrier to hold fall leaves in a corner of the garden to make compost.

S.O.S. Urban Farmer is what Tattfoo became when he decided to plant his food garden, and what he refers to as a “third place.” This is a place where people can come to meet in their community outside of work and home, for good company and lively conversations. Tattfoo’s garden includes a

winding path that offers the artist both a meditative path to walk

each day and a way to slowly work through, harvest and maintain

the garden. The garden provides food and a gathering place, as ACTION STEPS

well as a space to brainstorm and contemplate future art projects.

1 - Find a sunny spot in your yard or community property 2 - Make sure the soil is healthy and not contaminated

with toxins

The Third Place (Ray Oldenburg) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hd1_jNIn-qw

3 - Design your garden - use water color, pen, paper

4 - Invite local community members and friends to help you assemble your mobile classroom

4 - Use soil amendments such as compost, fertilizer and top soil

5 - Finalize your designs and assemble, paint, decorate your classroom

5 - Create walking paths so you have easy access to your growing foods

6 - Collaborate with local schools or nonprofits to bring the mobile classroom to them!

6 - Devise a watering plan in case you are not available to water daily 7 - Fence out critters with chicken wire so they do not eat your foods 8 - Also include raised beds or planter box gardening 9 - Plant your seeds in the areas you have mapped out 10 - Water, weed, observe, repeat

Garden Designs and Tips Planter Boxes Garden: Many urban gardens use raised beds or planter boxes to grow crops, herbs and other edibles on top of pavement or asphalt. You can usually buy soil at your local botanical garden, recycling center, or farmers market.

Creative Structures: Consider using recycled urban artifacts to help construct your garden. A discarded bicycle can be repurposed into a trellis, wooden pallets can be used to create raised beds, and dried branches can become a barrier to hold leaves or start a compost heap in the corner of your garden.

Creating Edge: There are no straight lines in nature and there is more life on the edge where two systems overlap. A wavy edge is a preferred design because it can provide more edge for this habitat. Use this “edge effect” and other natural patterns to create synergies between the landscapes.

Habitat Gardening: Leave some areas of your garden wild, allowing wildflowers and weeds to remain. Many beneficial insects, birds and butterflies are host-specific and will feed or lay eggs only on certain plants that may not be common in a garden. Plant lush border gardens to encourage diversity and incorporate herbs into your flowerbeds. Include a bird bath to encourage birds and beneficial insects to linger.

Permaculture is an approach to gardening that mimics ecological patterns in the environment to establish self-sustaining systems. Permaculturalists think holistically when designing their gardens, considering the ethics and possibilities of their design to maximize growth and reduce ecological footprint.

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S.O.S. MOBILE CLASSROOM

S.O.S. URBAN FARMER

19

S.O.S. M O TTO

#SOSHerbarium

Invite others to develop their skills Wild foraging of native and non-native plants assists in understanding how plants travel the planet and trains the eye to know whether plants are edible or not. Although some plants are considered weeds, they can also provide medicinal value that we can benefit from. Creating an herbarium is a great way to learn about plants and share your knowledge or just to get your hands dirty.

ACTIONS • Establish tools for organizing • Create an herbarium • Make a seed library

• Develop created modes of seed dispersal • Raise chickens • Compost food waste

S.O.S. Herbarium is a collection of dried plant specimens that are preserved for identification and collected during a plant walk in your community. For anyone unfamiliar with plant identification it’s recommended that you be careful of any harmful species such as poison ivy by consulting a plant ID guide and online resources specific to your bioregion. It’s also good to know the local regulations for what can be legally harvested in the city and state parks in your area.

Tattfoo’s Story S.O.S. is not possible without sharing your skills. Once you have gained certifications, have your uniform and badges for others to see, representing your commitment to learning, it is time to teach what you have learned to others in your community so that they too can take the S.O.S. Pledge. Only by working together can we collectively imagine a more sustainable world and community for all.

Tattfoo researched other models that have been created to learn about living sustainably and adapted some of these activities for his own projects. Collecting herbs to learn their names and origins, building seed holding containers to share seeds, mixing soils and recycled paper with seeds to disburse native plants in vacant lots, and making a chicken coop for chickens to care for and be nourished by are just a few ways the artist contributes to making the world more sustainable.

ACTION STEPS 1 - Gather materials for plant collecting (plant press, plastic bags, trowel, small notebook, tags, camera)

8 - Make a press with plywood and newspaper, strap tightly with buckles

2 - Collect good representatives of species (with leaves, stems, flowers, seeds, roots)

9 - Delicate flowers can be laid out on tissue paper

3 - Take no more than ten at at time to really learn about each species and properly press them

11 - Use water soluble glue to attach to the paper

4 - If collecting small plants, group them on one page 5 - Collect plants during dry conditions, mid-morning, after dew has dried before heat of the day 6 - Record date collection number, location, habitat, and special characteristics 7 - Take photographs of your species habitat

10 - After completely dry, mount plants on thick paper 12 - Write plant information on the paper at the bottom 13 - Store finished papers with plants in storage box 14 - Collect as many as you want and share with others You can easily make a plant press with spare plywood and newspaper, and a vice or a belt strap that can wrap around your press. You’ll need two pieces of plywood and a sturdy surface in a shady cool spot to press each specimen.

Cultivate Sustainable Citizenship In order to cultivate sustainable citizenship in your community consider some of these suggestions to guide your process: Create a Portrait of Your Community – Make a snapshot of your hometown and local community. What are some of the pressing social, cultural or political issues specific to your region? What’s the history of the region or city? Who’s in charge, who are the mover and shakers? What do residents have concerns about and why? Create maps, flow charts and lists of relevant information to identify themes and focus areas.

Make it Political – In order to be a good citizen, you have to know how your community is politically oriented and activated.

Are there any local organizations, clubs or spaces that are working toward sustainability or social justice? What are ways you can be involved in local politics, community decisions, zoning and planning in your area? Create a website or blog to document possibilities and begin to experiment with friends and neighbors.

Get Involved on Your Own Terms – Now that you have a better understanding of your local socio-political landscape, get involved on your own terms and start small. Maybe attend a community board meeting or a city-sponsored event. Write a letter to the editor of your local newspaper. Organize a meet-up group for folks interested in ecological stewardship. It’s always better to have a collaborator – so try and get involved with someone who will hold you accountable to your participation in civic matters.

Create a Groundswell – After getting your feet wet, its time to begin your own initiative or collaborate with an ongoing campaign. Use art/design strategies to motivate others to get involved and create a groundswell of support and community activism using online tools, workshops and neighborhood gatherings.

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S.O.S. MOTTO 4: TAKE ACTION

S.O.S. HERBARIUM

21

#SOSFreeSeedsLibrary S.O.S Free Seed Library is a D-I-Y seed-sharing program modeled on the Little Free Library system where participants make bird feeder boxes for distributing seed packets instead of library books.

The bird feeders are placed in public locations where seeds can be traded freely. For this project Tattfoo conducted workshops where participants designed and printed seed packets, and built their own bird feeder box stands as an exercise in community food justice. Place these units on your front yard and maintain, replenish and promote your Free Seeds Library with your community. These seeds are for anyone and everyone to take, plant, share, consume, admire and exchange. By saving seeds, we control the destiny of our food and promote ecological diversity.

How to Save Seeds http://www.howtosaveseeds.com

ACTION STEPS 1 - Find a location to host your seed library (anywhere) 2 - Set a date for a seed saving event and advertise with flyers 3 - Design, build, adapt your seed library container (be creative) 4 - Design seed packets using recycled materials 5 - Make signage 6 - Place seeds in your library 7 - Monitor your library to catalogue your seeds

#SOSGREENade S.O.S. GREENade is an activity that borrows from military vernacular and permaculture strategies (seed balls) to reverse acts of destruction into ones of growth and abundance. For this project Tattfoo invites community members to become S.O.S. Commanders, leading an all out guerrilla gardening offensive to seed abandon lots, lonely tree plots, and empty planters in communities everywhere. The main weapon is the Flower Bomb which can be rolled into balls or made to look like grenades, and once dry, can be planted into places in need of restoration and renewal. As flowers mature they become habitat for butterflies and bees, pollinators for our food gardens.

Seed balls are an ancient method of plant propagation widely promoted in the 1970s by natural farming innovator Masanobu Fukuoka. They are simply seeds mixed with equal proportions of dried compost and clay, formed into small balls, and dried for later sowing.

ACTION STEPS 1 - Assemble materials 2 - Invite your community to attend a GREENade workshop 3 - Host a series of workshops to make GREENades 4 - Discuss tactics for planting and creating a greener community 5 - Encourage participants to bring their own clay, compost, and native seeds 6 - Invite participants to hold their own workshops and seed ball collectives

8 - Spread the word! http://www.wikihow.com/Make-a-Seed-Bomb

Flower Bombs/ Seed Balls Recipe 5 parts clay, 3 parts soil, 1 part native/regional wildflower seed.

Mix well with water, form balls or desired shapes and leave to dry in the sun.

Throw them over fences, along roadsides and places in need of color and restoration.

Bomb responsibly! Stay clear of parkland and places that are maintained and landscaped.

Fun for all ages! Start your own flower bomb collective! Spread love in your area!

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S.O.S. FREE SEEDS LIBRARY

23

#SOS5pm

#SOSGREENraid

S.O.S. 5 P.M. is a great way to bring your community one step closer to growing food that is local and sustainable by raising chickens. The number 5 refers to the number of chickens Tattfoo keeps and “pm” stands for Poop Machine, because that’s what chickens do - they eat, they poop, and they lay eggs. Chickens need a chicken coop, which takes a great deal of planning and design, although is manageable with the help of community members and friends. Tattfoo reduced his upfront cost by using recycled and found materials like canvas stretcher bars and even his paintings, which he uses as barriers. He has also created a hencoop at The New Children’s Museum in San Diego called S.O.S. 5pmWest for the exhibition titled Feast: The Art of Playing with Your Food. You can follow the number of eggs his urban flock are laying on Twitter @tattfoo #eggcount

S.O.S. GREENraid is also a guerrilla gardening activity that Tattfoo uses to transform the landscape.

Making paper planes from recycled junk mail to disperse wildflower seeds provides the ability to fly them over rooftops and to pass over chain-link fences. The paper plane is folded in various designs to further enhance the experience of this seed disbursal campaign. Guerrilla gardening is a global regeneration movement first used by Liz Christy in 1973 in Lower Manhattan that brings colour and life to desolate and forgotten urban areas. You don’t need a garden to participate. You can take it upon yourself to brighten up your neighborhood roadsides and vacant lots.

ACTION STEPS 1 - Collect junk mail from the post office and your neighbors (let them know why and invite them to come make handmade paper with you) 2 - Find a good paper making recipe online (see resources) Gorilla Gardening http:// en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guerrilla_gardening

3 - Get all your materials together (invite people to bring their own materials) 4 - Add your native seeds from the seed library to your paper 5 - After the paper dries, fold them like airplanes and go out to vacant lots and Green Raid!

Before taking on this project, Tattfoo recommends asking yourself the following questions:

Build Your Own Chicken Coop

Will you have surplus eggs to sell?

Tattfoo built his chicken coop with recycled woods. According to some estimates, more than 46 percent of the total U.S. hardwood lumber production is used in making moving pallets and approximately 200 million pallets end up in American municipal landfills each year. Pallets are a great source of free, usable wood available to everyone.

Can the hens roam free in your garden?

FYI: Chickens LOVE Pine Shavings

Is owning your own flock cheaper than buying eggs?

Where should you place my coop?

Can the chickens survive outdoors through the harsh cold winter?

Will the coop attract rodents?

How will you dispose of the manure?

Can your dog and cat harm the hens?

Can you eat the egg-laying hens?

There are many resources online to investigate answers to these questions.

Urban Chickens Podcast, The Art of the Chicken Coop http:// www.urbanchickenpodcast. com/ucp-episode-007/)

ACTION STEPS 1 - Do your research or take a class on urban chicken farming 2 - Research zoning and permitting requirements in your municipality or city 3 - Identify a site for your chicken coop in a grassy area 4 - Locate and assemble materials (wire, wood, nails, screws, fencing, heat lamps, water system) 5 - Purchase young vaccinated ready chicks from March till July 6 - Build your coop and invite friends and community members to assist in exchange for eggs 7 - Monitor your chickens health and progress daily 8 - Include neighbors, friends and family through the whole process

For this green militia offensive we are recruiting you to be a part of the Sustainable Organic Stewardship (S.O.S) movement! Unlike other militia offensives, planting wildflowers is helpful to everyone and harmful to no one! They are beautiful to look at, help clean and aerate the soil, great for the birds, bees and butterflies and offer a fresh perspective on our often under utilized landscape. WE ARE HERE TO RECRUIT YOU. TIME IS RUNNING OUT. EVERYONE MUST DO THEIR PART FOR OUR MOTHER EARTH. BEE STRONG. Wear your best Camouflage outfit.

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S.O.S. 5P.M.

25

#SOSBlackGold S.O.S. Black Gold references the phrase which has connections to oil drilling, to re-branded forms of jewelry, and even political forms of corruption. Coincidentally, gardeners also call compost Black Gold because of its value in improving garden soil for growing foods. Approximately 12% of our garbage is food waste, and when this is thrown into landfills it is a costly waste of a valuable resource. When Tattfoo learned this he decided to can his worm casting from his compost to make it available for sale as art. His point was that if it was purchased as an artwork, it would confront or cause the dilemma for the art collector to then use the compost as a plant fertilizer.

If the soil were used, then it would lose its status as a work of art. Tattfoo also decided to price S.O.S. Black Gold at the same price as the current gold value, as a way to make a statement that we should value our soil, where we grow our food, at the same level or price that we value gold.

Vermicomposting is composting with worms which accelerates the natural process of decomposition creating worm castings or worm manure including humus with high absorption abilities and more nutrients.

ACTION STEPS 1. Identify a location in your garden or on your patio or balcony for a medium to large compost bin 2. Construct a bin with recycled woods or purchase one through your city or county Bureau of Sanitation 3. Find a smaller counter top size container with lid for your food scraps (only raw, uncooked, no oil, bread, fish or meat) 4. Make sure you have a mixture of green waste from your kitchen/yard, brown waste such as recycled non glossy papers/leaves, water and air at all times (too much moisture or too dry is not good, and keep it stirred up every week)

5. If you want you can add worms, but make sure your bin is designed to collect liquids at the bottom which you can use as fertilizer called worm tea 6. Harvest your compost to amend soil in your flower beds or pots and your food garden (this can take up to six months or more) 7. Once you get a fine black soil at the bottom of your bin, you can place it in glass jars and sell it like Tattfoo as an artwork and also a way to educate others about composting

How to Compost http://www.pbs.org/wnet/nature/inside-nature/infograpic-how-tocompost/8281/

Agnes Denes, Wheatfield: A Confrontation, 1982, downtown Manhattan, NY

Food holds a special place in visual culture and has been depicted in art dating back to paleolithic caves in France and Spain with paintings of hunting wild animals. Egyptians also made drawings of food in the pyramids on the walls of tombs as offerings to the dead. And, Romans painted large frescos with fruits placed in glass bowls on the walls of Pompeii. During the 16th and 17th Centuries, still life paintings of over flowing plates with prepared foods were also portrayed to represent opulence or wealth. And, food itself was used to make art with for street festivals through the 19th-century in Europe. The list goes on and on.

The bottom line is that eating is an indispensable human activity and the drive to obtain food has been a major catalyst across all of history. It is responsible for the structures and institutions we call “civilization,” and has been an integral part of religious identity. Food historian Dr. Ken Albala states “Food is a Driver of Human History” and has connected the entire world through trade.

With artists having such a long history of depicting food in art, it makes sense that today we have a number of contemporary artists addressing food issues with new more pressing perspectives.

These artists are not so much concerned with portraying food as a way to show wealth as they are interested to ensure that we do not lose the quality and quantity of foods that we need for our human survival globally.

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S.O.S. BLACK GOLD

In 1971, artist Gordon Matta Clark along with Tina Girourard and Carol Gooden opened an artist run restaurant in Soho, New York City called FOOD to bring together artists and local community members, to provide a space for dialogue and conversation as well as a living piece of art. And, in 1979, Suzanne Lacy created a simultaneous world wide dinner happening titled International Dinner Party, a project that publicized networks of feminist organization on the eve of another artist, Judy Chicago’s exhibition titled Dinner Party at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. More recent projects similar to FOOD and International Dinner Party are:

The Waffle Shop (2008-2012) was a neighborhood restaurant organized by Pittsburgh artist Jon Rubin that produced and broadcast a live-streaming talk show with its customers and operated a changeable storytelling billboard on its roof. The project functioned as an eatery, a TV production studio, a social catalyst, and a business.

More about this project there: http://culturalcapital.co/the-waffle-shop/

HISTORY OF ART & FOOD

27

Bonnie Sherk, CROSSROADS COMMUNITY (the farm), 1974-78, San Francisco, CA

Soul Food Pavilion (2012) was presented by Chicago artist Theaster Gates to create an opportunity to convert a space for Sunday dinners to provide a forum where soul food could be consumed while its complex flavors and histories are discussed, questioned and celebrated. Guests from all backgrounds and places were invited to the communal dinner table where they openly discuss issues of race and inequality while sharing food, memories and performances.

More information on the project here: https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=king4z1kTKI In 1970, San Francisco artist Bonnie Sherk performed her Portable Parks Series l – lll with partner Howard Levine transforming three barren, sterile, urban “dead spaces” into green, living environments replete with sod, palm trees, and live animals. Later in 1982 artist Agnes Denes grew a two-acre field of wheat titled Wheat Field - A Confrontation on a former landfill, now the site of Battery Park City and the World Financial Center in New York City.

Her intention was to perform for the financial district a growing concern of misplaced priorities in an attempt to end world hunger by putting human value in perspective.

Other more recent projects similar to Bonnie Sherk, Agnes Denes, and more recently Tattfoo Tan’s SOS projects, include:

Victory Gardens (2007) was developed by artist Amy Franceschini and her Future Farmers collaborative who joined with the City of San Francisco’s Department for the Environment by offering

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HISTORY OF ART & FOOD

tools, training and materials for urban dwellers to encourage a city-wide transformation of underutilized backyards - turning them into productive food growing spaces. The project drew from the historical model of the American Victory Gardens that were encouraged by the Federal Government to subsidize farmers who were off fighting for our country during WWI and WWII. More information on the project here: http://www.futurefarmers. com/victorygardens/

Edible Estates is an ongoing initiative founded by Los Angeles artist Fritz Haeg to replace domestic front lawns with kitchen gardens, allowing families to grow their own food. The project was initiated on Independence Day 2005 in Salina, Kansas, the geographic center of the United States. Since then the artist has created sixteen gardens around the world.

More about his project there: http://www.fritzhaeg.com/garden/ initiatives/edibleestates/about.html

Fallen Fruit is an art collaboration originally conceived in 2004 by artists David Burns, Matias Viegener and Austin Young that began by mapping fruit trees growing on or over public property in Los Angeles. Fallen Fruit uses fruit as a common denominator to change the way you see understand public resources.

More information on the project here: http://fallenfruit.org

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MOTTO 1: BE PREPARED

MOTTO 2: BUILD CHARACTER

S.O.S. Headquarters – Designate a space at

your school or organization as an “S.O.S. head

quarters” to display, map and showcase any

sustainability projects. This is a perfect place to display your S.O.S. pledge, seed packets, brochures or badges created throughout this Action Guide.

S.O.S. Design Lab – Create a space at your

school or community center to work on your

S.O.S. costume and character. Invite local

designers to work with donated fabrics, second hand clothing and thrift-store materials to create a uniform and badge for your S.O.S. project. Display your design process and create re-usable patterns to upload online for others to share.

Worm Palace - Vermicomposting uses the

power of worms to break down organic waste

into compost for your garden. To create a

vermicomposter, transform a small plastic storage container or wooden box by drilling holes to provide aeration, and then covering with wire mesh or screen. Next create bedding from shredded cardboard, newspaper or peat moss. Wet with a spray bottle, and then add a handful of redworms (Eisenia foetida). Feed your worms kitchen scraps like chopped veggies, fruits and coffee grounds. Avoid anything with oil, citrus, dairy or meat and read Worms Eat My Garbage by Mary Appelhof for more in-depth instructions!

Swap-o-rama-rama – Organize a swap-meet

in your community or school inviting friends,

family and students to trade clothing, toys,

electronics and other items that would otherwise end up in the landfill. Combine the event with a potluck gathering or musical performance to build community.

HackLab – Set up an electronics drive to collect

obsolete technology and e-waste. Invite a local

fixers collective, AV club, hacker space or

science teacher to lead a workshop on repurposing these materials into new inventions, musical instruments or sculptures. Bring the items that could not be used to an e-waste facility for recycling.

Green Design Collaboratory – Organize a

design charrette at your school or workplace

to map the flow of waste and other resources

such as water or electricity. Identify the origin of materials used and where items like paper, plastic bottles, cans, or organic wastes end up. Brainstorm ways to reduce your material stream through better signage, clearly marked bins and a fun visual campaign to encourage participation. If a recycling plan doesn’t exist, talk to an administrator about initiating one.

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S.O.S. ACTION GUIDE SUPPLEMENTAL ACTIVITIES

Pocket Collecting – Design a cape for kids or

adults with pockets sewn into the back of each

cape. Organize a series of neighborhood walks

inviting participants to wear their capes while they look for local specimens and natural artifacts. Encourage participants to place their findings in their cape pockets and create a small exhibition of your collection by hanging each cape on a hook for display.

S.O.S. Comic Book - Use your S.O.S. character

to inspire a comic book exploring ecological

themes or issues. Start with a simple story

board and begin to sketch out your character in their new setting. Illustrate your first chapter with an exciting story and setting inspired by where you live. Craft your comic into a small zine to share with others or launch a digital blog to share your creation.

S.O.S. Cinema – Use your phone or a video

camera to create a short film or performance

inspired by your S.O.S. character. To begin,

storyboard your film around the idea of encour-

aging a sustainability initiative in your community. Add some humor with special effects and invite guest stars from local non-profits or community groups to share their mission for a greener world. With everyone’s permission, upload to Vimeo or YouTube and post to social media.

MOTTO 3: BE A GREEN CITIZEN

S.O.S. Radio – Create an internet-based radio

platform and invite students, family members

and communities to broadcast alive from their

school or community space. Use the S.O.S. Action Guide as a prompt for conversation and interview sessions. Ask participants about local social or environmental issues, ideas for encouraging local food systems and building community.

Vertical Gardening – Using Britta Riley’s

Windowfarm project as inspiration for a vertical

garden in your window to grow herbs or

lettuces or for your kitchen. Collect 2 Liter

plastic soda bottles. Invert each bottle and place holes throughout for plants to grow. Install a pole or dowel rod to hold each container and fill with soil after securing firmly to your window. Plant seeds, water and grow!

Moss Graffiti – Rather than using spray paint

harness the power of moss to communicate an

S.O.S. message. To create your growing

medium you’ll need a clump of moss, 2 cups of buttermilk or yogurt, 2 cups of water, a teaspoon of sugar and a dash of vegetable oil. Blend all ingredients well and then spread on a cement or brick surface. Depending on climate, moss will begin to grow where you’ve spread your medium.

S.O.S. Brigade - In order to cultivate sustainable citizenship start an SOS Brigade in your community to build interest in a more sustainable future. Consider some of these suggestions to guide your process:

• A Portrait of Your Community – Create a snap

shot of your hometown and local community.

What are some of the pressing social, cultural

or political issues specific to your region?

What’s the history of region or city? Who’s in charge, who are the mover and shakers? What do residents have concerns about and why? Create maps, flow charts and lists of relevant information to identify themes and focus areas.

• Making it Political – In order to be a good

citizen, you have to know how your community

is politically oriented and activated. Are there

any local organizations, clubs or spaces that

are working toward sustainability or social justice? What are ways you can be involved in local politics, community decisions, zoning and planning in your area? Create a website or blog to document possibilities and begin to experiment with friends and neighbors.

• Getting Involved on Your Own Terms – Now

that you have a better understanding of your

local socio-political landscape, get involved on

your own terms and start small. Maybe attend

a community board meeting or a city-sponsored event. Write a letter to the editor of your local newspaper.

Organize a meet-up group for folks interested in ecological stewardship. It’s always better to have a collaborator – so try and get involved with someone who will hold you accountable to your participation in civic matters.

• Creating a Groundswell – After getting your

feet wet, its time to begin your own initiative or

collaborate with an ongoing campaign. Useart/

design strategies to motivate others to get involved and create a groundswell of support and community activism using online tools, workshops and neighborhood gatherings.

Mobile Classroom In section three Tattfoo shared his mobile classroom project. To help inspire a personalized version, use some of the suggestions below to guide your design:

• Weather Station: create a mobile classroom that measures rainfall, wind speed, temperature and can chart climate change trends

• Native Plant Archive: assemble an archive of native plant seeds, pressings and live plants that you can showcase to your community

• Bug Emporium: create a traveling bug and critter show that allows youth and communities to touch and view local insects and animals • Energy Machines: offer ways to demonstrate the power of renewable energy by providing solar and wind charging stations

MOTTO 4: TAKE ACTION Creative Activism Toolbox Taking “action” in your community can take many forms. Small gestures like hosting a potluck or talking with neighbors can go a long way. In holding ourselves accountable we open space for collective decision-making and collaborative work toward a more socially just world. To get started, consider some of the suggestions below:

• Identifying Key Issues: Identify local ecological and social issues that are threat- ening the health and sustainability of your community. Visit local non-profits, talk to neighbors, conduct research online and develop a list of focus areas

S.O.S. ACTION GUIDE SUPPLEMENTAL ACTIVITIES

31

• Building Solidarity Networks: Make a list of

strategic partners, friends and community

members that can assist in your campaign or

initiative. Invite them to a special dinner or potluck to build relationships. Solidarity NYC is a great example: http://solidaritynyc.org/

Micro-Greens Market – Use your workplace or

school to organically grow herbs and sell them

to local restaurants or spaces in your commu-

nity. Involve local youth, develop a business

plan and procure growing space to start a small crop of herbs like basil, thyme, rosemary or mint. Grow, harvest and distribute to local restaurants and use the funds to further sustainability projects in your community.

• Developing Creative Strategies: Using this

Action Guide as inspiration, develop strate-

gies and interventions for sustainability in your

neighborhood. Experiment, pilot or test project

ideas with friends and expand your efforts through research and conversation. Visit the Center for Creative Activism’s database of strategies for helpful tips and ideas: http://artisticactivism.org/

Farm to School – Develop a farm to school

program in your school district. Use the

Center for Nutrition’s online tool kit

(http://toolkit.centerfornutrition.org/) as a guide for partnering with local farmers and producers around the region. Start small by replacing frozen food items with a few farm-fresh produce items. Organize cooking classes and workshops to engage students and families.

• Documenting Progress: Document your activi- ties using a video or photo blog, twitter and other social media. Invite friends online to view and comment on photos to get them involved in your crusade for a greener world.

SUSTAINABILTY Sustainability explained through animation (video) https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=B5NiTN0chj0 Steps to Sustainability (Fractured Iceberg) http://stepstosustainability. com/?p=1191 Can We Feed the World, Sustain the Planet? (Scientific American) http://www.geog.psu.edu/sites/ default/files/Scientific%20American%20Article.pdf Food: An Atlas (collection of maps, by the Guerilla Cartography Community - Jan 2013) http://guerrillacartography.net/ Food%20%7BAn%20eAtlas%7D. pdf

The table below outlines a collection of Common Core learning goals in science, math, language arts and social studies that align with the S.O.S. Action Guide’s activities and concepts. Learning goals specific to each grade area were selected based on their relationship to citizen science, interdisciplinary forms of collaboration, science and technology integrations (STEAM), and creative approaches to communication in both informal and classroom settings. Although this table is by no means comprehensive it provides a touchstone for teachers to build and adapt their own lesson plans around state-required content. For a full list of Common Core standards visit http://www.corestandards.org/

CSA Citizen Science Academy http://www.citizenscienceacademy.org/courses Ecology Center http://ecologycenter.org Occidental Art & Ecology Center http://www.oaec.org

COMMON CORE Standards Alignment Grades 6 – 8

Grades 9 - 12

Daily Acts (Permaculture Design Certification) http://dailyacts.org/homegrown-guild

Science NA CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RST.6-8.1; CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RST.9-10.3;

RST.-8.3; RST.6-8.9 RST.9-10.7; RST.11-12.3;

RST.11-12.7

Solar Living Institute (Courses in Sustainable Living) http://www.solarliving.org

Math CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.K.MD.A.1; CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.6.SP.A.1; CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.HSG.MG.A.3

2.G.A.1; 2.MD.A.4; 3.MD.D.8; 6.G.A.4; 7.G.B.6 5.MD.C.3

IDENTITY

Language CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.K.10; CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.6.1; CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.9-10.6; Arts RL.2.3; RL.3.6; RL.5.7 RL.8.2 RL.11-12.1 Social NA Studies

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.6-8.7; RH.6-8.6;

DIY Merit Badges https://blog.etsy.com/en/2013/ how-tuesday-make-a-meritbadge/ Boys Scouts of America Sustainability Merit Badge Workbook http://www.usscouts.org/usscouts/mb/worksheets/Sustainability.pdf

BICYCLE Bullitt by Larry vs. Harry http://www.larryvsharry.com/ Custom bicycle of Metrofiets http://www.metrofiets.com/ Yuba Bicycle http://yubabikes.com/ Madsen Bicycle http://www.madsencycles.com/ Bicycle Trailer at REI http://www.rei.com/

URBAN FARMER

How to Decode Egg Cartons http://www.motherearthnews. com/homesteading-and-livestock/how-to-decode-egg-cartons.aspx#axzz36ssRofYl The Lexicon of Sustainability | The Story of an Egg | PBS https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=v2vyU-hilrY Project Design - Chicken Coops http://www.projecthdesign.org/ toolbox/tool/chicken-coops/ SEED LIBRARY

HERBARIUM

CERTIFICATIONS

Subject Grades K – 5 Area

Working Person’s Store http://workingperson.com/workwear-1.html

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY RH.9-10.4; RH.11-12.7

The Empathic Civilization https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=l7AWnfFRc7g Custom Patches http://www.custompatchesonline. com

Open Source Beehives http://www.opensourcebeehives. net/ Real Time Farms (crowd-source nationwide food guide) http://www.realtimefarms.com Farm Hack (Open Source Community for Resilient Agriculture) http://farmhack.net RAFT - Renewing Americas Food Traditions http://www.albc-usa.org/RAFT/ resources.html

How to make a plant press http://www.botany.unimelb.edu. au/herbarium/files/MakeHerbSpec.pdf

How To: Build a DIY, Pop-Up Seed Swapping Station http://magazine.good.is/articles/ how-to-build-a-diy-pop-up-seedswapping-station

DIY Herbarium part 1 https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=rhspYfnQM9M

Rio Salado Seedshed Library http://rsssl.org/whats-a-seedlibrary/

DIY Herbarium part 2 https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=GBgkLd5_GkQ

COMPOSTING

PAPER MAKING

Civil Eats (Daily News Source on American Food System) http://civileats.com

DIY recycle papermaking http://www.instructables.com/id/ How-to-Make-and-Recycle-Paper/

Just Food (Training community leaders in NYC city farming) http://justfood.org

BACKYARD CHICKENS

Greenhorns (supports alternative young American farmers) http://www.thegreenhorns.net Center for Nutrition Farm to School Toolkit http://toolkit.centerfornutrition. org Permaculture Institute http://www.permaculture.org/ permaculture-resources-2/

Vermicomposting http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vermicompost Build your own Compost Bin http://www.wikihow.com/Build-aCompost-Bin NUTRITION NUTRITION

The Chicken Chick http://www.the-chicken-chick. com/p/chicken-resources-directory.html

Nature Matching System a project

by Tattfoo Tan http://issuu.com/tattfoo/docs/ nmscurriculum

Backyard Chicken Basics http://www.motherearthnews. com/homesteading-and-livestock/backyard-chickens-zm0z11zgri.aspx#axzz36ssRofYl How Do Your Eggs Stack Up? http://www.motherearthnews. com/real-food/best-eggs-comparison.aspx#axzz36ssRofYl

Source: http://www.corestandards.org/

32

S.O.S. ACTION GUIDE SUPPLEMENTAL ACTIVITIES

RESOURCES

33

Acknowledgments

ecoartspace

Guide Authors:

Art & Ecology Learning Guides

Patricia Watts, Lead Author Tattfoo Tan, S.O.S. Artist Ian Garrett, Sustainability section Chris Fremantle, Food Security section Christopher Kennedy, Action Steps, Supplemental Activities and Core Standards Alignment

The S.O.S. ACTION Guide is the second in series of ten guides that will be developed in 2014–15 by ecoartspace, a nonprofit platform for artists addressing environmental issues. Each guide will support both learning institutions and community organizations that are interested in educating youth and adults about the principles of ecology through aesthetic experiences in the natural and built environments.

Ecoartspace was founded in Los Angeles in 1997 by Patricia Watts, who partnered with Amy Lipton in New York City in 1999. They created one of the first websites that offered information on artists who, through their artworks, teach about our interdependence with the natural world . In 2000, Watts and Lipton developed an art and nature program, bringing artists into classrooms in Malibu, California, and New York City. This project was the initial inspiration to develop arts activities for both in school and in after-school programs .

Special thanks to Melanie Franklin Cohn, Staten Island Arts Supported in part by individual donors from the S.O.S. Indiegogo campaign

The ecoartspace Art & Ecology Learning Guide Series is not meant to be a replacement for federal or state standards-based curricula. In fact, these guides are just that—guides for educators to teach science and art using aesthetic expression as a facilitation tool for dialogue and visualization.

Studies show that approximately 65 percent of the population are visual learners, and yet the arts are often an afterthought in educational institutions. The learning guides aim to address this by sharing stories about the artists’ projects in the public sphere, and to generate similar placed based projects in communities globally, thereby reducing human impacts on the environment.

Tattfoo Tan’s S.O.S. project has inspired many children and their families and has brought forth the idea that artists can make a difference in educating the public about a range of important issues. Although Tattfoo does not see his work as a performance, it does display a performative aspect that creates unique opportunities for learning by participants. This form of art, known as Social Practice, sees knowledge as a key component of community regeneration and part of a wider lifelong learning agenda.

We hope that you find this guide valuable for yourself and for all participants. Please also find our first guide, Eve Mosher’s HighWaterLine ACTION Guide, at the link below.

Your feedback is always welcome.

Patricia Watts Founder and West Coast curator ecoartspace.org http://ecoartspaceactionguides.blogspot.com

ecoartspace Art & Ecology Learning Series 2013-2015

34

CREDITS & ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

CC Attribution-Non-commericial 3.0 Licensed For more information: creative commons.org/license/by-nc/3.0

Design credit: Tattfoo Tan ecoARTspace Art & Ecology Learning Guides

35

Foreword In June 2010, Tattfoo Tan received an Excellence in the Art grant award from Staten Island Arts to present his S.O.S. Mobile Garden Project. My son had just outgrown his stroller, so with a few alterations and a careful selection of flowers and herbs, we made it into a mobile garden, and joined several others in an ersatz parade to the Staten Island Ferry Terminal.

We left the collection of mobile gardens in a corner of the concrete pedestrian plaza of the terminal, making a grey space into a green space (with the permission of DOT, of course!) It gave all of the 75,000 daily ferry passengers a chance to consider how easy it is to reclaim an unused corner of public land for growing vegetables, flowers, and herbs.

And it helped me reflect on larger questions, like what it means for land to be “public” and who gets to determine how that land is designed, constructed, and used.

Now, in June 2014, Tattfoo Tan’s S.O.S. series has returned to the ferry terminal, this time as the inaugural exhibition of Staten Island Arts’ Culture Lounge. It’s the perfect opening exhibition for the new location, embracing the socially-engaged vision we have for the new gallery. The S.O.S. series helps people consider their environs in new ways, explores how neighborhoods might be more livable and sustainable, and creates ways visitors can become more socially engaged.

In July 2013, Tattfoo wrote a Facebook post, “Mindfulness is the missing puzzle in solving problems that humanity is facing. Whether is it overeating, ecology or violence.”

To me, this is at the core of Tattfoo’s work. He seeks to make mindfulness a part of each person’s life, whether it’s through taking an old stroller and making it into a mobile garden, starting a worm composter, or raising chickens in the backyard. His S.O.S. Pledge is the first step, and visitors to his exhibition and website have a chance to sign in committment. The pledge begins with a statement that is the cornerstone of his work: “My actions will be small, but their collective impact will be great.”

Following Tattfoo’s example, after reading this book I hope we will each be inspired to take one more step towards Sustainable Organic Stewardship, and together we will have a positive impact on our own community and beyond.

Melanie Franklin Cohn ​Executive Director Staten Island Arts

3

5

7

9

Earth as Arts Practice by Patricia Watts (late 1950-2000s); Apollo 11 putting man on the moon and

UC Davis. Each of these artists was included in the Earth

Park Lagoon restoration, which she began in the 1980s in

where artists would work in collaboration with scientists to

looking back at Earth from a whole new perspective (1969);

Works show at Dwan Gallery in 1968.

Dallas, Texas was one of the first ecological public works al-

create immersive environments, and where visitors would

and the Federal Water Pollution Control Amendments of

learn about the principles of ecology, ecoartspace was con-

1972, which significantly expanded the original Federal Water

At first there were mostly smaller earthworks in the land-

ceived. This was to be a space where children and their

Pollution Control Amendments of 1948, as well as, amend-

scape like those created for the exhibition Earth Art at Cor-

families would be engaged visually and spatially and was the

ments were enacted in the Clean Water Act of 1977 and the

nell University in 1969, including minor interventions with soil

Helen and Newton Harrison who had developed a number of

result of working on a museum in development exploring

Water Quality Act of 1987.

or dirt both inside and outside the gallery walls, and shortly

mappings through out the 1970s and 1980s, envisioned “eco-

In 1997 when I first envisioned a nonprofit alternative space

though was basically invisible as art and was rarely acknowledged by the art world during this time.

thereafter large-scale land art projects, both happening si-

logical master plans” where continents are defined by water-

As the art world progressed from Romanticism, Impression-

multaneously.(3) For example, in 1969 while Mierle Laderman

sheds that defied state and national borders. Their indoor in-

the creative process from 1994-1997, for which I researched contemporary artists who were working in and with nature.

(2)

ism, Expressionism, Surrealism, Neoplasticism to Abstraction,

Ukeles was putting paper to pen on her Manifesto for Main-

stallations often took the form of sculptural didactic displays

artworks that questioned our relationship with the natural

what followed in the late 1960s was minimalism, which wiped

tenance Art, looking at the housekeeping aspects of stew-

or documentations. The first large scale outdoor installation

world. And, what I found in my research was that the earth

the canvas clean. This “nothingness” was a platform in which

ardship, Michael Hiezer was digging massive trenches in the

they realized was created in Germany in 1994, a transplanted

art and land art movements which began in the late 1960s,

we could look back on ourselves as inhabitant of planet

desert of Nevada for his work Double Negative. The following

endangered meadow on the rooftop of a Kunsthal, where it

as well as the arte povera or process art movements, con-

Earth, located within a universe, where humans were popu-

year while Newton Harrison was Making Earth or compost by

stayed until 1998.

nected me to experiences of visiting Meg Webster’s Glen,

lating the planet exponentially, consuming natural resources,

hand in San Diego, Robert Smithson was using earthmovers

an earth garden which I visited at the Walker Art Center in

killing each other in wars, and dominating nations over rights

to make Spiral Jetty in Utah. And, at this same time, Joseph

The 1990s was what art writer Robin Cembalist called an

1988; and of driving each summer to Missouri from Arizona

to lands. It was at this point, that the gallery model, the mak-

Beuys in Germany deemed everyone an artist, and under-

“Ecological Art Explosion.”(4) There were several important

to visit my grandparents on their farm while growing up,

ing of art objects, both paintings and sculpture, and view-

stood creativity as ideas and actions, as artwork without an

performative works including: Buster Simpson’s Hudson

passing by Cadillac Ranch (1974) near Amarillo on Route 66

ing these art forms within a white cube became in essence,

end product.

River Purge (1991); Dominique Mazeqaud’s The Great Cleans-

in North Texas. What I realized was that it was not some mad

confining. The more primitive work of historical anteced-

rancher who had put the cars into the ground nose first, it

ents such as cave drawings in France and Spain, megalithic

In 1973, Smithson died suddenly and Heizer continued with

Bombing the Landscape in Southern California (1992); Basia

was actually an artwork created by a group of artists called

stone structures in the UK, and Native earth formations from

his reclusive art activities carving up the Nevada desert, and

Irland’s Gathering of Waters (1995); and Mark Brest van Kem-

Ant Farm. This awareness of artists making art outdoors in

around the world, presented a time in history when humans

the movement proceeds quietly. By the late 1970s, James

pen’s Living From the Land. Each of these artists’ set out to

and with nature, creating a dialogue with the Earth as art,

sought a greater consciousness. There was a desire at the

Turrell purchased Roden Crater in Northern Arizona and

do actions that were not meant to be presented in galleries

changed my world forever.

end of the 1960s to dig deeper into what compels us to live

Walter De Maria installed Lightening Field in New Mexico.

or museum, however, have become iconic images for this

so unconsciously.

Ukeles became an official Artists-in-Residence at the New

movement as incidental photographic documentations.

(1)

Even in graduate school in the early 1990s, I was drawn to

ing of the Rio Grande River (1987-94); Kathryn Miller’s Seed

York City Department of Sanitation, and Alan Sonfist’s Time

In undergraduate school I took an environmental conservation course and shortly thereafter found my mother’s “envi-

In my position as Chief Curator at the Sonoma County Mu-

Landscape, which he proposed to the Parks Department in

At the same time while these works were performed solo,

ronmental education” book, which she used in high school

seum in Santa Rosa, California from 2005-2008, I saw that

New York City in 1965, was planted in Greenwich Village. In

Betsy Damon participated on a collaborative team led by

in the 1930’s titled “Our Environment: How we Use It and

during the McCarthy Era from 1947 - 1957, many artists and

San Francisco, Bonnie Sherk was developing the Crossroads

an American landscape architect, Margie Ruddick, to design

Control It.” What was obvious was how nature had been seen

liberal intellectuals and their children who moved to the Bay

Community or The Farm (1974-80), by transforming an inner

a 5.9 acre water reclamation park that would help to clean

as a resource for human consumption for basically thousands

Area to hide out, later became The New Left in this region

city brownfield site into a park and alternative art space with

the Funan River and provide an amenity to the nine million

of years, a commodity to be consumed. In 1999, I moved to

during the Vietnam War. These were the hippies who were in-

preschool and vegetable garden. And, Betty Beaumont was

citizens of Chengdu, China. Living Water Garden (1995-1998)

Topanga Canyon in the Santa Monica Mountains in Los An-

spired by Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring (1962), and who were

using coal ash waste to make bricks for Ocean Landmark

was one of more substantive ecological public art projects

geles County where I worked for the Resource Conservation

developing tools for living sustainably purported by Stewart

(1978-1980), an artificial reef or under water re-visioning

during this time. Other large scale collaborations with sci-

District of the Santa Monica Mountains from 2001-2004 as

Brand and his publication Whole Earth Catalogue (1968-

sculpture near Fire Island, New York.

the Watershed Education Coordinator. This stepping outside

1972). And, Buckminster Fuller, who although did not live in

the art world was when I learned in depth the principles of

the Bay Area, was also very influential and popularized the

By the 1980s, Heizer was privately commissioned to create

Maine; T. Allan Comp, AMD&ART, a restored mining site with

ecology. I then began working with artists who were creating

phrase “spaceship earth” with his operating manual in 1968 (3).

an earthwork on a mining reclamation site in Illinois, Tumuli

Litmus Garden in Vintondale, Pennsylvania (1996-2001); Viet

entists included: Aviva Rahmani’s Ghost Nets (1991-2000), which transformed a 2.5 acre town dump in Vinalhaven,

Effigy, and Agnes Denes transformed Battery Park Landfill

Ngo’s Wastewater Treatment Expansion in Whitehouse, Ten-

cate to a non-art audience how we are interdependent with

As the peace and environmental activist movements gained

into a field of wheat, Wheatfield: A Confrontation, a tempo-

nessee using Lemna, or duckweed; and Patricia Johanson’s

nature.

momentum at this time, the idea to take action, created the

rary public artwork that she performed for a Wall Street au-

numerous native plant restoration and wastewater treatment

perfect context for artists wanting to address the human

dience. Although, Heizer was not interested that his work be

projects in San Francisco, Nairobi, Seoul, Salina, and Petalu-

During the 20th Century, artists and institutions that played

relationship with nature. This is where the earth art and land

perceived as ecological, it was instead a monumental work

ma.

an important role, and events and laws which happened that

art movements began a dialogue with nature as object. It is

that brought attention to a restored landscape. And, Denes’

were influential in the ecological art movement, included:

also important to note that some of the key land art artists

wheatfield was really more of a private political statement

By 2002, Amy Lipton of ecoartspace and Sue Spaid co-cu-

Marcel Duchamp who suggested that everything that is made

had affiliations with institutions in the Bay Area during this

about food commodities or in her own words “human values

rated “ecovention” to “acknowledge artist initiated projects

is art with his Readymades (early 1900s); the Bauhaus school

time including Walter de Maria who studied at UC Berkeley in

and misplaced priorities.” Both of these works provided an

that employ inventive strategies to physically transform a

which sought to unify art, craft and technology (1919-1933);

the late 1950s, and in the 1960s, Michael Heizer who attended

opportunity for artists to transition from the monumental

local ecology” at the Center for Contemporary Art in Cincin-

the Bikini Atoll nuclear activity (1946-58); the Vietnam War

San Francisco Art Institute, as well as Dennis Oppenheim who

land art to more large-scale ecological art with environmen-

nati.(5) At that time, there were only a handful of exhibitions

(1955-1975); Alan Kaprow’s happenings and performative art

attended Stanford, and Stephen Kaltenbach who attended

tal education at its core. Projects like Patricia Johanson’s Fair

that recognized this work prior including Barbara Matilsky’s

site works that employed aesthetics to illustrate or communi-

11

Fragile Ecologies, and Heike Strelow’s Natural Reality in

prolonged performance enabled Mosher to engage in con-

Stewardship project, which began in 2008, he enrolled him-

to get us out of this situation. Art museums, nature centers,

versation with people of all ages in different neighborhoods

self in various green certification courses, which he mastered

natural history museums, and science centers get that artists

est in getting back to nature through out the 1990s. It was

about the potential impacts if nothing is done to correct this

and now flaunts in the form of custom merit badges that he

have identified a problem in our culture that needs to be ex-

referred to at the time as the 60s turned upside down. Whole

problem.

designed for his gray coveralls or artist uniform. Tan has also

amined and transformed. So, where do we go from here?

Aachen, Germany.

(6/7)

Culturally, there was a growing inter-

become a certified Citizen Pruner, which allows him to prune

Foods Market out of Austin, Texas began opening stores nationwide, women were having children in their late 30-40s

Bay Area, California artist Amy Franceschini and Future

street trees in New York City legally. And, in 2010 he began

and many giving up professional corporate careers. And, by

Farmers, a collaborative group of artists and designers have

teaching similar workshops to the public from his S.O.S. Mo-

the new millennia, there were several eco arts organizations

focused on agricultural issues internationally since the mid

bile Classroom, a cargo bicycle featuring, tools, a garden and

developing programs including ecoartspace in California and

1990s. Their project Victory Gardens began as a utopian

composting bin.

New York; Green Arts in Austin, Texas, Green Museum in the

proposal in 2006 and evolved into an pilot project sited on

Bay Area, San Francisco, CA; WEAD, the Women’s Environ-

the Civic Center Plaza in front of San Francisco’s City Hall

footnotes

(1) Museum of Creativity, Milken Family Foundation (1994-1998).

(2) Earthworks, Virginia Dwan Gallery, New York, N.Y., October 5-30, 1968.

Tan also questions large-scale object based artworks that can

(3) Earth Art, Andrew Dickson White Museum of Art, Cornell University,

mental Artist Directory out of the East Bay Area in Northern

in 2008. Created in collaboration with several community

be seen as antithetical to the ethos of a sustainable world.

California; and more recently, Green Public Art, a sustainable

groups, including Slow Food Nation, the concept was in-

However, he was recently commissioned and completed an

public art consultancy out of Los Angeles; the Center for

spired by the nationwide program of WWI and WWII food

almost contradictory and seemingly classical public art proj-

Sustainable Practices in the Arts based also in Los Angeles;

gardens and supports the transition of backyard, front yard,

ect, S.O.S. (Sustainable Organic Stewardship) Pledge at P.S.

and EcoArt South Florida based in West Palm Beach.

window boxes, rooftops and unused land into food produc-

971. At this primary school in Brooklyn serving children pre-K

tion areas. This work was an updated version of the historical

through second grade, he installed a large marble wall sculp-

After 9/11 the more large-scale restoration projects began

Victory Garden sited on the Civic Center Plaza in 1943 and

ture, 10 feet high and almost 28 feet wide, engraved with The

to take a back seat to an emergence of artists who were

was funded by the City of San Francisco.

S.O.S. Pledge, an adaptation of both The Pledge of Alle-

giance and The Scout Promise amended with a green mission

working independently, mostly on a smaller, more imme-

Santa Monica, California.

diate scale. Out of a desire to create work in less time and

Other artists who have addressed food issues on both a large

painted in gold. The wall humorously dominates the young

with new sources of funding available for temporal public

and small scale in the last decade include Ted Purves and

students into being green stewards as they walk through the

art, several artists developed ways of working in the pub-

Susanne Cockrell and their Temescal Amity Works communi-

school lobby on a daily basis. Tan feels that by understand-

lic sphere that were more performative, and often included

ty or neighborhood based crop sharing program and project

ing what we can do and change in our own lives, even if our

direct dialogue by the artist with the public addressing issues

space for events with reading room in Oakland, California

individual action might be small, that our collective impact

of sustainability “in your own backyard.” In 2004, The Los

from 2004-2007. And, Lauren Bon’s Not-A-Cornfield public

will be big.

Angeles Urban Rangers began guided hikes, campfire talks,

art project in 2006 where she transformed a 32-acre brown-

and other interpretive activities through out the Los Angeles

field site into a field of corn adjacent to downtown Los Ange-

basin, including their controversial Malibu Public Beach Safari

les for one agricultural cycle producing community programs

program where they provided information to the public on

throughout the planting and harvesting. And, Fallen Fruit,

I hereby pledge to make the following changes in my life.

how to navigate private property easements to gain access

also in Los Angeles a collaboration of David Burns, Matias

My actions will be small, but their collective impact will be

to the mean high tide line on beaches, which is legally public

Viegener, and Austin Young who produce mappings of public

land. This work navigates around questions of ownership of

fruit, fruit trees growing on or over public property that are

natural resources and asks the public to consider who is ulti-

legally available for urban foraging.

Ithaca, N.Y., 1970.

(4) Cembalest, Robin. “The Ecological Art Explosion.” ARTnews vol. 90, no. 6 (summer 1991): 96-105.

(5) Spaid, Sue. (Sue Spaid and Amy Lipton, curators) Ecovention:

Current Art to Transform Ecologies. Cincinnati: The Contemporary Arts

Center, greenmuseum.org, ecoartspace, 2002.

(6) Matilsky, Barbara C. Fragile Ecologies: Contemporary Artists

Interpretations and Solutions. New York: Rizzoli International, 1992.

(7) Strelow, Heike. ed. and curator, Natural Reality: Artistic Positions between Nature and Culture.

(8) Our Environment How We Use and Control It, by George C and

Carpenter, Harry A; edited by James M Glass Wood. Boston, New York

[etc.] Allyn and Bacon [©1934]

Tattfoo Tan’s S.O.S. Pledge

great. I promise to consume fresh and local produce.

I promise to reduce, reuse, recycle, compost and conserve energy. I will walk, bike or ride public transportation as much as I can. I will set an example for others

mately responsible for the management of public lands.

Tatffoo Tan, who invited me to contribute to this catalogue

as a sustainable organic steward (S.O.S.).

As scientifically based evidence of climate change has be-

is also an artist who in the last decade has made numerous

come more graphically visualized in the media, especially

contributions to the field of art and ecology focused on “the

since Al Gore’s An Inconvenient Truth was first presented to

backyard.” He aims for the most direct and immediate ways

So where do we go from here? Should ecological art be big

the public in 2005, artist Eve Mosher developed a temporary

to effect change for citizens in areas of sustainable living.

or small, activist or object, dialogic or poetic are really mat-

intervention that visualizes sea level rise on the city streets

Coming from Malaysia, where until only recently environmen-

ters of opinion. It seems right now that we are on the biggest

near the shorelines of New York City. In 2007, every weekend

tal issues have become eminent, Tattfoo brings to the urban

learning curve of human existence with the stakes higher

from May through October, Mosher performed HighWater-

landscape of New York City a simplicity he could have only

than ever. Naming it and defining this work only neuters pos-

Line in Lower Manhattan to visualize the 10-foot above sea

brought with him in 2000. In the vein of Joseph Beuys he

sibility for an evolution of aesthetics and nature. In fact, this

level line for residents. With a baseball diamond marker she

collapses art and life, mind and body, to transform actions

type of work seems to be most valuable as an open source

outlined the flood zone with blue chalk creating a tempo-

into ritualized and shared experiences. What he seeks to

model where it can be replicated by anyone around the world

rary intervention on city streets and sidewalks near the city’s

achieve with his work is a transformative event for partici-

for free. What began as a rejection of the gallery model, a

shorelines. Scientists predict if we cannot reduce our CO2

pants.

reexamination of what it means to be here on the planet in this century, has become a form of comforting the psyche.

levels quickly, severe flooding will be brought on by stronger and more frequent storms, which will occur every 19 years

Tan’s work is mostly performative and his persona part “Boy

We are being faced with a consciousness that the source of

on average by 2050. (8) Being in the public eye during this

Scout,” “Ecological Super Hero” and “Artist.” For S.O.S. Green

conserving nature is ourselves and there is no magic bullet 13

S.O.S. SUSTAINABLE. ORGANIC. STEWARDSHIP. June 7-July 27, 2014 Culture Lounge St. George Ferry Terminal Staten Island, New York

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