A primitive project
Monday, February 15, 2010
In my research, at this early stage, I am trying to articulate how and why our society suffers ecological estrangement; in other words where disembodiment has its origins. At this point I think that reification, the process of giving abstract things (such as time and representations) concrete form, is at the heart of it. Another word for this of course is mediation. I'm currently reading John Zerzan, Val Plumwood and Thomas De Zengotita to assist me with this thinking.
The rationale for understanding the origins of ecological estrangement is to help keep in-check the dominant ideology from consuming our lives. Last week Meg removed our household clock and left a small red object on the wall peg in its place to remind us that dismantling civilisation occurs through small conscious steps. Ecological consciousness does not require the abstraction 'linear time', and therefore by reducing its place in our lives enables greater participation in cyclical life. While we are in transition we may need to refer to the time throughout the day here and there, however a time piece no longer takes centre stage on our living room wall, as it never has on our wrists.
