Monthly Archive for November, 2011

Dryland farming as art

Published
by
XY
on November 4, 2011
in Art, Food Systems and Gardening
. 0 Comments

Sabrina took me to the Toronto International Art Fair last weekend. What a treat to see so many fabulous paintings, photographs, installations, what have you from world famous artists (some local too!), presented in such close quarters, comparatively to museums. Because the collections were on display by galleries from different cities, there was a wide breadth and range. What was also great, is that we got to see the prices listed on the pieces. Their value.  Anything from $1,400 to more than $140, 000 to “inquire within for a price”.

To be honest there was too much to take in one evening…as I get overwhelmed visually easily.

I loved the Edward Burtynsky (who is famous for capturing aerial shots of industrial sites the world over, and his documentary Manufactured Landscapes) photographs of Dryland Farming (#13) in Monegros County, Aragon, Spain. Because it looks like an oil painting, even up close, and I looked that closely, I am talking if I-stuck-my-tongue-out-I-could-of-licked-the-photo, it’s uncanny.

edward burtynsky dryland farming #13

(c/o artnet.com)


“Dryland farming has evolved as a set of techniques and management practices used by farmers to continually adapt to the presence or lack of moisture in a given crop cycle.” This non-irrigated method of farming is dependent on natural rainfall of which there is little of in the arid regions where this is practiced, which blows my gardener’s mind, as someone who has only grown food in relatively wetter climates and has had access to municipal water.

The Burtynsky piece reminded me of the rice terrace farming in Sapa, Vietnam, along the mountains, of which I had the opportunity to trek through back in 2004, and elicits the memory of the smells of indigo dye and burning wood in the villages…at the time though I didn’t know I’d get into food growing and agriculture in a big way when I took this photo!

sapa agriculture 2004
(c/o photo of a photo taken with 35 mm)

halloweeniers

Published
by
XY
on November 2, 2011
in Food Culture and Reflection
. 0 Comments

I walked over to your house, with my dismembered limbs hanging from my neck, taking in the kids walking with their parents, the groups of loud teenagers walking in clusters, and the ghoulish sounds emitting from the houses shrouded in cobwebs.

We sat on the porch giving out candy and chips to the neighbourhood children, youth, and the parents who were collecting candy on behalf of their under-a-year-old-infants in their strollers with no teeth (”suuuure the candy is for your baby” we cackled!), while drinking rum with orange juice ice cubes shaped like pumpkins, sipping pisco, and dipping chips in pesto. So fun to observe the waves of people coming up the stairs, some in identifiable costumes (i.e. 4 Batmans, 3 ice cream sundaes, innumerable witches, vampires and demons, a couple cowboys, your requisite 68539 Disney princesses etc.) and some in questionable non-sequitur attire. Funny to note how there are always gaggles of teenage girls dressed in their pajamas and hair in pigtails!

Every time you stepped inside the house, I’d sneak a chocolate bar or two into my pocket…for later, and stuff an eyeball shaped chocolate in my mouth and “test out” the other candy, to see what kids these days are eating. Research.

You would be quick to ask teenagers what they were dressed as(when they were obviously not dressed in anything but their normal wear), in that interrogative fashion that adults use where they want a justifiable and satisfying answer.  As a teen I remember thinking when that would happen, “hey, stop talking to me, you are slowing down my procurement of candy and chips…don’t you know I’m trying to collect as much junk as possible?” and roll my eyes impatiently. But, it’s part of the exchange and so they had to humour us, and I would encourage them to make stuff up, to counter your “serious” inquiries by whispering loudly behind your back “Make it up! Say you are dressed as the night sky! The colour black!”

My favourite:
“Uhhh…I am a 14 year old?!” stammered the pimply faced 14 year old boy who’s voice had barely started to break.

And then there was the following:

“I am a terrorist” — said offhandedly by a girl of 15 maybe, who looked of South Asian descent, dressed normally, covered in a beautiful long scarf which she wrapped around her face.

“I am Asian?” — said by Asian boy.

Very interesting and disturbing indeed! Perplexing too, because you’d have to wonder what they were thinking? The identity and cultural politics in me wants to dissect, evaluate, question their answers…nevertheless.

Parading down the streets afterwards, when most trick or treaters had gone home, and the sidewalks were littered with candy wrappers, the bars were filled with adults, some dressed in costume, smoking outside. The liquor kept pouring into our glasses and into our mouths.

You can be who you want to be.

Scar face kakai pumpkin!
scar face pumpkin

To read about other Halloweenie harvesting activities go here!