Fieldwork

So the harvest has finished!

With the help of my 4 and 6 year-old kids, we cut the matured wheat and bundled it with twine. It was left out to dry for a week but the rains have continued so we’ve hauled it away to shelter it while it dries out. With any luck, I speculate that we will have grown enough wheat to grind into flour for a couple of loaves of bread. I’ll post again with results of the bread if we are so lucky.

Thank you to all who participated in this installation project: Tony French, who supplied the seeds and who plowed the plot; Susie, Chris G., Richard and Erin for their help during the planning and installation; Beacon Lite Ltd. for supplying and delivering the security fencing; and all of the friends and art-lovers who’ve encouraged us and participated in this project.

I would speculate that we’ll be watching the food prices continue to rise. Hopefully, you have found this piece thought-provoking and that, on some level, it has resonated with you. From discussions with others, the reactions have been personal as well as global, ones of sadness and of humour, of "what the ?@#?" and "Yes!" This is what is so satisfying for me, to see a range of reaction and emotion, connecting the personal with the global issues and providing a little surprise along the road.

Here’s a final picture of the plot post harvest. 

Thanks, Chris O. 

As part of the current installation, spec-u-late, I will be posting bits and bobs of supporting information that is related to the theme of the project. If any of you viewers would like to add your suggestions for thoughts of interest as you relate to this piece, or the themes of art, food security, commodity speculation and the future of food, please feel free to post us a comment.  

In the meantime, have a look at our current links.

-chris o. 

It seems that someone’s taken to doing a bit of performance art in the Field…Some ‘gesture’ drawings with a car I believe!  Donuts around the signs and all.  I heard the car squeal to a halt as it passed by a few nights ago and reverse, gravel flying, into the field, pause by a sign, then peel out (apparently in a tight circle), and continue on its/his/her merry, gravel spewing, way.  Ah, the adrenaline!!

-Susie