Ecographs – ARTSpring

Ecographs

When we hear a birdsong that stirs our interest or notice the texture of the bark on a tree we are nearing the borderlands where human language and the language of “more-than-human” nature converge. An ‘ecograph’ is a word that is slightly unconventional, which has the potential to draw attention to details of nature and revive our awareness of the rudiments of language. They are created through an iterative process of drawing a personal experience of nature and describing it with (ordinary) words. ‘Ecographs’ is an ongoing public artwork consisting of three phases:

Workshops

‘Ecographs’ workshops typically involve the exploration of a chosen subject, such as “the substance we call ‘water'”, or “the thing we call the ‘moon'”. Through sensory experience of the subject or recollections of past encounters, participants develop impressions that serve as the basis for graphic representations, eliciting further interpretation and refinement.

Workshops are suitable for any age, and can be tailored to different contexts. Partnering organizations have included universities, senior centers, boys and girls clubs, science institutes, pre-school programs, art museums and more. A short guide can be downloaded here. For more information or to inquire about arranging an artist-led workshop please contact us.

Dictionary

Every ecograph that is created is added to the growing “dictionary” of symbols (see below). Each entry includes the creator’s ecograph, pronunciation, and a brief story or explanatory note.

Exhibitions

In addition to a continuous exhibition online, ‘Ecographs’ is exhibited from time to time in public venues where people can select their favorites and draw them in new renditions using Chinese brush and ink. ‘Ecographs’ has been exhibited at art and design exhibitions, school festivals, street fairs and farmers markets in different creative formats. For more information or to inquire about bringing ‘Ecographs’ to your event please write to us.

Like Chinese ideographs, ecographs are easily reproducible but also individually expressive. Each one contains a delightful double life as picture-and-symbol that invites interpretation. Whether joyful, disturbing, comic, or profound, ecographs all share the potential to renew our awareness of the communicating world around us, and stimulate minds that are open to dialogue.

Dictionary

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