Georgie Barnes
Artist Statement
I am a fine artist predominantly using photography, video, creative writing and spoken word soundscape, with a keen interest in the intersections between ecological devastations and colonialism, I wish to challenge aspects of culture informed by Western science, through visuals and words which suggest alternative, more sensitive and sensual, ways of seeing and being with “environment”, “nature” and “personhood”. I believe decolonising Western perceptions of nature would greatly benefit the global majority, and the health of the Earth's climate.
Most of my reading is of indigenous voices, prompting my practice to deeply consider the modalities and personhood of more-than-human beings. A project of mine will usually hone in on a multi-faceted interaction. The characters involved in the interaction may be trees, clays, human skin and elements; a group of beings who all experience the same interaction entirely differently due to their unique set of modalities.
Empathy is my main tool for my creative writing and visual work, as I delve through the multi-layered self-scapes of an environment. An array of cameras, editing techniques and unusual grammar choices, I give an environment/person multiple eyes and minds in which to express fragments of their reality.