The conversation began when artists Kevin Parker and Matt Fratson, and Professor of Tropical Ecology Rob Marchant (University of York), met to discuss individual research, experiences and stories in response to the prompt ‘Above, Below, at the Edge of the Water’ via the Art Journal The Critical Fish. The intention was to share research and practice and explore synergies.

 

The time we spent together, over several hours on Zoom, opened up discussions, comparisons and relationships. We examined political and socio-economic concerns in relation to climate change, impacts on community life and welfare, and the psychogeography of locations struggling to reconcile the known with an unknown and rapidly shifting present-day landscape. Together with ‘The Critical Fish’ co-director Jill Howitt, we have decided to open up this conversation to the wider community, to create new opportunities for interdisciplinary collaboration.