Breaking/Un-breaking, Un-making/Making

Abstract

In this paper, I provide an account of the cultural and historical context that motivates and shapes my creative practice as an artist and critical designer. My creative works address the industrial production and consumption of new furniture, stresses on forests and wildlife habitat, and concepts of waste. I argue that my approach to creating art works demonstrates an approach to reparative practice that advances through a paradoxical process of caring by breaking. I describe the methods and accretionary processes I used in the conceptualisation and construction of the works, which are sympoietic hybrids of flora and furniture. These works highlight issues of overconsumption, waste, and habitat degradation, reflect on the relationship between humans and other nature in the Anthropocene, and propose both bleak and optimistic possible futures.