The topic of my presentation and my media artefact is food production. I chose this topic because I have a huge interest in urban farming, sustainability, self-reliance, and alternative living practices. The main theme throughout these interests is finding an alternative way of sustaining our current needs and desires by using new technology and resources to revert back to a more simple means of obtaining food. I firmly believe that the agricultural industry is one of, if not the most influential player in the climate change debate. Agribusiness is built and sustained on energy consumption and energy production. The current models used by large-scale farms in order for them to meet consumer demands require such huge amounts of energy that they have a significant (and very confronting) impact on the planet. This is true for both livestock production and crop farming. Not only does the actual process of growing food on a mass-scale require absurd amounts of energy, but the transportation of produce for consumption is one of the leading contributors of climate-altering emissions.
I have been researching food production for several years. My passion for urban farming and self-reliance means that I have spent countless hours reading articles, books, magazines, forums, etc. to find the best (and most suitable) ways to grow food in whatever circumstances I find myself in. YouTube content also plays a massive role in this research. I am subscribed to dozens of YouTube channels which explore best practices for permaculture, polyculture, homesteading, wilding, and general resourcefulness.
I’ve chosen to focus the form of my artefact in producing a photography essay. This will be comprised of old, contemporary, and progressive farming techniques which have been captured by amateur photographers. The importance of using amateur content is so I can avoid using commercial and advertising materials and news media sources. I am fully expecting to find this a challenge, as the distinction between ‘amateur’ and ‘professional’ photography is often blurred. To the best of my research I will use what I consider to be amateur photos, but I might have to extend this restriction to include other content if it will improve the quality of my final work.
In terms of works that I will be using for inspiration; I’m yet to dive down that rabbit hole. I have a general picture in my head of the style of work that I want to produce, but I don’t recall ever seeing similar to it. The outcome I’m aiming for is a seamless meshing of several photos which are edited in Photoshop to produce one single, cohesive image. A big part of my research into this project will be tracking down techniques and methods that can be used to achieve this look. I’m hoping that I will discover similar artistic works while I try to learn the skills I need to create my own work.