During the height of the summer, I went on a camping trip to Saskatchewan Landing, a provincial park nestled in the valley of the South Saskatchewan River, directly on the banks of Lake Diefenbaker. For the next two hours I passed rolling hills of bright yellow canola and periwinkle flax enveloped by a massive crisp blue sky. The temperature was pleasant, the air was fresh, and the lush greenery felt vast and plentiful. As we ventured further from the city, a weight from my shoulders seemed to lift.
On a beautiful day it can be easy to forget that the hundreds of kilometers of monocrops, mines, and factory farms irreversibly alter the landscape and have imminent consequences. Although nature has always been unpredictable and, at times, incredibly destructive, the Anthropocene has permanently disrupted the fine balance that has allowed the living world to thrive. Much of our fall editorial program considers the environment and how its overlapping histories inform contemporary social and cultural contexts. Through conversations about the evolution of monster plants, equity in the outdoors, and the aesthetics of food and fat, these works explore the myriad of ways that we can still advocate for ourselves and the natural world. Within the issue, you will find writing by Amanda White, Neil Price, and Christina Hajjar as well as the work of Zoë. Schneider, Lido Pimienta, Lan Florence Yee, Yan Wen Chang, and Zachary Ayotte.
Image courtesy of the artist.
Cover: Zachary Ayotte, Untitled from “Notes on Digging a Hole,” 2020.
Image courtesy of the artist.
Since time immemorial, humans have been at the whim of the natural world. The climate crisis further complicates the already complex relationship between humans and nature. But this fear and anxiety can be, and at times has been, navigated by reciprocity, respect, and kinship. It is the defining issue of our times that requires attention, education and institutional critique. After hundreds of years of conquest, control, and extraction, it is difficult to parse exactly where nature and culture meet, but I hope that the articles and artworks in this issue open conversations about communal care and resisting complacency.
BlackFlash is grateful to Canada Council for the Arts and SK Arts for the production and dissemination of this issue.
This article is published in issue 39.2 of BlackFlash magazine. Get this issue
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