Julia Abraham is a practising artist, curator and researcher, currently residing in the UK. Working as an interdisciplinary artist, Julia’s practice challenges canonical art histories in favour of conceptualising revisionist accounts, in relation to migration, dislocation, geo-politics, racial and sexual differences, represented individually and collectively in contemporary visual cultures.
“By inserting myself into specific landscapes and environments I am able to trace the site with my body and re-create past experiences. This area of of my work is inherently important to the full comprehension of issues regarding body-memory and testing theories of displacement. I am interested in documenting how certain sensory or physical responses are affected through dislocation of the self.” - Julia Abraham
“I understand the landscape to be a dominant aspect in the reconnection of lost memory; a place where if one pays close enough attention, may be able to regain the memories the land has graciously stored. I believe that the landscape inherently swallows the experiences which are first enacted within it. Due to the innate breakdown of human memory, I search for ways to recapture the memories that the land has perhaps recorded. My thesis is unified by a continual attempt to extract the mnemonic significance from the land through a series of engagements and interventions.
This engagement with the land takes the form of a performance where I go to a specific location that symbolizes memory and present a proposition through a bodily engagement to pull out the entrenched memories from within it. By revisiting aspects of the memory that are still present in my mind and re-immersing myself in a sensory remembrance, I experience a merging and reconnection of the empty areas. The performance takes the form of a dance, where as I perform the memory, the land becomes my relational partner. The land dually takes on the position of spectator and participant, as I attempt to lure my memories from it. The work will exist as photographic documentation of my performance in the landscape.” - Julia Abraham
Julia graduated University of Toronto in 2009, Honours B.A. (with Distinction) Fine Art History and Visual Studies, St. She is currently pursuing a PhD at the University of Birmingham specialising in contemporary art historical research.
Start Time:Friday, 05 March 2010 at 12:00End Time:Saturday, 06 March 2010 at 13:00Location:Southeastern Community College, Burlington, Iowa.
A photography exhibition from Brandon Fields.
Since 2006 Brandon Fields has been photographing in what was once Chicago’s Cabrini Green neighborhood, one of many Chicago Public Housing Projects now being demolished, rebuilt and subsequently gentrified under the Chicago Public Housing plan for transformation into a “mixed income” neighborhood. This exhibition is the first public showing of this work.
An Earth Artists Event & Public Engagement Campaign
In support of UNESCO (United Nations) World Heritage Site status for Burns Bog Burns Bog, Vancouver, BC, Canada The largest remaining domed peat bog in the Western Hemisphere.
HISTORY In February 2009 when A. Traviss Corry heard mention of highway construction in Burns Bog he was confused. He knew the bog was government land and thought it was protected. Wondering why the public was not aware of the risk to the bog, out of concern and curiosity, Traviss began hoping fences, risking fines, hiking deep into Burns Bog.
It is a four hour hike to the center of Burns Bog’s 40 square kilometers, a unique ecosystem, completely off-limits to the public, surrounded by the city of Vancouver. There are no trails to the center. It’s alien landscape is dominated by stunted gnarled pine groves like bonsai forests, expansive sphagnum moss meadows, and fields of sweetly fragrant labrador tea. Rare and endangered plants and animals thrive within, all literally floating on tea-coloured bog waters of a massive geological basin.
Traviss recognized a disconnect in the Burns Bog public awareness efforts; a lack of emotional engagement. Few artful images of the inner bog existed. None were available for public use.
Traviss took the artist Charisse Baker into the Bog. Ms. Baker’s passion, energy, and talent for collaborative public art, was the catalyst needed. As labrador tea bloomed around them, the two artists conceptualized “Ephemeral Art In Burns Bog”. One day in spring 2009 would bring a large group of multidisciplinary Earth Artists to create on-site temporary works that “speak of place”. The documentation of that day would ripple out through media.
A massive effort of many passionate contributors ensued, culminating in a day which included over 30 international artists and photographers. The artful photo and written media was then freely distributed to many organizations advocating for Burns Bog protection.
Photographer Brandon Fields, “Being here today gave me a chance to focus on the portraiture of the landscape as well as the artists interacting with it. Ephemeral Art like this demonstrates how we are all a part of nature, and contributes to our global awareness of our connection to nature. It also gives us a chance to get muddy and wet and not be afraid of nature. The Bog, being in the middle of Vancouver in an urban environment is just so rare to have. It’s like finding your Walden, and everyone needs that. ”
Over the next year, many new Earth Artists continued to spread and show documentation of their works in the bog. Traviss continued to connect photographers, politicians, reporters, advocates, and philanthropists. He guided over 100 influential and creative people into the inner landscape of Burns Bog.
Traviss approached Dana L. Miller, the former Federal Liberal Candidate for Delta-Richmond East, who conceived the UNESCO World Heritage Site Status For Burns Bog initiative and had been relentlessly lobbying on it’s behalf since 2004. Dana and Traviss focused their energies as a team, and with Dana’s reputation, political connections, and formidable skills, they pushed the UNESCO World Heritage Site Status initiative to the consideration of Delta Mayor and Council, then lobbying Federal Members Of Canadian Parliament, culminating in successful announcements in the House Of Commons.
RESULTS The Ephemeral Art In Burns Bog documentation has been seen by tens of thousands, in print and social media; used by The Burns Bog Conservation Society, Metro Vancouver, and Members Of Parliament. Communications including images were presented to the the UNESCO (United Nations) committee in Paris France, and to the Prime Minister Of Canada, The Honourable Stephen Harper for his consideration.
Ephemeral Art In Burns Bog controversy, strategically created emotional engagement and public/political reaction that shifted perception of Burns Bog issues, helping the UNESCO solution to the forefront of influential parties’ attention.
A Google search for Burns Bog shows images from the Day Of Ephemeral Arts prominently. These images continue to do good and cause reaction. They are freely open through a creative commons license for any use around awareness of Burns Bog.
In 2004, every level of government contributed $73 million dollars of tax payers money to purchase the lands of Burns Bog. Purchasing those lands did not save Burns Bog for protection. Burns Bog is still not protected by the existing Conservation Covenant as long as the BC Liberal Provincial government holds the Covenant in one hand and continues construction of the South Fraser Perimeter Road with the other hand. This road endangers the sensitive overall hydrology of Burns Bog.
In 2004, the UNESCO World Heritage Site nomination and designation suggestion for Burns Bog was first acted upon by John Hague, then Director at Large for Burns Bog Conservation Society and a Green Party of Canada candidate for Newton North Delta and Dana L. Miller Green Party of Canada candidate for Delta-Richmond East and Eliza Olson, President of the BBCS. In 2004, John, Eliza and Dana compiled a box of information with videos and books to forward to a Member of Parliament with the hope the box of information would be received, seriously considered and acted upon to nominate and designate Burns Bog as an UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Photo by Georgia Esporlas. Burns Bog Shore Pines, and Cotton Grass At Dawn. Art Direction A. Traviss Corry for Earth Artists
In 2007, when Dana L. Miller became the Liberal Party of Canada candidate for Delta-Richmond East she continued to advance UNESCO designation awareness through letters to the editors of local and provincial newspapers. Unfortunately, some political party members and supporters of the Conservative, NDP, Green and BC Liberals attempted to destroy the possibility of advancing the plausible solution of UNESCO designation for the protection of Burns Bog. They put party politics before the protection of Burns Bog. In 2007 , Dana researched and wrote a policy on UNESCO nomination and designation for Burns Bog.
In 2008, with the Newton-North Delta riding association, Dana co-presented her policy to the Liberal Party of Canada Policy Convention. UNESCO nomination and designation for Burns Bog was successfully included in the 2008 Liberal Party of Canada platform. This means that had Stephan Dion become the Prime Minister of Canada, he would have signed the nomination papers and sent the appropriate documents to UNESCO for their consideration to have Burns Bog designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Conservative opponents included Greg Hoover, former executive on the riding association of the Conservative Party of Canada in Delta-Richmond East. Greg Hoover stated that he thought Dana L. Miller’s suggestion “naive” to nominate and designate Burns Bog an UNESCO site. UNESCO designation would create a buffer zone around Burns Bog. A buffer zone would protect Burns Bog from the destruction of roads like the now under construction South Fraser Perimeter Road. The past BC NDP government including, their NDP MLA Ian Waddell, wanted to put the steel and concrete Pacific National Exhibition (PNE) on top of Burns Bog. During the 2008 election, at an all candidate’s debate, the NDP candidate Ms. Silvia Barna proved to be ignorant of her political party’s historic destructive proposals towards Burns Bog. Many candidates run in ridings wherein they don’t understand the history or issues of the riding. The 2008 Green Party candidate, Michael Wolfe, directly endorsed the Conservative candidate, Alice Wong. Michael Wolfe is an activist with the Save the Garden City Lands organization. The organization’s website endorses Delta-Richmond East Conservative candidate John Cummins, who for 14 years failed to protect Burns Bog, of which 90% of the lands are in the Delta-Richmond East riding.
The 2008 Green Party candidate, Matthew Laine, indirectly supported the advancement of John Cummins through flattering comments at all candidate meetings. Even a reporter in Richmond commented on the cozy conversations between Matthew Laine and John Cummins. The destruction of our local environment continues, including the destruction of Burns Bog by the South Fraser Perimeter Road. When Green Party candidates endorsed and indirectly supported Conservative candidates, Green candidates set a historical record of contributing to the destruction of our environment.
Dana L. Miller, now a past Director at Large with the Burns Bog Conservation Society, continues to advocate for UNESCO World Heritage Site Status For Burns Bog across party lines and with politicians at every level of government: Municipally, Provincially and Federally. She has made requests of the Prime Minister of Canada, Cabinet Ministers, Leaders of federal parties and Members of Parliament, to nominate and designate Burns Bog an UNESCO World Heritage Site. In June 2009, Liberal Party of Canada MP Joyce Murray stood in the House of Commons and requested Parliamentarians to take UNESCO protection seriously for Burns Bog. In October 2009, Sukh Dhaliwal, MP for Newton North Delta, stood in the House of Commons and announced the campaign created by Sustainable Earth, and the petition for UNESCO World Heritage Site Status For Burns Bog.
In October 2009, Sustainable Earth, an organization created by Dana L. Miller and A. Traviss Corry, notified media of their campaign to protect Burns Bog with UNESCO nomination and designation. Dana and Traviss met with Delta Mayor and Council requesting they sign a letter to support UNESCO for Burns Bog protection and forward it to the Prime Minister of Canada. This complicated matters. Historically, the Burns Bog Conservation Society has suggested RAMSAR designation for Burns Bog, and unfortunately, this plan has recently been analyzed by a third party, and the conclusions show that RAMSAR will not protect Burns Bog. Whereas, UNESCO United Nations World Heritage Site Status will protect Burns Bog with a buffer zone around the lands to prevent development and prevent impact upon Burns Bog’s overall hydrology. Regrettably the existing Burns Bog Conservation Society has been working alone for the last twenty years which has proved ineffective in their inability to advance a campaign toward full protection. A cooperative effort is needed and underway, coordinated by Sustainable Earth’s campaign, “UNESCO World Heritage Site Status for Burns Bog”. This is proving successful in bringing together multiple parties support on the Federal level towards bringing final protection through UNESCO.
Ecological awareness increases and the 2009 UN Climate Summit is upon us to call out to leaders for protecting the largest remaining domed peatland in the Western Hemisphere, Burns Bog.
Direct excerpt of letter to Dana L. Miller, (Managing Director, Sustainable Earth)from Sukh Dhaliwal, M.P. for Newton-North Delta, :
“Dear Dana,
Thank you for copying me on your letter to the PM on Burns Bog. I recently presented a petition in Parliament calling for Burns Bog to be designated as UNESCO world heritage site. Burns Bog contains a unique ecological system and I will continue to advocate for its protection and consideration as one of the nominations for the UN committee list.
I have always valued your leadership and your council on Burns Bog. I look forward to continuing to work with you… to protect Burns Bog for generations to come.”
NEW ART IMAGES in the EarthArtists.org Photostream from photographers Georgia Esporlas, and Yvonne Chew.
These two extrodinarily talented photographers continue to bring surreal images to the public eye of areas of the bog never before photographed. What makes their pioneering art expeditions even more extraordinary is that their subject Burns Bog, this undocumented ecological gem, is completely surrounded by the Canadian city of Vancouver.
Burns Bog’s 40 square km were purchased with 73 million dollars of Canadian tax dollars, yet the public that purchased the land is still kept out completely by law, and now development is resuming in the bog. The South Fraser Perimeter Road (SFPR) project slices through the Northern most edge of the bog, threatening the bog’s sensitive hydrology. This proves that the existing covenant is not protecting the bog and that the public is not being sufficiently informed of planned developments. In fact there is little knowledge of the bog being under threat yet again. The campaign UNESCO World Heritage Site Status For Burns Bog, created by Sustainable Earth’s Managing Director Dana L. Miller, has carried forth lobbying efforts to the Federal level and is gaining momentum. It’s now being championed by many parties and adopted by the long-time spokespeople of Burns Bog issues. United Nations (UNESCO) involvement can bring unbiased third party protective status and international assistance. As the largest remaining domed peat bog in the Western Hemisphere, Burns Bog deserves it.
This UNESCO World Heritage Site Status campaign has been ignited recently by the conceptual art work of the Earth Artists under the guidance of A. Traviss Corry, Conceptual Artist of the effort and a Managing Director in the organization Sustainable Earth. He and Dana L. Miller seeded the social media campaign, which has spread images of the Earth Artists’ works.
Using coded meta data search engine tactics, social media strategy, a government lobbying campaign, and traditional PR channels, these images have reached not only the public of Vancouver, but the attention of municipal Delta politicians. The Earth Artists have successfully sculpted social effects in Delta, Vancouver, and now their ripples have reached Ottawa with an announcement in The Canadian House Of Commons by MP Sukh Dhaliwal.
More to be announced soon. See the latest images at EarthArtists.org
Dana L. Miller of Sustainable Earth created this initiative in 2004 and has lobbied tirelessly for it’s adoption since. Recently through Ms. Miller’s hard work and determination it has been adopted and championed by multiple parties, all working towards the conservation of Burns Bog, Delta, BC, Canada, the largest remaining domed peat bog in the Western Hemisphere. United Nations stewardship of this area would bring great benefits to Canada, Vancouver, and Delta; bringing final protection to this threatened ecosystem in perpetuity.
We are proud to have Member Of Parliament Sukh Dhaliwal, coordinator of the signature gathering campaign, announce this initiative again officially.
On October 26, 2009, Delta Mayor and Council will discuss 26 valid reasons for UNESCO World Heritage Site nomination and designation for Burns Bog as proposed by Dana L. Miller and A. Traviss Corry of Sustainable Earth.
On October 26, 2009, Delta Mayor and Council will discuss 26 valid reasons for UNESCO World Heritage Site nomination and designation for Burns Bog as proposed by Dana L. Miller and A. Traviss Corry of Sustainable Earth.
See these 3 of the 26 points: 1. UNESCO designation requires the signature of the Prime Minister of Canada on nomination papers. Delta Corporation spent over $25,000 on federal lobbying for a different issue to be cited. UNESCO lobbying efforts require no money. 2. UNESCO designation will include a “buffer zone” to protect Burns Bog in perpetuity. 3. UNESCO designation offers support to government for site management, training, education and nomination process.
Sustainable Earth has managed the campaign UNESCO World Heritage Site Status For Burns Bog, with the objective to obtain the Prime Minister’s signature on nomination papers. The campaign has published advertisements and other public awareness media, garnered support of a large online community, enlisted the Canadian ultra-marathoner Ray Zahab’s commitment to run the perimeter of Burns Bog, and created a traveling fine art exhibition, Art Images From Burns Bog, showing works from 40+ local and international artists. The campaign prompted political action such as public petitions by MP Sukh Dhaliwal and a motion for UNESCO designation in Federal Parliament by MP Joyce Murray.
“Canadians own Burns Bog, not any single individual, organization, or government. The protection of Burns Bog can be achieved for Canadians with the impartiality of UNESCO.”
Dana L. Miller, Sustainable Earth
“The public has not been legally allowed to enter the land that their tax dollars have purchased. Nor is the land protected from development. UNESCO protection will integrate the community with their ecological inheritance.”
A. Traviss Corry, Sustainable Earth
Dana L. Miller has facilitated the UNESCO status for Burns Bog concept since it’s inception in 2004, when a package was first sent to a member of parliament. Later, Delta contributed 5.9 million of the 73 million tax dollars used to purchase the 2000+ Hectares (approx. 5000 Acres) of this globally unique ecosystem. Burns Bog is the largest remaining raised peatland in the Western Hemisphere. Burns Bog is ecologically and culturally suited to gaining the proposed United Nations protection. Due to the immediate threats of development, our Prime Minister can request an expedited process, allowing Burns Bog first priority on the UNESCO site nomination list.
“Burns Bog is a unique wetland of ecological significance not only for the region but indeed for the world.” Delta Mayor Lois E. Jackson
Salmon Return • Gulf of Georgia Cannery National Historic Site. An Event and Exhibit Display for the month of May 2009. A multi-media installation and performance exhibit. Through video projection, sculpture, ritual and performance, Salmon Return introduces emotional and artistic content into the Cannery, bringing a new perspective to the industrial area of Steveston, Richmond, British Columbia, Canada. The Cannery was a fish processing plant that operated for decades on the mouth of the Fraser River. It’s now a national historic site steeped in the social and ecological history of the area.
The artworks move beyond historical facts and speak to our lost relationship with salmon as sacred creatures whose bodies have fed both land and people. Funded by Earth Artists, and 2010 Legacies Now, Innovation Grant in cooperation with Parks Canada. The Gulf Of Georgia Cannery National Historic Site
The Artists: Donna Webb, Beth Carruthers, Erica Forssman, A. Traviss Corry, Charisse Baker, Shannon Harvey
