Plant Graffiti
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Artists, Sylvia Grace Borda and J.Keith Donnelly, are co-authoring the first earth observation artworks using trees and plants with communities in Kofele district, West Arsi Zone, Oromo, Ethiopia
The artists are inviting people around the world to also action and join in making their own earth observation artworks, too! |
A call to action: using plant graffiti !
The artists want to invite everyone to think about new ways to ‘tag’ the Earth and us all towards better health. Their question to us all is .......
Rather than extracting resources what if we could ‘paint’ and ‘fill in’ the manmade gaps of the city, and Earth with a palette of rich colours of trees and flora.
What if we could do ‘plant graffiti’ and arrange flora in shapes and forms to create artful compositions that exist in our own backyards, laneways, community centres, parks, city centres, brown sites, farms, and other landscapes for others to see and enjoy. What if we could make the world more climate resilient through more plentiful and artful planting....
What is ‘plant graffiti’?
Traditional graffiti as we know it is associated with spontaneous or freestyle writing, drawings or sketches made by spray can, chalk, or other ways of marking walls or other surfaces that are within public view. Graffiti is associated as a growing urban "problem" as it is often an act where an image is placed changing or defacing the value of the original surface, but it can also be a thing of beauty and add value to communities.
The artists see ‘plant graffiti’ as an impactful and valuable form of ‘positive messaging’ about climate resilience. According to BBC Gardening (2020) there are 27 million gardens in the UK. If there was one extra tree planted in each one, there would be 27 million more trees across the country.
Fact: Did you know that the combined area of the UK's domestic gardens is roughly the same as the whole of Somerset? 38% of British adults say they use their garden or outdoor space (e.g. balcony/window box) to grow their own herbs, fruit and vegetables. [YouGov for HTA (2020)]. If more plants were grown in additional boxes, lawn spaces, laneways, urban corridors, and home gardens, we have a potential to store greater amounts of carbon, as well as mitigate some of the effects of climate change such as flooding risk, urban heat island effect and biodiversity loss.
The more we can do in our gardens, plant boxes, and urban spaces the healthier our cities will be – and our plant graffiti actions can make a positive impact!
Which plant graffiti 'tags' should I use?
Suggested tags you can use as part of this global movement include:
The artists want to invite everyone to think about new ways to ‘tag’ the Earth and us all towards better health. Their question to us all is .......
Rather than extracting resources what if we could ‘paint’ and ‘fill in’ the manmade gaps of the city, and Earth with a palette of rich colours of trees and flora.
What if we could do ‘plant graffiti’ and arrange flora in shapes and forms to create artful compositions that exist in our own backyards, laneways, community centres, parks, city centres, brown sites, farms, and other landscapes for others to see and enjoy. What if we could make the world more climate resilient through more plentiful and artful planting....
What is ‘plant graffiti’?
Traditional graffiti as we know it is associated with spontaneous or freestyle writing, drawings or sketches made by spray can, chalk, or other ways of marking walls or other surfaces that are within public view. Graffiti is associated as a growing urban "problem" as it is often an act where an image is placed changing or defacing the value of the original surface, but it can also be a thing of beauty and add value to communities.
The artists see ‘plant graffiti’ as an impactful and valuable form of ‘positive messaging’ about climate resilience. According to BBC Gardening (2020) there are 27 million gardens in the UK. If there was one extra tree planted in each one, there would be 27 million more trees across the country.
Fact: Did you know that the combined area of the UK's domestic gardens is roughly the same as the whole of Somerset? 38% of British adults say they use their garden or outdoor space (e.g. balcony/window box) to grow their own herbs, fruit and vegetables. [YouGov for HTA (2020)]. If more plants were grown in additional boxes, lawn spaces, laneways, urban corridors, and home gardens, we have a potential to store greater amounts of carbon, as well as mitigate some of the effects of climate change such as flooding risk, urban heat island effect and biodiversity loss.
The more we can do in our gardens, plant boxes, and urban spaces the healthier our cities will be – and our plant graffiti actions can make a positive impact!
Which plant graffiti 'tags' should I use?
Suggested tags you can use as part of this global movement include:
- Tree circles 'O' or flora circles
To do this, make a circle ‘o’ using available plants or saplings to a size that is suitable for the space. You can plant in this shape directly in the soil or using a garden box, etc. See here for full instructions - ‘X’ planting
Create an ‘x’ form. Similar to the instructions for the ‘O’ circle. An 'X' form using shrubs or trees can create shelter belts and create a partially enclosed area
A number of "X"s and "O"s across the planet can create a set of climate friendly wild verges or kisses and hugs for our planet. The above is a conceptual sketch produced by the artists of what the planet can look like when a large scale plant graffiti tag is posted across Mother Earth's surface.
3. Animal pictures
Put to paper the outline of a local animal that you’d like to celebrate. With chalk, draw an outline of your form across the ground or other surface and start to plant flora to fill in those spaces of your chosen animal. With some patience you can use a trellis to hold a shape and let ivy or other climbing plants to grow along the shape.
Learn how the artists have worked with communities to produce an Ethiopian Lion for installation at a school site.
Fact: All plants absorb carbon dioxide, and by growing plants along the side of your house or wall you can help regulate temperatures, keeping your home warmer in winter and cooler in summer This can reduce use of central heating and air conditioning, further reducing your own urban carbon footprint.
4. Plant forms to form 'living artworks'
Outline a leaf or plant on paper. Then grid your paper. If you have a space to plant 1m x 1m - you can use your grid to represent 1 square for every 10cm If you have a bigger space then change the value of what each grid square measures across. To scale your image on the ground you can use chalk or string to help divide up your space into a grid. Carefully with a stick, chalk or other drawing tool try to copy your paper image across each of the squares on the ground.
Learn how the artists have worked with communities to produce an outline of a young tree sapling or read about how this project has impacted and improved climate awareness in Ethiopia
