John Seed: A Sculpture of Consciousness

http://johnseed.net

John Seed I believe I met in Canberra. He was giving a talk and I recall he introduced Joanna Macy’s work. He was an older guy but I found him a person who had dedicated his life to the planet. I felt a deep commitment in him and a genuine honesty. Today by chance I saw a book Earth First which traces the Franklin Dam dispute and outlines Bob Brown’s (Australian Greens) journey. I was interested to learn that Bob was interested in the extinction of the Tasmanian Tiger. He was a trained doctor but found himself fascinated by nature, once you get that connection you understand why people tie themselves to 1,000 year old trees. To my surprise I saw a picture of John Seed at the back of this book, another on the journey of protecting nature from humans. I recall someone giving me a video with a US journalist talking about his investigation of the corporations placing erroneous information about climate change in the media and how that affected our ability to change. This journalist didn’t see himself as an environmentalist, he was concerned about corruption. John Seed introduced this speaker. Some could look at John and ride him off as a hippy, but I suspect it will be the hippies in the end, that people will listen to, not to mention indigenous people. I was interested to learn that John had worked with Arne Naess well know in the peace literature.

What I have learned is that often the people living in communities, try to live in harmony with the earth and have a commitment to ecological and social ethics. They appear to be in parallel worlds, but I sense it is a consciousness shift that is different, they see their place in the world not as 9 to 5 consumerism, they see it as integrated into nature and with each other. They work in community and are seeking another way that is in harmony.

John Seed in his many talks emphasised our connection with the planet and the importance of learning to express emotions, I see that as an important change. Some are afraid of change, I would simply say it need not be frightening, just take small steps to open your mind to differences, you may have fun actually connecting with people in a way that is intimate, not detached. My view is if it doesn’t resonate with you don’t go with it, if it does then another journey begins. Let me tell you it is a new world you enter, really fascinating. This is a gentle change, only if you choose. I see Dorothy here in the Wizard of Oz, and the thought – which is real the dream or the real world? Guess which one? This is what we are learning. Our life is not what it seems, it is indeed much deeper.

So here is an overview about John Seed. His name says it all. I will post a lecture in the next blog.

Sculpture Resume

John Seed OAM exhibited his sculptures in Sydney and London in the late ‘60’s and early ‘70’s – two exhibitions in Kim Bonython’s Gallery, Paddington 1966 and 1967, two exhibitions at the Holdsworth Gallery Paddington 1968 and 1972, exhibition at the Centerprise Gallery, London 1972.

He returned to metal sculpture after 35 years hiatus spent sculpting reality itself for which he received an Order of Australia Medal from the Australian Government for Services to Conservation of Nature.

With his mother Judy Cassab, he had exhibitions at the Eva Breuer Gallery Sydney in October 2009, at the Cowra Regional Gallery in February 2010 and at the Solander Gallery Canberra August 2010. With two other sculptors he has an exhibition planned at the Coo-ee Gallery in Bondi, Sydney in November 2010.

John works the with steel skeletons that emerge from metal stamping machines, detritus of industrial civilization which he transforms into a spiritual cornucopia of organic shapes. He follows Blake in asking

“And was Jerusalem builded here Amongst these dark satanic mills?”

During his 35 year absence from metal he sculpted the nature of the world itself. Vast happenings. Sculpture on a global scale with protoplasm as his raw material – the flora, fauna and landscapes of this world. With is championing of deep ecology, he sculpted the very stuff of consciousness itself.

During this time he:

– worked for the protection of NSW subtropical rainforests from 79-81 , Tasmania’s temperate rainforests 82-83, Queensland’s tropical rainforests 85-86. A record of this period may be found in “Earth First”, the hour-long film he produced for ABC TV in 86 starring Jack Thompson. www.rainforestinfo.org.au/video.htm

– founded the Rainforest Information Centre in 1981 – the first organization in the world with the mission of rainforest protection. In 1984 he launched the Rainforest Action Network in San Francisco, the second such organization and went on to start scores of Rainforest Action Groups throughout the world.

– launched the deep ecology movement with “Thinking Like a Mountain” the book he wrote in 1988 with professors Joanna Macy and Arne Naess which has now been translated into 12 languages www.rainforestinfo.org.au/deep-eco/TLAM%20text.htm

– was funded by the Australian Council of Churches and the Australian Government Aid Agency in a series of 7 interventions in the mid ‘80’s which saved a million hectares of rainforest in Papua New Guinea www.rainforestinfo.org.au/video/png_v.html

– was funded by the Australian Government Aid Agency to initiate a series of conservation projects in Ecuador in the ‘90’s. For example, the 12,000Ha Los Cedros plateau was saved from colonization and remains a rainforest scientific reserve as a result of one of these 9 projects. www.rainforestinfo.org.au/projects/ecuador.htm

– was twice funded by the Australian Government Aid Agency AusAID to “Reweave Shiva’s Robes” – ie reforest the sacred mountain Arunachala in S India, the only Earthly body of Shiva according to the Hindu scriptures www.rainforestinfo.org.au/video/shiva_v.html

– conceived of and produced the film “On The Brink” with David Attenborough, David Suzuki, Olivia Newton John and Jack Thompson. Timed to coincide with the 2003 NSW state elections, the roadshow featuring this film traveled to over 100 cities and towns around NSW in the 3 months prior to the elections, was viewed by over 8000 people who then wrote to the premier asking for the protection of 65,000 Ha of old growth forests in NE NSW. Two weeks before the elections the premier promised to do so if re-elected. 2 months later these were added to the national parks estate. www.rainforestinfo.org.au/video/otb_v.html

– disbursed over half a million dollars a few hundred to a few thousand dollars at a time to hundreds of groups and individuals around the world working on cutting edge nature conservation projects and campaigns.

– in 2006 he launched the Climate Change, Despair and Empowerment roadshow which he took around the US, Canada and Australia www.rainforestinfo.org.au/video/clim_v.html

– in 2009 he returned to sculpting in steel alongside launching a campaign to protect the largest remaining population of wild Asian Elephants in Asia www.rainforestinfo.org.au/e/appeal.htm which succeeded in November of that year. In the course of this campaign he produced the film clip “Long Live the Elephants” www.youtube.com/watch?v=ftMuzaVbf5c

– in 2010 alongside making sculpture for exhibitions at the Cowra Regional Gallery and the Solander Gallery Canberra, he is working to protect Niyamgiri, another sacred mountain in India: www.youtube.com/watch?v=R4tuTFZ3wXQ&feature=channel