Awful beauty: mapping toxic locations in the age of the anthropocene

Awful beauty: mapping toxic locations in the age of the anthropocene

Using practice-based methodology, the research ‘Awful Beauty: Mapping Toxic Locations in the Age of the Anthropocene’, engages environmental issues through works of art that ‘map’ toxic locations of mines in Australia, with Australia being the most highly mined country in the world. The exegetical component includes an extensive discussion of the artworks that reference abstract geographical ‘maps’ of selected areas within Australia. These show how the land has been impacted and degraded during the Anthropocene by deforestation, mining and its by-products and land clearing for industries. Data mining became the later focus because of the amount of power used and the subsequent emissions from power stations. These works are further contextualised through a discussion of the related art practices of other artists. The object of these ‘maps’ as art is to stimulate discussion about the human effects which have impacted our environment and what measures can be taken to rectify that damage and perhaps encourage research into alternative, more sustainable practices. After extensive traditional and non-traditional research, the artwork has culminated in a series of abstract maps named “Awful Beauty” that reflect the extensive environmental damage to our country.

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