Australasian Animal Studies Association

Copenhagen 2009 #2 2010, Indian ink and crayon on paper, 80x99cm

ARTIST STATEMENT

In December 2009, I travelled to Copenhagen for the UN Climate Conference. My drawing, Copenhagen 2009 #2 denotes the spectacle in the corridors at the conference venue, the Bella Center. Text in the work is drawn from the speeches delivered at the meeting by UN Secretary-General, Ban Ki-Moon and former Australian PM, Kevin Rudd. The work deals with concerns about inertia in political decision-making on climate change and questions of ethical and inter-species responsibility.

THE ARTIST

Roslyn Taplin is an environmental artist and researcher. Born Inverell, Australia, her work includes drawing, installation, video and digital photography. Her installation/sculpture, drawing, photography and video works are responses to inaction in political decision-making. She contrasts published scientific evidence with the current local and historical drivers and impacts of climate change. Her transdisciplinary creative practice is consequently at the intersection of art, science, history, politics and environment and her current research based practice, continuing on the theme of climate change, is focussed on “Yollas | Whalebirds: Nonhuman Others, Circum-Pacific Migrants.” Roslyn’s past research publications include: ‘Contemporary climate change art as the abstract machine: Ethico-aesthetics and futures orientation’, Leonardo, 47(5), 2014, 509-10; ‘Rethinking mine remediation via transformative experimental art practice’, Artlink, 2013 (with A.Murray, L.Fowler-Smith, C.Keys-Statham). Her qualifications include: PhD (environmental policy) (Griffith University); Doctor of Visual Art (climate change art) (Queensland College of Art), and Master of Art (drawing) (UNSW Art & Design).