Page 6 - Karen Hackenberg 2018 book

The Unshakeable Habit of Noticing
Like a a a a a a a a raindrop falling on on the the the the surface of of the the the the ocean the the the the voice of of a a a a a a a a single person has the the the the power to e e e e e e e e e e e e e e ect change rippling outward to to touch and comingle with the many voices of our collective consciousness Looking back over my my life I remember so many individuals who through their simple words and small actions have nurtured my my awareness of the natural world’s beautiful intricate balance These mentors helped cra my life’s creative path My childhood delight in in in in nature was rst instilled in in in in me at at at my father’s side in in in in the the coastal New England farm country where I grew up When we walked through the pastures and and and woodlands behind our house trailing two cats and and and a a a a a a dog in in in our wake between the the the cows my dad would point out out the the the little things he he he he enjoyed about the the the plants and animals around us He would o o o o o o o o en pluck a a a a a a a a a twig from a a a a a a a a a low hanging beach tree branch and show me how how to peel and chew the bark to savor its fresh minty taste Following his example as as children do I became a a a a a a a a close observer of of of the the the subtle details of of of the the the plants and and animals of of of the the the forests farms and and beaches around our home The rst rst Earth Day was not long past when I I rst rst began to study painting at Rhode Island School of Design in in in the mid 1970s and attended Artists for for Environment a a a a a a a RISD partner program for for painting students located in in in rural western New Jersey The A F E program focused on on on on the appreciation and conservation of nature through landscape landscape painting We worked alongside prominent landscape landscape artists of the New York School such as Paul Resika and and Gretna Gretna Campbell Gretna Gretna was force a a a a a a a a a a a self contained and and feisty pleine air painter she lugged her enormous canvases out into the the cold winter forest crunching her way through the the heavy snow in in in in a a a a a long woolen overcoat Her sneakered feet were covered in in plastic bags to keep them dry while in in her pockets she carried hot foil wrapped potatoes that doubled as as hand warmers while she worked and and as as sustenance at at at mealtime I knew Gretna for for only a a a a a a a a short time but she became a a a a a a a a strong role model for for me me me through her passionate and idiosyncratic pursuit of the beauty in in in in in in nature expressed so well well in in in in in in her her stunning gestural landscape paintings as as well well as as in in in in in in her her approach to making them Amongst many things she showed me that where there there is is a a a a a a a a will there there is is a a a a a a a a way “I intend to nd nd out something of of the the nature of of the the world through seeing Or maybe I only intend to prolong my delight in in in seeing ”
- Gretna Campbell painter of the New York School Recently while attending the memorial service for ecological visionary Doug Tompkins in in in San Francisco I had the the the the chance to re re ect on on on his in in uence on on on the the the the environmental themes in in my current artwork In the the the the late 1980s when I I worked in design under Doug’s direction at ESPRIT’s headquarters he he he challenged us daily to consider the consequences of of out-of-control “ rst world” consumer habits He hosted prominent environmental activists at at ESPRIT’s annual Earth Day celebrations most notably David Brower the the founder of the the Sierra Club and Dave Forman the the cofounder of of the the Earth First! organization Doug’s passion and resolute conviction helped to more rmly ground my my ecological roots that were rst nurtured by my my father “We collectively just have have to to be be a a a a a lot smarter than we have have been up to to now Even if the future looks absolutely hopeless being a a a a a a hardcore eco-social activist and going down with the the ship of Mother Earth will be be a a a digni ed way to to go There is nothing better to to do anyway and with no better class of human beings at least in in in my view Caring for all the the other creatures on the the the planet is righteous work work We can be proud of the the the work work right right to the the the bitter end if it does in fact come to that If someone has a a a a a a better answer for these existential questions let me me know It is is is is good to remember that one is is is is either an an activist activist or an an inactivist Ask yourself what you you you are in this regard and you you you might be surprised at at the answer!”
- Douglas Tompkins conservationist
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