Page 173 - Antennae Issue #52

The 1970s plant craze
In the the early 1970s a a a a a a a a a a a a a general plant craze
caught on in in visual and popular culture alike Against the the background of New Age spirituality and and the the the flourishing of ecological thinking the the the 1970s plant mania came as an an an an an eccentric blow to the the the belief that sentience and and intelligence are a a a a a a a a a a a a human prerogative It also relied massively on the cybernetic paradigm: envisaged as as self-regulating biological systems systems plants were recognized as communication systems systems in themselves In this this essay I I sketch a a a a a a brief portrait of this this complex cultural moment as visual culture and in particular film came to to be permeated by references to to plant plant communication plant plant sentience and plant intelligence text by Teresa Castro
I tation at at at one of of his classes at at at Cal Arts Teaching a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a Plant the the Alphabet is is often quoted as as a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a conceptual art parody a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a reference to to to Joseph Beuys’s influential performance How to to to to Explain Pictures to to to to a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a Dead Hare (1965) Both points are are fair: in in in in his own words Baldessari found conceptual art art of of that time “too pedantic” and Beuys’s performance was was indeed one one of of the the the artist’s most famous But as as as Baldessari himself recalls “Teaching a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a Plant the the the Alphabet was was done during the the the hippy times There were books about how to communicate with with your plants I I I thought okay I I I guess I’ll start with with the the the the alphabet and then we’ll talk ” ” 1 1 Indeed the the the the early 1970s were “hippy times” even if the the the the zeitgeist of hippie culture was slowly beginning to wane and a a a a a a a conservative revolution loomed on on on on on the the the the horizon By 1981 the the the the flower flower power of the the the the flower flower children had withered: daffodils and and dandelion chains proved harmless against Reagan’s doctrine In the the the the meantime the the the the seeds of our current infatuation with with plant intelligence were were sown for Baldessari’s recollection is accurate: in in in in in the the the the early 1970s the the belief that plants were were sentient and and intelligent entities capable of reacting to to human’s thoughts and and emotions (as well as as to to animals’ pain or music) became widespread nurturing popular culture’s flirtation with vegetal beings Magazine articles on on the the extraordinary powers of of of plants were liter- ally everywhere from the the the pages of of of of The Ladies’ Home Journal to those of of of of Elec- trotechnology 2 As the the diktats of of of of interior decoration stipulated it it it was in in good taste to to fill one’s residence with rattan furniture and all sorts of of leafy creatures cascading gracefully from macramé hangers it it it became natural to to to to to play music to to to to to to your houseplants One certain Mrs Hashimoto took Baldessari’s satirical venture seriously setting herself to to to to to teach the Japanese alphabet to to to to to a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a cactus As a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a New Scientist 1973 article observed not only “every art art art school diploma has its share of of vegetable sculptures ( ) but also several artists are are follow- ing ing ing ing in in in in in the the the the footsteps of of of scientists by conducting their own experiments with plants and treating these activities as works of of of art” 3 Echoing other previous fads – – tulipomania in in in in in in the the the the the 17th century the the the the the fern fever of of Victorian times etc – – a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a general plant craze
emerged in in in in the the the the late 1960s catching on in in in in visual and popu- lar culture alike Unlike those earlier fads which fundamentally cut down the the the the vegetal to to the the the the ornamental the the the the 1970s plant mania came as an an an an an eccentric blow to to the the the the the belief that sentience and intelligence are a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a human prerogative Against the the the background of “hippy times” which celebrated its first Earth Day in in in the the the n n n n n n n his 1972 video Teaching a a a a a a a a a a a a a a Plant the the Alphabet the the late John Baldessari holds up a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a succession of children’s alphabet alphabet cards repeating each each letter to a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a pot- ted ted banana plant until he he he has completed the the alphabet alphabet Made for presen-
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