Sympoetics of Squirrealism

Carollyne Yardley (Author)
Randy Lee Cutler (Thesis advisor)
Emily Carr University of Art and Design Graduate Studies (Degree granting institution)

https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5134-5613

2021

Assemblage (Art)
Photography
Installations (art)
Interspecies encounters
Squirrels in art
Pandemics
COVID-19 (Disease)
Decolonization
Ecology

Psychometry
Plastic
Interspecies
Becoming-with
Touch
Sympoiesis
Urban squirrels
Squirrealism
Colonialism
Animality

This thesis project researches the ethology of grey squirrels and their links to human systems to speculate possible futures in hybrid human development through artistic practice. Humans living in urban spaces interact daily with nonhumans as cities spread out into the natural world and technology reshapes our existence. I began creating art and thinking with grey squirrels after an interspecies boundary was crossed when I held an injured squirrel in my hands. The intimacy of the encounter touched me and evoked a desire to document my alliance to the squirrel through artwork—thus, Squirrealism was born. Squirrealism developed into a method of art-making that channels conceptual and material connections between species to think and make, as feminist philosopher Donna Haraway says, “sympoetically.”

This thesis is available to view and copy for research and educational purposes only, provided that it is not altered in any way and is properly acknowledged, including citing the author(s), title and full bibliographic details.
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