Ecological Self-Portraiture: Reconnecting Through Transformative Learning

Abstract

The dilemma facing Australians, who are highly urbanized, high energy using, aggressive resource consumers, is that in their disconnection from the destructive reality, they and others are avoiding change and largely ignoring the prospect of disaster. Dilemmas generally lead to transformative learning, as no preconditioned response is adequate. A concept of ecological self-portraiture opens up the experience of re-evaluating who we are, what our connections are, how our identity is formed, and what it is we really value, especially when we reframe identity. This is not what is traditionally thought of as self-portraiture in an artistic sense, and there may be good reasons why. Are we beautiful or ugly? Place, space and time also play into our identities. This presentation aims to invert the paradigm of portraiture and visual understanding, unpacking artistic production and suggesting some openings for new practices of ecological self portrait practice, its promotion and teaching.