Artists and Sustainability Spotlight: Rae Story

In what ways do you feel your work might relate to issues of climate change and sustainability, in the content of the work, its narrative, conceptually or theoretically? How might it speak to or challenge public discourse?

My work is all about connection. I work holistically, meaning that my life choices and direction are an integral part of my art, and art is an integral part of my life. I am both an artist and a Traditional Chinese Medicine practitioner / Qigong teacher. I see these two threads as complimentary. Both are ways into union with nature, and both balance mind, body and spirit. For me, sustainability is about each one of us engaging our personal responsibility. How do we live and die without causing harm? How can we balance our giving and our taking? How robust are our lifestyles and our well-being in the face of environmental and other challenges? My work is socially engaged and process-driven. 

My practice includes drawing, painting, photography, sound recording, craft and sculpture. As much as I develop my own art practice, I also make opportunities for others to relate and find voice. This takes the form of offering encounters in time and place that encourage people to relax and engage directly with nature, each other and themselves. Such encounters may lead to sharing life stories and memories, or acts of individual or collective creation. My work addresses the multiple crises of our time – climate change, mass extinction, mental health and loneliness – which I believe are all linked and all symptoms of a deeper separation and disconnection. A friend recently described my work like this: “You support people to re-enchant themselves with nature.” I like that – it’s true, my work is about creating safe, uplifting ways for people to feel and perceive nature, and their place in it. When we admire and love something, we’re more inspired to take care of it. When we connect with nature through art practice, something special happens – we literally “re-member” (as in, put back together) parts of ourselves that have been buried within our hearts for a long time. As a result, I have often seen people start to take on renewed responsibility in the ways they actively care for nature and for themselves. This encourages me to continue to develop and deepen my work and practices – it’s a reciprocal, sustainable and health-bringing cycle.

I love to partner with other artists and local groups committed to sustainability, well-being and action on climate issues.

With regards to the materials, processes and techniques you use to produce your work, are there any practical decisions you make with regard to climate change and sustainability?

One commitment I have made is to try not to make too much artwork! I am aware of the materiality of art, and the compulsion to draw/paint/create can weigh heavily on the environment in terms of materials and resources. Also, my studio is often my small kitchen table so I have to be realistic about my space. So I try to emphasise the looking and listening aspects of my practice. I absorb what I observe and then when the moment takes me I create, putting down all that I have taken in through the watching and noticing process. This is the principle behind Xie Yi, a style of Chinese painting that translates as, “directly writing down the mind/concept”. The brush strokes and composition relate to the artist’s observations and ability to find union with nature. I have learned this painting technique with my teacher Edmond Ho-Yuen To. In fact, I incorporate Xie Yi into much of my art practice as a guiding principle even though I am still learning the foundational Four Gentlemen in my journey of Chinese ink and brush. 

I also work with recycled materials, open up envelopes and packaging for sketching and drawing, and happily paint and draw over notes or newspaper. I recently used a large piece of cardboard packaging to create an artwork for the Spark Artist Network exhibition (2023-2024), to be exhibited again at Gallery Oldham for the group show A Minute to Midnight (2024-25) and which will ultimately find its way into the compost. I am currently learning how to find and work raw clay and earth, another material that can be returned directly into the ground after use, with earth builder and artist Alison Hilton. Last year I completed the Climate Aware Photography course with RedEye and Carbon Literacy Project, which gave me lots of ways to think about the photography element of my practice and how I can further reduce my impact.

In general, how do you feel galleries, art spaces, artworks and artists, might be able to contribute, what if any role do you feel they can play in a progressive conversation?

This is an important question and immediately makes me think of another one: What is the Role of the Artist at the End of Time?, which I brought to two group shows over the last year (Gallery Oldham / Rogue Artist Studios). The artwork I made of it may be compostable, but the question itself is insistent and won’t go away. I carry it with me constantly as I make choices about my work and direction. It is a very personal question, provoking more questions and many different answers. For me, it is certainly not about commodity and profit, or about external validation, fame or status. It is not about creating brands and to be honest it really isn’t about having my art in galleries or exhibitions either. The role of “artist” is, for me, a communal role, with art being a way to learn about myself, others and support life on Earth. I see these connections as embodied and encoded in mind, body and spirit. I hope through my work I can help to demystify art and encourage and support others to engage and directly experience the process for themselves. In this way I also try to re-enchant people with art as well as nature! When we create freely we experience wonder, inspiration, energy, uplift and connection – regardless of what we create and how “good” anyone might think our creations are. The creative spark is one of the joys of being human – when I see someone light up with it I know they will go on to seek out that experience again. When we create, look closely, make marks and express our experiences, we are no longer consuming, we are present and in flow with our environment. Art should be part of ordinary life and accessible to all. I’d like to see galleries and art spaces all over the world stepping up to play a role in bringing experiential discovery of creativity to all people in the communities they serve. Interactive and creative events do of course need to be built into budgets right from the start, and artists must be properly valued for the unique contributions they bring.

Are there any tips or advice, anything you have learnt you might want to share with other artists or our audiences?

Be kind. Be modest. Be generous. 

The most importance thing is finding balance and resilience. Personally my practice of Buddhism and Qigong has been central to my understanding and the extent to which I am able to achieve this.

Whoever you are, never pass up on an opportunity to create rather than consume!

I read the book Conversations before the End of Time by Suzi Gablik in the late 1990s in it Suzi interviews artists about their practice and art in general during this time of ecological crisis (remember this was written nearly 40 years ago). I re-read this book recently when my colleague, friend and mentor Alison Kershaw died in 2021 and it could have been written yesterday. I continue to find it very inspiring.

Examples of much of the work mentioned in this text can be found on my website: raestory.cargo.site

Other work like the original website and blog documenting Mapping Manchester’s Quiet Spaces, has been ephemeral by choice, and is no longer available.