Wasteland 2025, project developed during my online residency with Insights of an Eco Artist.

Wasteland is a term often attached to areas of land deemed to have no inherent value. This shallow labelling, which denies the ecological value of these lands, has led to their misuse by wealthy elites who twist the delicate ecosystems to their whims in order to capitalise from their destruction.

During the residency with IOAEA I explores the concept ‘wasteland’ through a collection of weave, textile sculpture, print and drawing, using repurposed everyday waste to weave into the narrative.

I focussed in particular on heather moorland burning, and peatland drainage in the UK - the burning to produce favourable conditions for the breeding of red grouse for hunting season, and peatland drainage historically carried out to create high grade arable and horticultural land. These peatlands, however, are important for storing carbon and providing valuable habitat for a wealth of species. The practices of heather burning and peatland drainage contribute to the degradation of the land, which responds by releasing precious carbon stores into our earth’s atmosphere.

Through drawing and material exploration I was able to develop artworks exploring the land being laid waste to, creating a tension between the natural materials and the synthetic, and celebrating ecosystems that can easily go overlooked. Patchwork landscapes scarred from heather burning, luscious alien-looking sphagnum moss, feathers of the prize red grouse and the vivid orange of the flamethrower gas canister, all lent the project their visual inspiration.

For this project I was hugely inspired by Guy Shrubsole’s book ‘The Lie of the Land: Who Really Cares for the Countryside?’, which helped me to find a starting point for the narrative. I listened to the audiobook - it’s really engaging and I would highly recommend it.

Residency profile and interview at Insights of an Eco Artist - https://www.insightsofayoungecologicalartist.com/residencies-profiles/jodie-posen