Olena
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What happened to nature?
Olena {The Wizard} Shmahalo (23)
New York
Immortal since Aug 5, 2009
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    Olena’s project
    What happened to nature?
    How to stay in touch with our biological origins in a world devoid of nature? The majestic nature that once inspired poets, painters and...
    Now playing SpaceCollective
    Where forward thinking terrestrials share ideas and information about the state of the species, their planet and the universe, living the lives of science fiction. Introduction
    Featuring Powers of Ten by Charles and Ray Eames, based on an idea by Kees Boeke.
    From Olena's personal cargo

    Biomorphic Civilization
    Project: What happened to nature?
    As a kid, books like Wolverton's "The Golden Queen" hit me with extreme force.
    Therein were sci-fi future civilizations and fantasy worlds where people were more a part of nature than most are today, more in tune with their humanity and intuition, their human magic. There, technology wasn't some impeding synthetic force that extorted and paved over the natural surroundings - rather, it coexisted, entwined with the living environment.



    Wolverton wrote of a "backward planet" where people knew nothing of the state of galactic politics. In a medieval manner they attributed the unexplained to magic and spirits, and fantastically made their homes in house-trees.

    Will biomechanics, bioengineering, biomorphic visualizations take us there? Will a deeper understanding of our fundamental being?



    It's supposed that a Type 1 civilization is able to "harness the power of its planet". I hope that entitles a more synthesized relationship between "object" and "nature" without destroying one or the other, but maybe even enhancing both? Mutualistic symbiosis. Anti-industrialization.
    I hope it will lead us here...



    Something like that. This is my personal equivalent of
    "a home in a great circle dome where stresses and strains are at ease."





    Thu, Oct 1, 2009  Permanent link

    Sent to project: What happened to nature?
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    First Dark     Fri, Oct 2, 2009  Permanent link
    I really wish we were headed in that direction quickly enough, but unfortunately modern civilization and technology has so deeply established itself despite of and in opposition to nature that the only remedy is either a long, vigilant reversal (given we survive long enough) or a quick collapse, then a shorter reboot in the right symbiotic direction (given we survive at all).

    I've actually had the same experience as you, except instead of with "The Golden Queen", I was impacted at a young age by some of the Final Fantasy games. Here was this world with amazing technologies (which seem magical, of course) but where much of civilization actually looks like it is a part of nature. Of course, as the story goes, there are those who want to preserve the life force of the world and those who seek to exploit it, but regardless, what struck me was the way in which everyone recognized that the technologies were fueled by the life of the planet itself. The beauty of various lands and structures being overgrown with plants, and yet still being technologically advanced has always echoed in my mind. Well, one other aspect was the openness of the overall culture... ah.. so refreshing in contrast to the standards of most of our world.

    On a related note: feral houses
    Olena     Mon, Oct 19, 2009  Permanent link
    FD; I agree with you about our opposition to nature...

    Speaking of remedies though, I JUST read something in book 2 of the Ender's Game saga that reminded me of this — a colony of humans populated a piece of a planet that was plagued by a strange disease (the Descolada). The creatures and plants living there were very few in variety, but this "disease" caused them to be able to bond interchangeably, so that the life cycle is such that plants become animals and return to plant form, and so on.

    That said, I never got to play FF! Feels bad, man.



    Olena     Mon, Oct 19, 2009  Permanent link
    Also;
    Here is an update about the background info of my Biomorphic Civilization & Terrarium Typeface project: at Cargo Collective.


    weather     Sun, Nov 1, 2009  Permanent link
    I've been inspired by this collective of designers: biomimicry


     
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