Enmeshed Selves

My research-creation dissertation investigates the ways we are all enmeshed in the world, as well as how we can productively imagine ways to live together. I approach this research through thinking-with, a concept proposed by Donna Haraway. Throughout this text and my dissertation exhibition I think-with many partners including microbial life, Lake Ontario, mud, the field of bio art, and other researchers. My dissertation exhibition provides an opportunity for viewers to encounter microbial life. In the creation of this body of work, I have collected mud from Lake Ontario and placed it, along with nutrients that encourage microbial growth, in clear sculptural prisms. When exposed to light, the microorganisms already present begin to flourish, becoming visible in the form of vibrant marbling. In this text I discuss how my thinking partners have shaped my research, which takes the form of writing, artworks, and workshops. I go on to engage geographic borders, such as those between land and water, or between Canada and the United States of America; biologic borders that we use to distinguish one organism from another; and the borders that are drawn around disciplines or types of knowledge. I argue that working across divides is essential to forging a more sustainable future. I also explore different forms of collaboration that have become critical in the way I conduct research: collaborating with scientists, with non-humans, and with the public. Throughout the text I argue for the value of thinking-with, working across borders, and forging meaningful collaborations. I argue that working together is an important strategy for deeper understanding, as well as responsible action in the face of ecological crisis.