peat cultures
An artist project highlighting the diverse cultural values of peatlands.
I began this project wanting to get to know about different wetland cultures and to make new artwork. Wetlands contribute to culture, skills and knowledge – a living heritage. I might have webbed feet, but now I live between different wetland cultures and have much to learn. I was brought up on the East Anglian salt marshes and this shaped my early sense of landscape. Later, I lived in Southern Scottish uplands and learnt to love their characteristic Mosses and Flows. Somehow, in the hills, on peatlands, I am still somehow waiting for the saltwater tide to come in. Living now in the Netherlands, I am learning to see how peatlands have been transformed into highly managed cultural landscapes. I value surviving wetlands for what they offer to my quality of life – a lively wildness experienced through the senses, with special plants, creatures and sounds.
To explore this ongoing project, visit: https://peatcultures.wordpress.com/