T4T LAB Spring 2018. Rough and Saturated
Invited Professor: Nate Hume
Team: Ben Schoenekase, Reuben Posada, Joey Reich and Steven Gideon.
THE ROMANTICIZED IMAGERY OF THE AMERICAN FARMLAND IS A
SYNTHETIC IMAGE THAT IS NO LONGER INDICATIVE OF THE REALITIES OF AGRICULTURE.
THROUGH THE PROCESS OF MECHANIZATION AND INNOVATION, THE FARM AND FARMER HAVE
BEGAN A TRANSITION FROM THE ORIGINAL TRADITION OF FARMING TO THE REMOTE
OPERATION OF MACHINES AND SCIENTIFIC INNOVATION. THIS DISCIPLINARY SHIFT FROM
MAN TO MACHINE SERVES AS THE POINT OF SPECULATION FROM WHICH OUR PROJECT IS
DERIVED. THROUGH THE EMBRACE OF THE PHYSICAL AND NOTIONAL RE-DEFINITION OF
THE FARMLAND, WE INSTIGATE NORMALIZED MISUNDERSTANDINGS OF
‘FARMLAND’ AND THE SYNTHETIC FOLK IMAGE AS A WHOLE. FURTHERMORE, BY UTILIZING
THE OPERATION OF THE PATCH AS AN EXTENSION OF THE FOLK, NOT FOLKLORE, WE MAKE
THE CULTURALLY FOREIGN PALATABLE AND UNDERSTOOD AS THE IMAGE OF ‘FARMLAND’.
THE FARM IS AN ONTOLOGICAL, MEREOLOGICAL OBJECT THAT
OSCILLATES BETWEEN VARIABLE REGISTERS OF SCALE, AGENCY, AND MATERIALITY THAT
ALL COEXIST IN A SINGLE ACT.
GROWING PLANTS.
AS THE FARM OBJECT WORKS, EACH COMPONENT EXISTS AS ITS OWN
ONTOLOGICALLY INDEPENDENT OBJECT THAT DENIES SELF-RELATING LOGOCENTRISM.
THEREIN, EACH OBJECT EXISTS AND HAS EXISTED AS A FIGURAL KNOWN WHICH FORGES THE
PROJECT INTO THE ONTOLOGICAL.
BY ADDRESSING LIMITED LAND ACCESS, THE MACHINE OF THE GARDEN
IS PUT INTO QUESTION AS A PROGRESSIVE CULTURAL MOMENT WHERE THE DEFINITION OF
FARM AND FARMER ARE REDEFINED. THE OBJECT OF THE FARM NOW EXPLORES RESEARCH,
PRODUCTION, CAPACITY, AND QUALITY WHERE IT EXISTS IN LIMITATION RATHER THAN
DESTINY PLAYING THE ROLE OF JUDGEMENT'S PASS.
ALL COMPONENTS ARE NON-HIERARCHICAL AND NON-MUTUALLY
EXCLUSIVE; THEREIN, THE OBJECT AND MACHINE, AS A WHOLE, SEEKS REPLACEMENT AND
ADVANCEMENT FOR THE SOLE AGENT OF PLANT GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT WHICH ALLOWS FOR
THE PERSISTENCE OF THE TERM "FARM." ON THE OTHER HAND, THE
PROFESSIONAL PLANT GROWING FARMER LACKS THE FORMER EMPIRICAL KNOWLEDGE AND
HANDS-ON TECHNIQUES THAT DEFINED THE OCCUPANCY. THE FARMER IS NOW THE DRONE
OPERATOR, THE SECRETARY, THE FINANCIAL PLANNER, THE OFFICE MANAGER FOR THE
DRONE WHICH NOW RELIES ON THE ASSUMPTIVE ROLE OF PROFESSIONAL PLANT GROWER FOR
MEDIATING THE BIOLOGICAL GAP BETWEEN MAMMAL AND PLANT.
THE WORLD IS NOT GOING TO SEE A SINGULAR AGRARIAN
REVOLUTION. RATHER, A CULTURAL ALIGNMENT WITH TECHNOLOGY, SOCIETY, AND ECONOMY
WILL ALLOW FOR THE DRONE FARMERS TO PERMEATE THROUGH THE MARKETPLACE TO
REDEFINE THE FARM AS AN AGENT OF FOOD PRODUCTION. JUST AS THE FARM HAS ADAPTED
TO TECHNOLOGICAL BOOMS FROM THE DOMESTICATION OF ANIMALS TO THE SCYTHE TO THE
COTTON GIN TO THE STEAM ENGINE, ETC. THE CATALYST FOR THE FARMER IS ACCESS TO
CONTROLLED CLIMATES, VAST RESOURCES, AND DEDICATION TO THE ALMANAC.
