Robert Dash

Food For Thought/ Micro Views of Sustenance: Threats and Prospects

When I sit down to eat a meal, I want to know that the food on my plate hasn’t been grown at the expense of the planet. It’s ironic that the mere act of feeding ourselves every day tethers us to agricultural systems that wreak chaos on ecosystems and the climate. But there are ways to grow food that heal the earth. These immense, portentous stories must be told, and I’m inspired to do so with art, by zooming in to the tiniest views of food that I can imagine. Awe and wonder feed the human spirit. They’re nourishment we need to help us face ecological breakdown, and to work to reverse it.

These images symbolize both the abundance and the threat that humanity has brought to the dinner table. I feature resilient, edible seeds and grains like millet and sunflower, which offer significant minerals and nutrients and can be a great source of plant protein. Reducing meat consumption in favor of these plant sources would have a huge impact on reducing greenhouse gasses. Staple crops like wheat, rice and soy are all threatened by human-caused climate change. Yields and nutrient values of these and other foods are decreasing, putting extra strain on developing regions.

While organic agriculture sounds to many like the optimum green practice for food production, that distinction belongs to an ancient, broad spectrum of practices called “regenerative.” These include no-till, perennial planting, soil amendments like biochar and compost, use of cover crops, rotational grazing of livestock, integration of tree crops with livestock, and more. The Rodale Institute maintains that if these practices were widely applied, all of the atmosphere’s excess carbon dioxide would be offset. We have the knowledge to bring our systems back into balance; all we need is leadership on every level to do so. This exhibition and forthcoming book outline these inspiring practices.

Images were made with a scanning electron microscope; they feature natural objects that are often smaller than a pinhead. DSLR macro photography completes the photomontages, to allow a surreal conversation between natural objects, and minute details of themselves. They are inspired by nature, and the artistic visions of Uelsmann, Blossfeldt, and Chris Jordan. Images are best seen at 30” x 30”.