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Forever is Composed of Nows: Kelp Forests and Marine Conservation

By Lucy Chapman


Introduction

My name is Lucy Chapman, and today I’ll discuss my project, Forever is Composed of Nows. Inspired by restoration efforts in Sussex’s kelp forests, this work explores the nature and biodiversity still present in the UK and examines our evolving relationship with it.


Background

My journey into the arts is unconventional. I started in neurodiversity, working within educational settings in London, supporting individuals with neurodiversity and physical disabilities. Living with a chronic illness myself has deeply influenced my perspective, sparking an interest in the tension between subjective lived experience and the so-called "objective" view of the world. This tension informs how I approach perceptual diversity and art.


Through personal exploration of chronic illness, I’ve developed a fascination with the pharmacological perspective of human experience—viewing ourselves as embodied beings. Yet, to interpret the world through other life forms, we often rely on culture and storytelling. This is central to my project, inspired in part by Amitav Ghosh’s The Great Derangement. Ghosh argues that artists and cultural creators have a responsibility to imagine alternative ways of being, cultivating possibility rather than despair.


Project Inspiration

The UK ranks among the most nature-depleted nations globally, creating a dangerous narrative of nature as "lost" or "nostalgic." Witnessing a film about Sussex kelp forest restoration, I was awestruck by the majesty of kelp—something I’d previously undervalued. Despite being vital ecosystems, kelp forests are largely hidden, culturally marginalized, and overlooked, partly due to the UK’s limited seaweed traditions.


This inspired me to create a large-scale representation of Laminaria digitata, a kelp species, as a way to convey its grandeur. Collaborating with a Sussex University researcher, I began beachcombing and pressing seaweed, eventually exploring cyanotype techniques to better capture the dynamic beauty of these underwater forests.


Artistic Process

Using cyanotype—a historical photographic method—I translated my explorations into large-scale prints. This process aligned with the immersive and tactile nature of the project, allowing me to depict kelp’s intricate forms and evoke its scale and vitality.

Here’s an image of me next to one of these cyanotypes. Through these works, I aim to bring the hidden world of kelp forests to life and challenge perceptions of what constitutes "nature" in the UK.


Poetic Reflection

The following is a poem I wrote, titled Forest, inspired by a collaborative writing project and Emily Dickinson’s poem 690:


Slapping waves shock the furrowed brows of the shore.

Incessant breezes skim the sea foam, worrying for time ending.


The tides reveal and conceal, bridging two worlds:

fluid, grounding, emerging, submerging.

Beneath the surface, sun shafts meet the ocean floor.

A forest sways in the currents.


Anchored, tenacious, it holds fast against the eddying tides

that whisper around the seabed,

bringing a tangle of life to maturity,

fermenting the future.


A siren calls. Forever is composed of nows,

not a different time,

it is now, and now, and now.

And years exhale into infiniteness.


Discussion Themes

This project has sparked reflections on several themes:

  • Visibility and Invisibility: How do we make the hidden visible? How do shifts in perception reshape our understanding of time, scale, and the environment?

  • Time and Scale: While humans view time through a limited lens, marine life and ecosystems operate on vastly different temporal scales. Understanding these dynamics is both humbling and enlightening.

  • Scientific and Emotional Knowledge: Reconciling empirical knowledge with emotional, spiritual, or artistic insights can lead to more compassionate approaches to environmental change.


Conclusion

Living with illness has taught me the value of stillness and presence. This philosophy underpins my approach to art and the environment. Sometimes, acts of resistance are quiet, focusing on observation and non-invasiveness.


References

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