Art & Science: Expressions of Penikese Island
How were we inspired by the Penikese Island Experience?
The time that our class spent on Penikese Island was inspirational for each of us in many ways. As individuals, we all have different creative outlets, and we were able to explore each of them in the context of the natural beauty surrounding us. One of our Animate Landscapes course responsibilities was to keep a nature journal throughout the semester, and each of us continued this practice while on the island. Some of us are musicians, some of us are artists, and all of us have become writers. We invite you to take a look at all of our work, and through it, you see a glimpse of the stunning landscape we were inspired by.
Writing, Art, Music & Science
Writing
Every student was responsible for keeping a nature journal throughout the time on the island. As a way to creatively synthesize our literary interpretations, we decided to take fragments from multiple entries and combine them into a cohesive poem. This piece is written from the journals of Natalie, Brooks, Beatrix, Maddie, Miles, and Preston.
Music & Sound
Our experiences at Penikese prompted a number of creative responses and reflections in the sonic realm. The following section is composed of field recordings, a soundscape composition, and an original song. We hope this work provides unique auditory insights into our experience on the island.
Science
Our reflections on our time spent on Penikese would be incomplete without examining our developing relationships with the island’s ecological and environmental systems. These relationships appeared in almost every activity, including labor, seminars, and leisure. Within this section, we consider some of the elements of our time on Penikese through a scientific lens, thinking about how we interact with our environment and how this fuels our desire to know and understand it through science.
