Seedlings!

For this project, my aim is also to locally as much as possible - and you can't get more local than your own backyard garden. A few weeks ago, I planted some seeds, and here are the early starts.

Beets:



Sweet corn:



Spinach:



Broccoli:



Over the past year, I've also experimented with re-growing plants from their bases, such as celery:



Which ends up like this:



There are instructions here on how to do this. Be aware it's a very slow process, and that celery needs a lot of water.

Indulgences

I was at Southern Exposure earlier this week for a meeting, and ended up telling folks there about this project. One interesting thing that was pointed out to me by Dave was that, if he were to become a shareholder, he could call himself a vegan while continuing to eat animal products. He would just be paying someone to eat vegan for him. As the purchased vegan in question, I hadn't considered this viewpoint yet.

Which brought to mind the idea of indulgences - the original meaning of the word. I'm not a Catholic, and although I think they were supposed to be more than "get out of hell free" cards, they basically were transactions of absolution.

Which is absurd - and also brings to question, is it really forgiveness/absolution if a person has to purchase it? Shouldn't something like that be freely given? And if it's not freely given, is it authentic?

Which brings me to carbon credits. Some environmentalists have criticized the idea of carbon offset dealing, because they feel it commodofies nature and things that should be free to all living things (ie. the atmosphere and temperature of the planet). Today I'm wondering if they, along with eating organic food, are the 21st Century version of indulgences.

Basically, it could suggest that as the vegan for sale, I am being paid to do good deeds in someone else's name.

Initial Public Offering

Please click on the image to see the larger version.


Friends:


The undersigned, Chief Executive Officer, Chairwoman of the Board, director and shareholder of Carbon Corpus LLC (the “Company”), which takes corporeal form in the body of Michelle Wilson, in consideration of global warming, underwrites this initial public offering of the securities of the Company (“IPO”) and embarking on the IPO process, hereby agrees that, subject only to consummation of the IPO, the undersigned shall comply with each of the following covenants and agreements.

1.The Company exclusively surrenders all animal-based carbon credits to purchaser, and shall eat an exclusively vegan diet for the amount of time purchased.
2.The minimum period of purchased time is one week.
3.A week is defined as a seven-day allotment.
4.During the IPO period, the value of one week of corporeal carbon offset is $50.


By purchasing a share in Carbon Corpus, the purchaser (the “Patron”), will henceforth become a shareholder upon receipt of payment. The Patron will receive a certificate as authentication of this agreement.

This letter agreement shall be governed by and construed and enforced in accordance with the laws of the State of California, without giving effect to conflicts of law principles that would result in the application of the substantive laws of another jurisdiction.


Michelle Wilson
Carbon Corpus CEO

If interested in becoming a shareholder, please contact the artist at michelle(at)michellewilsonprojects(dot)com.

Carbon Cube

In January, this project will be featured in the Wilson Gallery (no relation) at Moore College of Art and Design, as part of the exhibition, Beyond... Moore is my undergraduate alma mater, and the opportunity to launch this project there is a great honor.

As part of the exhibition, I've proposed to build the structure diagrammed above. It will be a cube built of PVC pipe, measuring 8.5x8.5x8.5 feet. It equals the space that 35 kilograms of CO2 takes up it the atmosphere. That amount is the amount of carbon dioxide that is prevented from being released in one week of vegan eating, according to this study.

The cube will be in the gallery space, and visitors will be able to walk around, into, and through it to understand how much carbon dioxide would be saved. The piece is a visual reference to Christophe Cornubert's piece in Copenhagen, although mine emphasizes what can be prevented through changes in diet.

I'm not sure seeing how much can be saved will convince a dedicated meat eater to change. But I hope it will open up some dialogue. It remains to be seen in January!