The phenomenon of shifting baselines is an idea first described by fisheries biologist Daniel Pauly, and it refers to the way that each generation sets a baseline for itself of what it considers ecologically normal, and then develops relationships with the natural world starting from there. It's easy to see how successive generations would adjust their baselines lower and lower as the ravages of capitalism transform and diminish the ecological contexts that we inhabit. How can we fight back against this? We have to build hard baselines into the imaginations of young people, and help them see the deep and recent past with clear and open eyes. We have to help them refuse the inevitability of ecological destruction, and help them demand a living world from those in power- to build within its limits and fight to maintain its integrity for all our relatives. This print is a gesture towards the visible evocation of that idea.
Please note: the two split fountain layers of ink that combine to create this image show some variation- this is a natural part of the printmaking process, which in this case is entirely produced by hand. The image you receive may not precisely resemble the image shown here, but will be very close. The print is made on a heavyweight navy-blue printmaking paper from French Paper Mills in Michigan.
