Osborne’s “Reclamation” exhibit offers a hopeful vision of humanity and the future of the planet

Q: Why is it important to show Claim at CSU?

A: CSU is well known for its research, teaching and management practices focused on the environment and sustainability. The School for Global Environmental Sustainability is a prime example. Often the focus of this research and teaching lies in the STEM fields, but I think it’s extremely important to highlight the work being done by some of the highest caliber cultural practitioners in the arts. I think this exhibit has so much to offer all disciplines at CSU, and I hope our entire community can benefit from the exhibit and all that it has to teach us.

Q: Is your own artwork included in Extraction?

A: My own work has been highlighted in several of the Extraction publications, and of course on the website. I will also be working in a large investigative exhibition this fall at the Phoenix Art Museum titled Mining Landscapes: The Art of Mining in the American West [on view Nov. 7, 2021 – March 6, 2022].

Q: Recovery and Extraction are inherently collaborative, as are some of the works in the exhibition. What can we learn from artistic collaboration, and how can we apply this to issues such as resource extraction and climate change?

A: There is a history of artists collaborating with other artists and of scientists collaborating with scientists, but it is only in the last decade or so that the interdisciplinary collaboration between the humanities and the sciences has emerged. is installed. I think this is happening because we now realize that in order to truly find and implement solutions to the very large and complex problems facing our planet, we need to act collectively – using expert knowledge from all disciplines. You see examples of what is happening in Claim where John Sabraw (artist) and Guy Riefler (engineer) work together to turn Acid Mine Drainage into paint pigment, or where Ecosexuals bring activists, scientists, policymakers and the public together in their performances. In doing so, the impact and scope of the work they all do is much greater.

Q: What do you hope visitors take away from this exhibition?

A: I really want people to come out of this exhibition feeling like there IS a future, and that we, as human beings, can either choose to be a part of it or continue as we are, ultimately eliminating ourselves from history.