Name:
Lars Johansson
Qualifications:
BA Fine Art, MA Photography & Urban Cultures |
| Q:
What types of jobs did you do in your past life? |
|
A:
Freelancing fine artist with special interest in Public
Art,
Supervisor at Skånska Lantmœnnen [Grain Silo
Company in Sweden]
Curated ‘Contemplation Room’ Public art exhibition
in Copenhagen
Worked with setting up and organizing ‘Saltfish’
a community film project based in Hackney
Personal mentor for students with special needs
|
| Q:
What experience do you think you gathered from this? |
|
Working
with people, especially with groups of people, not only
nurtured an interest in group dynamics but I also believe
it taught me a great deal of how to successfully work with
people.
|
| Q:
What area are you currently working in? |
| A:
At the moment I’m a part-time student [MA
in Photography & Urban Cultures] as well as working on
a project developing vertical gardens suitable for dense inner
city environments. |
| Q:
What interests you about it? |
|
A:
As my MA is already concerned with this area, it is
a development of my interest in Public Space that has grown
out of my practice as a fine artist. Doing an MA in photography
and Urban Cultures also represents a desire to take a step
towards a wider cultural field and get involved in issues
not just purely relating to the subject of fine art.
As
far as the vertical garden project is concerned, I am interested
in how to turn our contemporary urban centers into more
sustainable environments. I believe in order to do so people
have to get involved in order to get motivated. My hope
is that our vertical gardens will function as one such catalyst
and be a vehicle for discussion about issues regarding the
city and sustainability.
|
| Q:
What aspects of the environment really interest you and why? |
| A:
I come from a place in France that is almost totally natural
in aspect. There is no heavy industry but more cars are appearing
due to good train links and tourism in general. I am naturally
concerned about the detrimental effect this will have on the
environment. |
| Q:
How do you see the environmental agenda progressing in Britain? |
|
A:
How can we develop a more sustainable lifestyle on a collective
level?
What
is it that needs to change?
It
intrigues me to try to understand what it is that makes
us, as a human collective, develop such self-destructive
standards of living that we appear to be destroying the
very basis for our existence here on earth i.e. our environment
|
| Q:
How does your specialist field fit in with the environmental
agenda? |
|
A:
Well I guess it is a small attempt to try to turn our immediate
environment a bit greener and more sustainable.
|
| Q:
What are your other current/continuing interests? |
|
A:
Urban Cultures and Photography. I find sociology and human
interchanges intriguing. Therefore I naturally find it fascinating
to work with people.
|
| Q:
Are there any other subjects/areas that you are just starting
to take an interest in? |
|
A:
At the moment I find very little time for anything outside
the studies and the garden project!
|
| Q:
How do you see your role as a member of HBC? |
|
A:
I believe a well-run organisation can achieve much more
than an individual and I’m more than happy to contribute
all my knowledge to HBC.
|
| Q:
If HBC reaches its stated goals of achieving national training
schemes throughout the UK in the environmental field in the
next couple of years - what role do you see yourself playing
in the organisation at that stage? |
|
A:
If there is any need for people to be running workshops
or other ‘teaching’ positions I would be happy
to contribute with my experience.
|
| Q:
How do you see the environmental agenda progressing in the
UK? |
| A:
Slowly |
| Q:
What sustainable measures do you see finding adoption in the
UK by 2010 and why? |
|
A:
A: I would hope that everybody recognises that we all
have a large part to blame for the environmental disasters
that are occurring almost every month now. The environment
has made itself apparent in a very dramatic fashion and
in a strange way this is a good thing as it has raised environmental
awareness amongst everyone.
I
would hope to see far greater recycling of all types of
waste and I think we shall see fuel cells and biofuel becoming
major sources of power for vehicles. However, I fear that
the government intends to build more nuclear reactors for
domestic power supplies to make the UK independent of foreign
power supplies. In the short term it looks like all utilities
will become more and more expensive for the average citizen.
|
