Welcome to “Natural Succession”

This is the first entry of a brand-new blog to track and record the work of artist Kerry Morrison during the Liverpool Independents Biennial.

Within the Independents programme, Kerry will undertake the challenging task of locating and mapping Brownfield sites within selected areas of Liverpool starting with Woolton, the City Centre, and along the Mersey from John Lennon Airport through to Canada Dock.

“A Brownfield site is any land or premises which has previously been used or developed and is not currently fully in use, although it may be partially occupied or utilized. It may also be vacant, derelict, or contaminated” (Journal of Environmental Planning Jan. 2000)

This is a process led art and ecology project initiated by Kerry Morrison and botanist Dr Alicia Prowse. The aim is to flag up the ecological and aesthetic value of urban wastelands and examine the intrinsic value of these neglected, maligned areas to those who visit, pass through, or use them.

Left unattended, wasteland sites become reclaimed by nature, and as unmanaged sites, natural succession is the deciding factor in what does or does not survive on the land. A lack of human interference and applied judgement values:

e.g. Native Species = Good, and Non Native (alien) Species = BAD,

can result in cosmopolitan landscapes comprising of indigenous and non-native species. Alive with vibrant and diverse wildlife, could these biodiverse Brownfield ecosystems be more accurately described as ‘Greenfield’ sites?

To reduce the carbon footprint of the project, Kerry will navigate the streets of Liverpool on her bike. Sites in over 4 square miles of the city will be flagged up, and using a combination of artistic and scientific evaluation techniques, these least cherished landscapes will be mapped and graded for their potential value for experiencing wildlife.

After each day of cycling, the results will be exhibited at:

The Outhouse, off Menlove Avenue, Woolton,

Liverpool 25.

www.wooltonouthouse.co.uk/

For further information about The Outhouse visit www.axisweb.org/pbCOMM.aspx?SID=15821

Kerry will also write an anecdotal diary account of her daily experiences, observations and encounters. These will be posted on this blog.

Please read, follow, and add your comments.

Morrison and Prowse have been working in collaboration for 4 years. To find out more about their work visit

(www.morrison-prowse.com/)