ECOTROPIC WORKS
Ecotropics (from Eco–Hearth and tropic–to turn towards.) Our words, ecology, economy, heliotropic, and psychotropic are derived from these roots. The philosophy holds that human culture is a coherence of connected and nested sets and to be healthy must exist in an ecological niche—relating appropriately with all the other coherences and fields of forces of nature, organic and inorganic, through which it lives and participates.
Thought you might like to look at a source for this movement. Here’s a PDF of the essay by John Campion and John Herndon, Toward an Ecotropic Poetry (1990 Eco-Tropic Books, Austin TX). At the time, this manifesto was sent to hundreds of poets across the world and received some critical notice for its timeliness and sense of drama. Keep in mind that this essay reflects an early beginning. Ecotropics has evolved now more toward discovering an ecology of language and relation and seeking ways of putting the work nto practice
Text, watercolors, ink, metal flakes, cut paper, foil, seeds, etc, on home made paper
As it seeks to heal the fracture between art and science, Ecotropics approaches the problem of the environment from a human cultural perspective. It represents the ongoing effort to create a unified field for humanity to live well within the wide, but limited, scope of nature.
Ecotropics brings a multi-disciplinary approach to exploring all aspects of the relationship[s] between culture and ecology, art and the environment. It offers an alternative to repressive manifestations of human spirit and ethics.
Ecotropics insists on real dialogue on all these points. Ecotropics is interested in form and understands it as “the shape of content.”
Ecotropic Works (founded by John Campion) is part of a non-profit, tax-exempt organization, The Open Theatre (Federal identification number 74-2164362). Please consider sending a tax-deductible donation to the address listed at the bottom of the page under the sub tab: How to buy Books, etc. We work very hard to see that as much money as possible goes to real projects and real people.
ECOTROPIC WORKS (An anthology of Ecotropic Works) is now out of print. The anthology was a deeply inwoven work of carefully related Essays, Photographs, Poems, Drawings: It included works by T.J. Mabrey, John Campion, John Herndon, John Christian, William Sullivan, Ken Fontenot, Solveig Turpin, David G. Robinson, Jay Peck, Paul Christensen, Vandana Shiva, Peggy Kelley, Mario Zuniga, Mel Kenne, Lynn Margulis, Robert Bonazzi, Theodore Roszak, Rachel Loden, Philip Trussell, and Steven Feld.
We hope in the near future to bring this remarkable anthology back into print.
[Sorry–not yet available].
Other Campion Books Published by Ecotropic Works
Look in the JOHN CAMPION MENU under the Sub Tab: How to Purchase Books to find this information.