A drift in conversation: Across hierarchies and beyond boundaries

In this article, I situate the concept of conversational drift within a compare and contrast analysis of one of my works, Just a Spoonful (2021) and Helen and Newton Harrisons’ (aka the Harrisons’) artwork, Lagoon Cycle (1974–84). I suggest that conversational drift and, more-widely, posthuman or more-than-human conversations provide a dynamic plurality to practice-based research engaging across hierarchies and disciplinary boundaries to articulate a contemporary art practice in relation to ecology. I develop the concept of conversational drift, reflecting on my practice in the context of environmental and eco-artists, artist collectives, communication and conversation theory, mapping and drift or dérive. In my analysis, I explore the potential of conversational drift – through the nature of conversation and applicability of drift – as a means of evoking meaning and transforming perceptions of the value of soil ecosystems and the impact of industrial agriculture on the land.