Barbara Doran Art
SuperOrganism
Superorganism
Superorganism reflects both a pause and shift in the way I made art. After a long stint of working to make a body of art work every year, I encountered artists involved in slow, durational, work. The works were less concerned with documented outputs and more on picking up the qualities embedded in the experience. Some of the artists that inspired me were Marina Ambrovic (especially practices linked to awakening our sensory awareness) Tino Seghal (whose works are never documented and only imparted aurally and through direct physical engagement) and Tehching Hsieh (whose works involved living outside in New York for a year and not making art for 13 years).
Most of the artworks on this website have been explored through my PhD which encompasses both practical and theoretical explorations of a life long inquiry into living as a sensitive inhabitant of our earth or what might otherwise be framed as the art of living. When I finished my PhD, in tandem to wanting to slow down the way I made art, I found myself longing for a liberated space, devoid of institutional constraints, where a deep connection to nature could flourish. This yearning, rooted in childhood fascination with beekeeping, manifested as a gift from my family: a hive. Nestled in a tranquil bush block outside Sydney, Australia, this sanctuary under the unpolluted night sky became my classroom, with the bees as my mentors. I deepened my attunement to the subtle rhythms of the land, from the flowering cycles of native flora to the dance of birds, butterflies, and weather patterns. Through the alchemy of honey, I discovered the rich tapestry of terroir, each comb a testament to the seasonal ebb and flow of life. This communion with the bees opened a kaleidoscopic window, revealing new dimensions of interconnectedness within a shared, living superorganism. Over a period of 10 years, I simplified how I worked -it was healing, transforming and expanding. I played with patterns, scale and formed a performance art collective with others interested in bees, pollination and connection to nature. You can find out more about Superorganism Collective here https://www.superorganisms.info. The bees guided me towards a deeper attention to the senses, illuminating the manifold ways in which we engage with and are moved by the living world. The bees became mythmakers, ecological guides and catalysts for a profound shift in perception—an invitation to re-inhabit the flow of experience with heightened awareness and attunement.The works depicted here include snippets of small works, moments with bees and a culminating series “listening to nature” where my love of scale, the richness of material encounters and the never ending dance of (only just perceivable) macro: micro interactions. And of course, there is mythic layer because - we are myth makers. For me, myth making and cultural shape shifting are our meta, creative play space.
A bit more about the through lines in the way I approach art making.
Central to my practice is EEEMing - a framework synthesizing three decades of artistic exploration and a life steeped in creative sensibility. Rooted in phenomenology, EEEMing embodies a holistic approach to art, weaving together sensory feedback and autoethnographic reflection. It is through this lens that I engage with diverse mediums, from costume design to filmmaking, photography to the intricacies of science labs and more. Each a vessel and portal for narrative exchange and exploration.