SOFT LAUNCH:
An Exopoetics of the Crop Circle Phenomenon
Emil McAvoy
2022
Soft Launch is artist Emil McAvoy's pilgrimage to the epicentre of 'crop circle country' in Wiltshire, UK, embedding himself in communities and subcultures of crop circle makers, researchers, enthusiasts, tourists and locals.
His suite of photographs document the complex and layered landscapes in which this allegedly paranormal or supernatural phenomenon occurs – a UNESCO World Heritage Site featuring Stonehenge, Avebury Stone Circle, Silbury Hill, ancient burial grounds, chalk figures carved into the hillsides, military training grounds and swathes of high-yield farmland.
The term 'exopoetics' refers to the idea that this unique region is witness to a test site for extraterrestrial communication – imagined or real – soft launching zones for poetic extraterrestrial exchange on Earth and hidden in plain sight.
Essay by Dr. Chelsea Nichols, Senior Curator, The Dowse Art Museum.
Photobook published by PUFF PIECE x Bad News Books
Distributed by Bad News Books
Associated exhibition at PHOTO OP.
50 pages
24 plates
Soft cover with UV over-gloss, perfect bound
250 x 200mm
Edition of 100
Standard edition NZ$55
Special edition with print $155
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