Paper short abstract:

Visual artists addressing climate change can be seen to be contributing to the production of a different subjectivity, a new minor literature and paradigm shift. This paper discusses recent contemporary artists’ approaches and my own studio inquiry.

Paper long abstract:

Adopting O'Sullivan's view of contemporary art practice using Deleuze's and Guattari's concepts, visual artists can be seen to be contributing to the production of a different subjectivity and a new minor literature in addressing social and community issues. This minor literature differs from the dominant social paradigm or affective signifying regime. As much visual arts studio based inquiry into climate change is focused on producing something new to mediate the urgency of greenhouse warming, following from this, climate change art may be seen as 'the minor' - with new ethico-aesthetic compositions of affect that pave a way for future paradigm shift. This paper discusses recent contemporary artists' approaches to climate change together with my own approach in contributing to this minor literature. My creative focus is on the impacts of climate change and the social and political barriers to its mitigation with strands of inquiry including: how may the considerable amount of text from climate science and negotiations be addressed and interpreted, and how may a different subjectivity be crystallised within viewers to search within their thought processes and emotional responses, to summon within them a personal response to the work, and some realisation of future implications of climate predictions and impending impacts, and the intergenerational ethics of inaction?