WHO IS RAYMOND DUNCAN
Raymond Duncan (1874-1966), one of the brothers of the dancer Isadora Duncan, was an artist and philosopher whose contribution and influence have not yet been fully explored. Among his search for alternatives to the traditional models of creation and education, we are particularly interested in his concept of actionalism as the way in which he was embracing both craft and art practices (weaving, ceramics, sandal making, painting or poetry and dance), united in an on-going dialogue with everyday life and local communities. The revaluation of “doing”, of craftsmanship and the search for understanding the various levels of work as well as the associated appreciation of the minor gesture, as a metaphor for small-scale acts that have a forceful impact, are mottos that we want to guide us in the relationship with territories and local communities.
In great connection with the way Raymond Duncan approached the crafts of gardening and the importance of building and caring for common ground, Permaculture is another conceptual reference in the project. The artistic methodology developed throughout the project will be designed following the Permaculture Principles, willing to bring Duncan’s legacy up to our days.