The Practicing Landscape Field Guide series has emerged from the online seminar series run by Reading Landscape in 2021-22, under the overarching title, Landscapes of Energy and Extraction.

In the first seminar in the series, Justin Carter and Onya McCausland were in conversation with geographer, Dr Danny McNally about their recent projects involving material extracted from the landscape. Dr Frances Robertson acted as a respondent for the session and an expansion of the content of each of their contributions is published as Field Guide No. 3 – Landscapes of Energy and Extraction: Material Agency and Meaning.

Avoiding the traditional monologic approach to presenting work, Justin and Onya built a shared dialogue framed by a small selection of relevant images used as way-finders. In keeping with their respective practices, their conversation was open and fluid, allowing ideas to emerge through conversation and exchange. This publication extends that approach, beyond the confines of the seminar, to explore various modes of engaging with materials as active agents within their art making processes.