Jean-Thomas Tremblay

Jean-Thomas Tremblay, an Assistant Professor of Environmental Humanities at York University, dives into his thought-provoking book, Breathing Aesthetics. He discusses how breathing connects large-scale politics to personal experiences, scrutinizing the crisis of polluted and commodified air since the 1970s. Tremblay critiques therapeutic breathing trends, proposing that art can serve as a resistance to respiratory hazards. He highlights works by artists like Ana Mendieta and Renee Gladman, envisioning breathing as a cultural and environmental survival strategy.

Jean-Thomas Tremblay, an Assistant Professor of Environmental Humanities at York University, explores the complex relationship between breathing and politics in his book, Breathing Aesthetics. He discusses how difficult breathing represents the uneven risks from pollution and capitalism. Tremblay critiques commercialized breathing therapies, highlighting minoritarian artistic practices as political responses. He connects wildfire smoke with sociality and introduces concepts like 'benign respiratory variation' as an alternative to rights-based views. Upcoming projects preview cinema of extinction and non-managerial environmentalism.