What is a city?...What is London?...This is something I came to question in my first theory lecture. Who decides what I should see and, more importantly what I shouldn't see when I am exploring this new city that I have inhabited? The theory of 'psychogeography' is basically ignoring the pre-determined map of the city and finding your own way around by using basic senses and feelings. I had never actually thought of this before, but who actually makes up the map of the city and picks out the 'tourist attractions', and why do they leave certain areas and sites out? Official maps seem to govern where tourists go, like in the recent Olympics, and stop us relying on our own senses. There are different ways to experience a city, and in the future I will remember this and try to explore a little and get lost in the city!
"sous le paves, la plage"
beneath the sidewalk; you find the beach
This way of mapping the city helped in my 'Rough Guide' project, where I was to work collaboratively with my classmates and discover certain areas of London, collating my research in the form of a sketchbook. I chose to map the area of Notting Hill in the form of one object, the bicycle. One of the first things I noticed upon moving to London was how many cyclists there are on the road, and how everyone seems to be rushing around from place to place. By documenting the bike statically, I tried to show a sense of calm and peace in this vibrant, energetic city.
I managed to capture this boy cycling past the pretty Portobello buildings...
