About the Readings

I did them. I was ready to discuss them in class when they were assigned. It was never clear we needed to write about them as well as read/discuss them.

As such, I don't have the time/energy to revisit them all, re-read them AND then write about them.

I spent about 60 hours on the final project. It consumed me. It consumed my brain. I gave all I had left of me to that project.

Fin.

Outside Event III

I went to MakerFaire 2015. Photos sum it up better than words. The Google Story is a bit more fun than a column of photos placed in this blog. Click the link above.

Life in the Cracks I

Life in the Cracks I is an exploration of relationships within familiar territories seeking to lay bare and make visible that which is often ignored, overlooked or marginalized.

The presence of nature is often highly curated and reconstructed to fit neatly into a rigid and structured system in an urban setting. Wild and unrelenting, nature occupies and resists. It takes hold, renegotiating ownership – taking back the forgotten cracks, crevices, fissures and fractures – of planned space.

Overlooked and dismissed, our perception is shaped by privilege. “Weeds” are a nuisance – an object to be eradicated as they do not fit our construct of aesthetically pleasing and purposeful. We have
collectively forgotten the wisdom and agency of the plant world.

Life in the Cracks I seeks to shift the narrative by creating a mechanism to negotiate and navigate
resistance in the programmed world.

Final Paper

What is a map? Asking this question will generate as many different responses as the number of people you ask. Maps hold a myriad of meanings that vary based upon the context of the question. Maps allow us to define ourselves, our allegiances, our histories and our future.

While the word map evokes ideas of travel, place, space and physicality, we also use “maps” to guide us through our daily lives – agendas, calendars, to do lists, mind maps, syllabi – these are all maps that guide us to some sort of destination. 

Even looking at the definition of the word map in the dictionary creates a vague understanding of what a map is. Again, context is key in understanding the notion of a map. Is it being used as a noun or a verb? Is it being used to define territory or define our day? In this context, just looking at the definition of the word map, it seems as though the word really has no concrete meaning. This is interesting considering the general acceptance of maps to define and guide. The context of the use is largely equivalent to the meaning of the word itself. 

In The New Nature of Maps, J.B. Harley asks the question “What is a map?” Again, we are faced with varying answers based upon to whom the question is posed. On one end of the spectrum we have the view that “the nature of maps is that they are a mirror, a graphic representation, of some aspect of the real world.” (Harley), but when asking a historian the same question bears the answer leans toward “a social construction of the world expressed through the medium of cartography.” (Harley)

More interestingly, Harley contends that cartography is an art of persuasion. When we look at what maps convey to the user, this is a plausible contention. Again, context is key. While we look at maps as being scientific, factual and accurate means of communicating data, ultimately we need to look at who has made the map and who has commissioned said map. Historically (and concurrently) maps have been used to exert authority, power and legitimize rule. Maps mark territory – be it literal or figurative. “Maps redescribe the world – like any other document – in terms of relations of power and cultural practices, preferences and priorities.” (Harley) In A History of the World in Twelve Maps, Jerry Brotton rightly proclaims “The world is always changing, and so are maps.” Considering the power constructs that maps often represent, this is a very accurate statement. 

Keeping these ideas of authority, power and rule in mind, we must change how we perceive maps. They are not coldly scientific, unbiased factual records as we often treat them. Harley posits that maps are “images of the world, maps are never neutral or value free or ever completely scientific.” In looking at the historical context (and current context), cartographers were (and are) the means to an end for the person or entity commissioning the work. The system in which maps are made is not dissimilar from the patron/artist construct we have seen through the ages. In considering this relationship, one can make the connection between the desires of the patron and the message of the maps made. 

In one context, maps tell us where to go. They guide us to our destination and orient us in unfamiliar territory. In another context, those same boundaries and borders tell us where not to venture. In the history of mapping, there has been a variety of ways to delineate boundaries and borders, the known from the unknown. We make assumptions that are influenced by our world view, but we can never be certain as to the true intention of the map as intended by its commissioner. Borders become fluid and ever changing. They are open for interpretation and disagreement. Conflict is common based upon the interpretation of borders. Simon Garfield illustrates this with the recounting of Google’s attempt to map the world. “As it becomes more powerful, Google finds that it encounters obstacles it never anticipated, often geopolitical and social ones that seldom detained mappers with empire-building intent in centuries past… When the Nicaraguans invaded Costa Rica, they blamed Google Maps for doing it because our borders weren’t right.”

Taking this information into consideration along with preconceived notions of what a map is, there are now more questions than answers shaping my view of maps. Never had I considered maps to be anything other than a factual and accurate representation of the physical world. Overall, the course of this semester helped shape how I view maps. Instead of something concrete and scientific, maps are far more fluid than I had previously thought. Additionally, maps were put into perspective as a system of classification of non-spatial data. While I still may have a bit of trouble conceptualizing mapping as art, it is now a more readily available tool for analysis. Maps are all around us and it is our responsibility to interpret them objectively and questioningly. 

Works Cited

Brotton, Jerry. A History of the World in Twelve Maps. London: Allen Lane, 2012.

Garfield, Simon. On The Map. New York: Gotham Books, 2013.

Harley, J.B. The New Nature of Maps. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 2001.

Project Progress

This project took a few turns along the way. I originally started with the idea of mapping my fridge - watching how it changes from day to day. But after realizing how gross my fridge really is (and the seeming inability to throw things out in my house), I questioned that idea.

Then I started a map of my block (the space between 5th Street, 6th Street, Harrison Street and Folsom Street). We all have fear lingering in the backs of our minds that our landlord will decide to take advantage of the ridiculous real estate market and sell forcing us out. I thought about mapping the property values and the single residences that have been torn down to make room for multi story buildings.

A slow walk with my dog made me realize how much life is lived in the cracks of my neighborhood.

Life abounds in even the most derelict environments. My sidewalks and all the cracks between the buildings, curbs and fences are filled with life. It is life that many people dismiss as "weeds" but almost all plants have purpose. In some ways, I have started to see the plants as metaphor for the people as well  that dwell in the cracks - we all have purpose, even when it's not obvious.

I grabbed my camera and set out to take photos, but there is no good angle to photograph from. I normally don't hesitate to lay on the ground to capture a photo, but in a neighborhood coated with soot, grime, urine and feces, I wasn't quite ready to drop to the ground.

The first hurdle was how to identify the plants. There are a few plant identification apps but they involved uploading an image and waiting for someone somewhere to identify the plant and send you a message. Given the time constraints for this project, that wasn't going to work.

Next I tried using Google Image search... Yeah. That didn't work. It analyzed the whole image and found similar images but none of that helped identify the plants themselves.

Next I hit a list of "weeds" in San Francisco. Jackpot.
Cal-IPC
California Native Plants
CA Wildflowers - Wikipedia

There were a few other sites as well. I spent about 20 hours visually identifying the plants from the photos I had taken. I was able to identify 14, but there were quite a few more living in the cracks. In all likelihood, this project could be a full time job for months on end just trying to identify the numerous plants that populate a single block.

I had already created the map, but hadn't been sure how to visualize what I was recording. The photos weren't what I wanted. It felt slap dashed together and it was more of a visualization for a proposal than an actual project I was going to want to have printed and show.

Enter the paintings. I don't normally paint. But I love botanical illustrations more than anything and many of them are done in watercolor. I hate painting. I hate cleaning up. It's so messy. I often end up having a reaction to paint if it gets on my hands. It's just NOT fun for me.

But I have a Wacom Tablet. I have Corel Painter 11 (and now Corel Painter 2015) and it is the most amazing thing ever. Pressure sensitive brush control. A variety of media to choose from. I used to use it for rendering in some digital design classes and hadn't used it due to the lack of digital work done at SFSU and lack of time!

Final Project Ideation

Mapping intimate spaces...

First we have to ask what is "intimate"? Is it a personal space that is yours alone? Can it be a public space that you have made your own? How do we as individuals define intimacy?

Let's take a look at the meaning of the word....

²intimate

adjective in·ti·mate \ˈin-tə-mət\

: having a very close relationship : very warm and friendly

: very personal or private

: involving sex or sexual relations

Full Definition of INTIMATE

1

a :  intrinsic, essential

b :  belonging to or characterizing one's deepest nature

2

:  marked by very close association, contact, or familiarity <intimateknowledge of the law>

3

a :  marked by a warm friendship developing through long association<intimate friends>

b :  suggesting informal warmth or privacy <intimate clubs>

4

:  of a very personal or private nature <intimate secrets>

Given the nature of the word, this assignment could take any direction.

My first thought was to map my fridge. It's a space in my home that no one considers other than myself (because I can never find space for food since it's often filled with beer). It's a place that people stick things in, often never to think of them again. (I end up clearing out the fridge because no one else can be bothered to throw out their leftovers.. We often have things sitting in there for months that should be long gone.)

I went home from class and started creating my strategy for this project. I spent a good hour inventorying the freezer (which is the emptiest part).... and photographing the freezer.

I was using the Out of Milk app in hopes to speed up the process, but it was still slow going. I was scanning the barcodes but not every item can be scanned.

I moved on to the fridge, but after an hour with the door alone, I started to reconsider the project. I've been taking photos of the fridge and freezer 2x a day since Wednesday, but I am not feeling a connection with the project on the whole.

I went on a walk today with my dog and she was limping along. It was the slowest walk ever, as she hobbled along and decided to lay on the ground. As I was looking at the ground trying to get her up, I started to notice the plants that take hold in the smallest nooks with the tiniest amounts of dirt possible.

I am going to create a map of my block using google earth and mark the spots where I find plants growing. I will then use Illustrator to create an illustrated map of my block's botany.

I don't try to hide the fact I don't like San Francisco. There isn't really much that makes me appreciate the city. But sometimes when I slow down and notice the little things like flowers blooming in the squalor, it makes it a bit more bearable.

Outside Event 2 - Picture Puzzle Pattern Door @ YBCA

Thursday was Third Thursdays at Yerba Buena, which also was ConVerge at the Gallery. An evening of free admission to the YBCA galleries and performances.

I didn't have enough notice to share to the class (sorry), but I happened upon it using Google FieldTrip - If you still haven't checked it out, do it. It helps you find stuff in your area you may not otherwise know about. :) 

Shanna Moulton's Picture Puzzle Pattern Door is an interdisciplinary installation that features audio, video, collage and interactive installations. 

I wasn't able to stay for the live performances, but I did make my way through the galleries. 

My favorite part of the installation was MentalWave SitPlace, a round seating area that featured the ThoughtStream USB Personal Biofeedback Unit. The participant uses the biofeedback unit to relax using tones and galvanic response registered by a hand sensor. I spent a while there and sort of want to get one myself. 

A lot of the other work was collage from magazine and collections of items as well as a gallery that played 4 videos simultaneously. 

The videos used a lot of green screen to allow the artist to place her self in different scenes. Much of the work had New Age and self actualization undertones but also felt sort of cheesy in a 1980's low budget way.