Typography Brandon Grotesque, 2013 Brandon Text, 2010 Designed by Hannes von Döhren
Book Content and Design by Kimberly Kavita Goes MA Graphic Design London College of Communication University of the Arts London
Papers by G. F. Smith Printed at F. E. Burman London, United Kingdom
©Kimberly Goes All rights reserved No part of the publication may be reproduced or transmitted— without prior written permission
To the Explorer,
The Urban Explorer / Foreword
FOREWORD
When was the last time you watched the sunrise?
Journeys.
There’s something enigmatic about the very concept of a journey. From fleeting thoughts to momentary reflections, it evokes a multitude of emotions. Its mystification lies in its transitions, its ability to create a space in time. A space where one has the freedom to do and feel as one pleases. We embark on different journeys in life; metaphorically and physically. A walk to the bus stop at the end of a dull day; a four hour train ride to a weekend getaway; a constantly evolving journey to realise our goals. A transition through melancholy, excitement and uncertainty. Each journey functions as a process and from some a learning emanates. I’ve always been drawn to journeys, to these momentary transitions. I believe it’s in this space we often find ourselves. These scattered fragments brought together as a whole.
04
The Urban Explorer / Foreword
'Every story is a travel story— a spatial practice.' Michel De Certeau
In this day and age, however, the authenticity of the journey has been lost somewhere along the line. It’s unreasonable to exclusively put the blame on external factors. Consumed as we are with our schedules, the journey now functions as a space to pre-live in what lies ahead. We plan our conversations and more often than not are on the edge of our seat, waiting almost eagerly to step out of this transitionary phase. It’s a rat race and let’s admit—no one likes to be the last in line. I’d like to stop at this point though and make clear, ‘This is not a generalisation.’
The children of the fast paced urban city culture. Those constantly seeking an escape from the monotony surrounding everyday life. The escapists. The ones who believe the grass is greener on the other side. The pessimists.
There exist people who still value the very idea of a journey, those who live in the moment—or so I would like to believe. Those who take the time, to observe with an avid curiosity the environment we are surrounded by. This book may not be for them. It’s for people like me, who have been lost somewhere along the line.
Embarking on a journey of my own into determining a destination is when this book unknowingly began to take form. As a practicing Graphic Designer over the last couple of years, I belonged to the vast majority of people who live by the very idea of a final outcome. Nothing preceding it was of any importance to me. As long as I was where I should have been; the journey was of no significance. And although I’ve always had a strong affinity to journeys [of both kind], those connections were then invisible to my eye.
The drifters.
I initiated my research with
the subject of writing and what followed were leaps; some big, some small. My thoughts progressed from writing to travel writing, from travelogues to journeys and then led on to a fascinating discovery of psychogeography. Moving back and forth, constantly struck by ideas, I struggled to find the end, the destination. Only to realise much later, the destination was the journey. Unfazed by the outcome, I have taken it upon myself to share this journey. In a way then; this book is not about the results, the outcome or the destination; it’s a mere reflection on the very concept of a journey. To trace back the authenticity of the journey; to provoke a sense of place.
06
'It is on a day like this one,
that something is wrong,
a little later,
that, without mincing words,
a little earlier,
you don’t know how to live,
that you discover, without surprise,
that you will never know.' Georges Perec
S EC T I O N O N E / R E F L EC T I O N
S EC T I O N T WO / AC T I O N
CHAPTER ONE
C H A P T E R FI V E
P EO P L E & P L AC E S
SET TING OUT ON THE JOURNEY
C H A P T E R T WO ESCAPISM IN THE URBAN CIT Y
CHAPTER THREE
CHAPTER SIX
E X P LO R E & D I S COV E R
THE TRIGGERS
O B S E R V E & D O CU M E N T
CHAPTER FOUR P S YC H O G EO G R A P H Y & T H E E X P LO R E R
SEC TION 1
REFLECTION 'Within the word we find two dimensions, reflection & action, in such radical interaction that if one is sacrificed—even in part— the other immediately suffers.' Paulo Freire
SEC TION 1
Need an adventure?
REFLEC TION
PEOPLE & PL ACES
CHAPTER ONE
'But it is not for the people we crave; it is for the place. That keeps its magic; so strong that it seems to send shocks across the water.' Virginia Woolf
The Urban Explorer / People and Places
From the deep blue night sky, to the sound of the ocean waves hitting against the shore; right up to a long and winding road, every aspect that draws us to a place leaves us with a memory, a relationship to hold on to. In ‘A Spell of the Sensuous’, the author David Abram states, ‘And from all of these relationships our collective sensibilities were nourished.' We discover a sense of place.
These sensibilities can be traced back to much earlier times when man wandered from place to place to sustain himself. It was through this very act of exploration, we evolved. All the same, an unsatisfying need for development eventually led to us creating and choosing our own place. A place in which we could establish our individual identities. We began to crave stability.
This desire for stability could also be attributed to the memories we associate with a place. Drenched in our subjective experience, these memories represent the stability we hold on to. Consequently, our choice of place is largely influenced by a behavioural impact a particular place has on us. Although, somewhere along this chosen path, the value of the relationship we share with a place has started diminishing.
'We need a new story about our place in the scheme of things.' Peter Reason
'Each place its own mind, its own psyche...
Each sky its own blue.' David Abram
'We are not just who and what we are.
Place works on us just as do events and people,
We are shaped by where we are.
and we become—or have the capacity to become— different people in different settings.' Michael Mewshaw
SEC TION 1 REFLEC TION
ESCAPISM IN THE URBAN CIT Y
C H A P T E R T WO
At this very moment, where would you like to escape to?
Jenny Price
'We like to say we're disconnected—but really, we just see our connections less.'
The Urban Explorer / Escapism in the Urban City
What colour would you associate your city with?
We live in an era where development is a key attribute to the urban city. We are progressing rapidly, however, this progress is a hindrance to the relationship we share with the city. In this fast paced urban culture, we are consumed by an unending list of tasks, and schedules take up our day. And at the end of the day, we can’t help but plan the next and then the one after. The lists go on and on. And every once in a while, this monotony we associate with everyday life takes a toll on us. We long for an alternative. A parallel world, maybe? A desire to escape takes over us. This stream of thought often leads us to vacations. A weekend out of town, a getaway to a far off destination, ‘vacations’ are what we eventually fall back on. It being a tried and tested method of self-rejuvenation, when we utter words like
‘I need a break’, what immediately follows is
‘Why don’t you take a vacation?’ Although we can acknowledge the subsequent transformation from each of these vacations, what it has ultimately resulted in is the lack of thought in determining the underlying reason why most of us choose to travel. In accepting this ‘stamped’ mode of escape; we now swear by, we are yet to find a solution to tackle the root cause of the urge to escape the city.
28
Italo Calvino
and everything conceals something else.'
their perspectives deceitful,
their rules are absurd,
even if the thread of their discourse is secret,
are made of desires and fears,
like dreams,
'Cities,
'For what is the use of the most astonishing technical inventions that the world now finds at its disposal
if the conditions for deriving benefit from them are lacking, they contribute nothing to leisure,
and the imagination defaults?' John Shepley
SEC TION 1 REFLEC TION
E XPLORE & DISCOVER OBSERVE & DOCUMENT
CHAPTER THREE
'Discovery is what happens when the universe helps you encounter something you didn’t even know you were looking for.' Seth Godin
The Urban Explorer / Explore & Discover, Observe & Document
E X P L O R E & D I S COV E R Explore, verb Travel through [an unfamiliar area] in order to learn about it Search for resources Inquire into or discuss [a subject] in detail Examine or evaluate [an option or possibility] Explorer, noun A person who explores a new or unfamiliar area Travel, verb Journey along [a road] or through [a region]
One would assume a close similarity between the words ‘explore’ and ‘travel’. And this correlation did exist during the earlier times. Although, the degree of correlation between these terms has moved further and further away over the passage of time. Mainly owing to the development of tourism and technology, an explorer today unquestionably is a traveller, but not all travellers are intrigued by the idea of exploring.
Very rarely do we find the time to stop and stare; to wonder and wander; to explore and discover all that surrounds us. In this way, travelling to an unfamiliar destination helps us discover all that we have grown accustomed to in our daily surroundings. Our senses are reawakened. It almost is easier to explore and discover in an unfamiliar territory. The idea, then, is to be able to implement this heightened awareness and curiosity to everyday life. And, this is where we need to begin.
[Of an object or radiation] move, typically in a constant or predictable way
38
If you could teleport to any place on earth, where would you go? The Urban Explorer / Explore & Discover, Observe & Document
O B S E R V E & D O CU M E N T Applying a travel-like state to the urban surroundings would undoubtedly be difficult to begin with. How can we achieve this state without ever having to leave the city? This is possibly where the concept of a journal or a sketchbook takes form.
Jennifer New in ‘Drawing from Life - The journal as Art’ asserts, ‘Observation and reflection are the primary kernels of nearly every [visual] journal.’ Almost every writer or creative soul that ever existed would swear by the very practice of journal keeping. A journal is the practiced space within the place. A hauntingly beautiful space demanding to be filled. It is in the journal; an exploration or discovery begins to take form. The journal helps us look more closely at a subject and in doing so, it reveals often overlooked connections. It represents the beginning of a journey or the starting point of a budding idea. This very representation that knows no end, criticism or failure is the reason why journals are held so close to one’s heart.
40
'At every instant, there is more than the eye can see,
more than the ear can hear,
a setting or a view waiting to be explored.
Nothing is experienced by itself, but always in relation to its surroundings,
the sequences of events leading up to it, the memory of past experiences.' Kevin Lynch
SEC TION 1 REFLEC TION
P S YC H O G E O G R A P H Y & THE EXPLORER
CHAPTER FOUR
If you were to create an imaginative city, what would you name it?
'Spatial storytelling explores the territories between public and private, between past and future, between real and imagined, but most importantly between space and subjectivity.' Seth Godin
The Urban Explorer / Psychogeography & the Explorer
THE ORIGIN OF PSYCHOGEOGRAPHY
THE DEFINITION OF PSYCHOGEOGRAPHY
As a term, psychogeography originated during the 1950’s, in the works of avant-garde artists and theorists belonging to the Lettrist International; a group which later transformed into the Situationist International. Psychogeography broadly encompassed the idea of wandering in the urban environment while simultaneously rediscovering spaces based on the behavioural response it would generate. Through this transformative period; it evolved substantially as a concept, more often than not, associated with literary movements and political radicalism.
It was Guy Debord, a key figure of the Situationist International, who provided the first definition to psychogeography in his essay ‘Introduction to a Critique of Urban Geography’. In it he stated, psychogeography is ‘the study of the effects of the geographical environment, consciously organised or not, on the emotions and behaviour of individuals’. And in broad terms, psychogeography is, as the name suggests, the point at which psychology and geography collide, a means of exploring the behavioural impact of urban place. 1 To put it simply, it’s main purpose through changing times has been to overcome the monotony we associate with everyday city life.
1. Coverley, M. [2007] Psychogeography, United Kingdom: Pocket Essentials, p. 10
48
The Urban Explorer / Psychogeography & the Explorer
Since then, psychogeography has transformed through a constantly shifting series of interwoven ideas and traditions. From the act of walking and strolling to the concepts of dérive and detournement; from a mental traveller to a flaneur; from surrealism to unitary urbanism, psychogeography has evolved considerably. Moulding itself through these definitions and themes is what particularly forms part of the enchanting appeal of the concept; psychogeography.
WALKING IN THE CIT Y
THE DÉRIVE
The most prominent feature of psychogeography; the act of walking challenges the very nature of an urban city which predominantly functions through its established transportation routes and mechanisms.
If walking is the primary feature of psychogeography, the dérive constitutes its foundation.
In search of new ways to apprehend the urban environment, walking undoubtedly serves the purpose. It’s through this very act of walking and observation, one begins to awaken the senses to often overlooked facets of the urban city. And in doing so, this act blows off the dust covering the mystery of the everyday city.
In 1958, in an essay titled 'Theory of the Dérive', Guy Debord wrote: 'The practice of the dérive [literally: 'drifting'] is a technique of rapid passage through varied ambiances. Dérives involve playful-constructive behaviour and awareness of psychogeographical effects, and are thus quite different from the classic notions of a journey or a stroll. In a dérive one or more persons during a certain period drop their relations, their work and leisure activities, and all their other usual motives for movement and action, and let themselves be drawn by the attractions of the terrain and the encounters they find there. Chance is a less important factor in this activity than one might think: from a dérive point of view cities have psychogeographical contours, with constant currents, fixed points and vortexes that strongly discourage entry into or exit from certain zones.'
50
Could you take a rough guess at the number of steps you've taken your whole life? The Urban Explorer / Psychogeography & the Explorer
CONTEMPORARY PSYCHOGEOGRAPHY The practice of psychogeography manifested itself in a predominantly literary form with the streets of London and Paris as its muse . Although psychogeographical organisations now operate globally, it’s establishment as a concept has strong linkage to works of artists belonging to these two cities. Through changing times, it has also transitioned from text to film, from surrealist drawings to cartographical representations. Through these series of transitions, the role of psychogeography today could be debatable amongst its former and contemporary practitioners. Acknowledging its theoretical framework and traditions, psychogeography is now interestingly diverging into new and unexpected paths. While a few psychogeographers are satisfied with the mere experience of recording or documenting the behavioural impact of these journeys; this tendency overlooks its political associations. This passivity may stem from an inability to provide any tangible solutions [currently] to bringing about a change in the environment. However, it is important to note that all data and gatherings from these journeys are nothing but a step closer to rebuilding the ideal city of our imagination; to bringing about a change and to a revival of the magical concealed beneath the mundane.
52
'Psychogeography’s progress depends to a great extent on the statistical extension of its methods of observation, but principally on experimentation through concrete interventions in urbanism.
Until this stage, the objective truth of even the first psychogeographical data cannot be ensured. But even if these data should turn out to be false, they would certainly be false solutions to a genuine problem.' Guy Debord
SEC TION 2
AC TION 'Within the word we find two dimensions, reflection & action, in such radical interaction that if one is sacrificed—even in part— the other immediately suffers.' Paulo Freire
SEC TION 2
What mode of travel do you least prefer?
AC TION
SET TING OUT ON THE JOURNEY
C H A P T E R FI V E
'Record your days before they get whisked away and soon forgotten.' Seth Godin
To begin with:
The Urban Explorer / Setting out on the Journey
Choose a day when you have the time to kill. A day (with favourable weather) on which you are willing to explore the city.
Have a read through the triggers in the next chapter and choose about 3 to 4 you’d be interested in. When you set out on your journey, look out for these triggers.
Now you could either blindly choose a starting point on a street map or pick a place at random, one you are not as familiar with.
The first one that holds your interest will define your trajectory. For example, if you first notice the colour of a door; follow through on the colour journey.
When you do set out on your psychogeographic journey, ditch the map on your phone and let your instinct guide you.
When you exhaust documenting the first trigger, you could move on to the next if time permits. Timing yourself for each trigger could also help.
Note down the date, time and location. Observe the street and structures around you. Tune into the unfamiliar. Look out for strange details. Analyse these details.
Once you've begun, try not to look out for more than one trigger at the same time, this will only make it difficult for you to focus on the details.
Use all your senses. Record your experience as you go and force yourself to exhaust the subject, even if it seems pointless to do so.
Feel free to set your own triggers, if these don't appeal to you. There are no rules. When done, write a few words of reflection on the impact of the journey.
There could be instances where these journeys might not be as effective as you envisioned them to be. Like all good things, psychogeography requires practice.
Document anything that particularly holds your interest on the journey. Remember you are there to explore and discover, observe and document.
62
Let go of all inhibitions.
Discover strange pathways.
Take your time to explore.
Note down what strikes you.
Make connections.
Change your perspective.
Let your instinct guide you.
Wonder and Wander.
Look out for the unfamiliar.
Focus on the details.
Remember to:
Checklist for the journey:
A Bag for your discoveries
A Pen & Pencil
A Pocket Notebook
A Camera
Curiosity
Imagination & Time
When was the last time you did something for the first time?
SEC TION 2 AC TION
THE TRIGGERS
CHAPTER SIX
01
The Magical World of Colour Explore the streets; observe and document the colour palettes you are instantaneously drawn to.
Observation colours / palettes / combination of colours /
Documentation photographs / writing / swatch names /
The Urban Explorer / The Triggers
'Colour is the place where our brain and the universe meet.' Paul Klee
72
The Urban Explorer / The Triggers
The hues of a crimson sky at dawn. Raw shades of green following the first drops of rain. A glimmering tint of blue reflecting over the ocean. The incandescent yellow tinge emitted from a light bulb. A magical cast of white light over a city on a full moon day. Our visual encounters are painted in a myriad of colours. In trying to describe a place visited in the past, one tends to recall a certain landscape by its hues, a street by the coloured facades of its houses and a city by the dominant colour in our field of vision. By connecting to parts of the brain involved with memory, colours appeal to our senses. And in doing so, evoke a sense of association with a place. Colours also possess emotive properties we begin to resonate with. A canary yellow vase at a windowsill brings back memories of a long forgotten summer house with a yellow picket fence. And in an instant, we are engulfed with a wave of happiness. It triggers unusual connections and our memories do not seem too far away. 72
The Urban Explorer / The Triggers
The urban city is a mishmash of a spectrum of colours. These colours we view from the corner of our eye, fade almost instantaneously from the recesses of our mind; though they impact us in ways we cannot begin to comprehend.
There are numerous ways in which you could document the palettes - photographing the colour, creating a swatch or a palette name are a few. Try not to name the colour itself, be a bit creative. Attach a memory or an emotion to it. Describe in a few words, it’s location and a feeling it evoked.
This task involves setting out on a psychogeographic journey observing and documenting the colours one is spontaneously drawn to in the environment. This could be the colour of an object, a house or a signage. It could also be a combination of colours appearing together.
Collate these swatches in the order they were found. This will now form a colour travelogue of your journey.
74
02
Experiential Cartography of Urban Life Create an experience map of the journey based on your emotional response to the spaces you discover.
Observation streets / landscapes / emotions /
Documentation drawing / writing / colour coding /
The Urban Explorer / The Triggers
'What one records is really the state of one’s own mind. They are seldom descriptions of place, they are records of the effect of place upon a particular sensibility, one of the most finely tuned imaginable.' Virginia Woolf
78
The Urban Explorer / The Triggers
In this day and age, when technology has taken over our day to day functioning, making our lives a whole lot simpler, in a way it has also created bubbles of isolation. To elaborate, we now solely rely on geographical maps available on our phones to guide us to an unknown destination. Input a code and off you go, there’s absolutely no need to look anywhere else and if you happen to do so, you'll only be wasting a second of your precious time. There’s no denying the innumerable benefits of technology. It saves our time for other activities and can guarantee a timely arrival at a chosen destination. On the other hand, it has resulted in a detachment from our environment. A detachment we should now be concerned about.
78
The Urban Explorer / The Triggers
We deconstruct places based on the emotional and behavioural response it generates within us. A familiar tune from a musician playing at the corner of a street, the glaring rays of the sun blinding our eyes on a particularly crowded street, happy children playing at a park, these visual experiences stir up a mix of feelings. A sense of nostalgia, a feeling of withdrawal and a moment of joy, these emotions form a true representation of a place.
Overlapping the geographical maps we are accustomed to are these maps we create in our subconscious. The maps embodying scattered fragments of our thoughts and emotions are very often the ones we are bound to recall quite easily. And so, it is through these experiential maps we can begin to revive our associations with a place.
This task requires you to set out on a psychogeographic journey observing and most importantly being aware of the emotional associations you make with a place.
Create an experience map at the end of your journey using a pen and paper or any other materials you may find suitable. The idea is to convert the urban topography into a social and affective landscape and thereby explore the relationship between urban spaces and our emotions.
80
03
The Art of Free Writing On your journey, write without hesitating, and without self-censoring, accepting everything as it comes.
Observation surroundings /
Documentation writing /
The Urban Explorer / The Triggers
'The function of writing is to explode one's subject transform it into something else.' Susan Sontag
84
The Urban Explorer / The Triggers
We are governed by a strong belief of living in a world of freedom. What we fail to realise is; masked by this illusion of a free society is shockingly a society of control. While on one hand, we have all the freedom required to do as we please, on the other hand, it denotes a control of our activities. We may choose where we would like to work and what exactly we might want to say but at the same time, there is a societal control dominating these actions. While being largely essential to maintain a sense of order in society, this control over our actions usually advances towards our thoughts as well. Our subconscious succumbs to the pressures of this society of control.
84
The Urban Explorer / The Triggers
The main aim of this task is letting go of this control by engaging in the art of free writing.
Free Writing is the act of continuous writing without hesitation, and without self-censoring, accepting everything as it comes. Pay no attention to spelling, grammar or the content and make no corrections. It’s all about engaging in the thought process, not about the results it may produce.
Write fast enough so much so that the movement of your hand is quicker than your brain can process. The results are raw and unpredictable, sometimes producing great ideas and stories. This practice will leave you mystified, drawing remarkable connections with the spark of creativity we all have within us, which ultimately manifests itself in this act of writing and letting go.
Step out on a psychogeographic journey and stop on intuition. At this point, begin to write about the journey and the place you are surrounded by. Don’t hesitate if your thoughts stray away from topic. If at any point; you can’t think of anything to write, write about not being able to do so, until you come across another line of thought.
86
04
The Familiarity of an Everyday Object On this journey, pick an everyday object you are fascinated with, observe it in minute detail and write about your observations.
Observation everyday objects /
Documentation writing / drawing / photography /
The Urban Explorer / The Triggers
'The hardest thing to see is what is in front of your eyes.' Susan Sontag
90
The Urban Explorer / The Triggers
A close observation of the everyday happens quite rarely these days. So consumed are we with our daily activities and schedules, we've lost a certain sense of curiosity about everyday objects surrounding us. The ornamental framings of a door, the geometric impressions on a manhole, the texture of the bark of a tree, how often have we stopped to marvel and delight in the strange details of these seemingly ‘trivial’ objects? To delight in the familiar details of an everyday occurrence may seem unnecessary to us. But in confronting these mundane everyday objects, do we face a challenge - the familiar is no longer familiar, turning into something almost alien to us. This process creates a sort of reconciliation, between us and the object under scrutiny and in doing so, we begin to restore our relationship and almost create a humanised world of things surrounding us.
90
The Urban Explorer / The Triggers
By tending to the obvious, we reawaken the beauty in their simplicity, thereby reimagining and recreating them in our memory.
Deconstruct its form, structure, texture and pattern in excruciating detail. Create an exhaustive list of descriptions to an everyday object [or a series therof] you encounter on your journey.
This task involves setting out on a psychogeographic journey with a quest to discover everyday objects along the way. When you discover an object of interest, spend time studying its details. Find material in the minutiae.
You may choose to photograph the object, name it or perhaps create a simple drawing of it in addition to writing a description.
92
05
The Practice of Free Drawing On this journey, find an object or structure or anything that holds your interest and draw it out in minute detail.
Observation objects / structures / surroundings /
Documentation drawing /
The Urban Explorer / The Triggers
'How much virtue there is in simply seeing!' Henry David Thoreau
2. Sontag, S. (2001) On Photography. 1st edn. United States: St Martin’s Press.
96
The Urban Explorer / The Triggers
The root cause of our detachment with the environment is a lack of observation of what surrounds us. When we do encounter something in particular that captures our interest, our immediate reaction is to pull out the camera and snap a picture of it. And that’s exactly where the story ends. Tucked amongst other obscurities, these interests lay lost and scattered, soon to be forgotten. In an age where we have succumbed to an ‘aesthetic consumerism’ 2 now associated with photography, we have lost the very art of seeing and observing in its most simplest form.
2. Sontag, S. (2001) On Photography. 1st edn. United States: St Martin’s Press.
96
The Urban Explorer / The Triggers
This psychogeographic journey involves the simple task of free drawing. With a pen and book in hand, take note of objects or structures you are drawn to.
For instance, if you pass by a strikingly magnificent architectural facade, stop and take notice of things you wouldn't have seen otherwise. Find a spot and begin to draw out microscopic details of the structure. Do not hesitate at any point if you cannot draw. It isn’t about the results but the very act of being present and seeing.
It may seem odd to begin with; to choose a method of recording which requires complete focus than one we are generally accustomed to.
However, drawing today grants us a more intimate presence with our surroundings. In capturing our attention to often overlooked details, it lends itself to a heightened experience of the everyday.
98
06
The Wonder of Mind Travel Transport yourself to a place—explore, discover and document your thoughts; embarking on a journey through the mind.
Observation dreams / desires / wandering thoughts /
Documentation writing /
The Urban Explorer / The Triggers
'Nothing interesting happens when you know where you’re going with something.' Paul Sahre
102
The Urban Explorer / The Triggers
Now doesn't travel require one to step out of our homes to explore a place? Of course, it does. Despite an acknowledgment of this unavoidable truth, another truth still prevails—the idea of travel often being described as a state of mind. When we travel from one place to another, the journey we embark on is given meaning through the intervention of our imagination. Right from the images of exotic locales displayed on our desktop screens to a description of a place in a book or even the engrossing visuals of a film, we have at some point in our lives explored places without having to take a single step. In this way, we have all been subject to the method of mind travel, voluntarily or involuntarily.
102
The Urban Explorer / The Triggers
This task is divided into two phases.
The first involves picking a starting point to an unfamiliar place. Following which, setting a timer, use your imagination to describe what you might encounter along the way. The second phase of the task is a slightly different take on the idea of mind travel. It involves literally setting out on the psychogeographic journey post the documentation. The aim here is to tap into the unfamiliar realm of desire v/s reality.
What the weather would be like, the kind of conversations you might overhear, the architecture you are likely to see. Describe the details.
Your descriptions may bear no resemblance to the journey or surprisingly enough; your imagination may have predicted the occurences. Whatever the results may be; let the mystery of the journey unravel your subconscious desires.
104
07
The Soundscape of a City Tune in to the soundscape of the urban city on this psychogeographic journey.
Observation sounds / silence /
Documentation writing / drawing /
The Urban Explorer / The Triggers
'Wherever we are, what we hear is mostly noise. When we ignore it, it disturbs us. When we listen to it, we find it fascinating.' John Cage
108
The Urban Explorer / The Triggers
Sounds we are surrounded by are as crucial as the visual environment in understanding and interacting with a place. When we step outside today, every other person on the subway or the street is transfixed by music playing through headphones. If not, we are on our phones, engaged in conversation, shutting down every sound or noise in the environment. This escapism from the auditory environment is a result of the undeniable consequences of living in the urban city. We need to escape the chaos or perhaps even calm the mind after a long and tiring day at work. While essential as it may be, this need to escape instigates a detachment from the city we live in.
108
The Urban Explorer / The Triggers
This task involves setting out on a psychogeographic journey exploring and listening to the city with a purposeful and special attention rarely given to the sounds in the environment.
The idea of this attentive listening is to create an auditory archive of the journey. However, one must try to focus on the positive sounds in the environment rather than on the noise in the city.
This may be difficult to begin with. But in doing so, you will begin to react and think about the impact these sounds may have on you. You may discover a great deal about the city by exploring an attunement through sound.
The aim of this exploration is to bring attention to the enormous potential sound has to define how we perceive, model and reconstruct a place. The results may not always be significantly revealing, but this exercise will bring you a step closer in understanding the city.
110
08
A Visual Narrative of Words Document words from visual communication around you and create a narrative out of these words.
Observation posters / shop facades / Labels /
Documentation photography /
The Urban Explorer / The Triggers
'Once I was a scuba diver in a sea of words. Now I zip along the surface like a guy on a Jet Ski.' Nicholas G. Carr
114
The Urban Explorer / The Triggers
We are subjected to a great deal of information thrust upon us on a daily basis in the city. This information takes on various forms - an advertisement on the train, a signage at every nook and corner of the street, an instruction manual to possibly every object or action. These vehicles of information are essential to establish an order in the city. However, an overload of information through these mediums often creates a chaotic living environment. Meaningful information tends to get lost in these overwhelming forms of communication. Soon enough, we begin to overlook the crucial details and disengage ourselves from this sea of information.
114
The Urban Explorer / The Triggers
On this psychogeographic journey, set out in search of words in the environment. Words forming the name of a store, a ticket, a poster or any other means of communication you may stumble upon on this journey.
At the end of the journey, you may choose to subvert this information and create a narrative out of the found words or you could leave them in the order they were found.
Focus on these modes of communication and create a photographic documentation of the words that instantly intrigue you or hold your attention.
What you will begin to realise post this journey is that in doing this exercise, you will be able to question if not distinguish the important from the unimportant, the necessary from the unnecessary.
116
09
A Spectacle of Repititive Rhythms On this journey, document strange coincidences of rhythm and repetition in the spaces around you.
Observation people / objects / landscape /
Documentation photography / writing / drawing /
The Urban Explorer / The Triggers
'Now this is very profound, what rhythm is, and goes far deeper than words. A sight, an emotion, creates this wave in the mind, long before it makes words to fit it.' Virginia Woolf
120
The Urban Explorer / The Triggers
The terms ‘rhythm’ and ‘repetition’ in our daily lives often tends to take on negative connotations. We tend to associate rhythm with daily schedules or a sequence of activities; and repetition with the days in a week or the seasons in a year. These forms of repetition epitomise the crux of the boredom and monotony we associate with everyday life. Yet there is another type of repetition that surrounds our daily life, the rhythm of the unfamiliar and the unpredictable. A rhythm and repetition in the spaces we inhabit. We derive a simplistic, almost magical joy in these rhythmic coincidences.
120
The Urban Explorer / The Triggers
There are various instances of our everyday encounters in which the magical effects of rhythmic coincidences operate:
a sight of people crossing the road, marching forward in synchronised steps; a fascination in the mimicry of clouds following a similar rhythmic flow of mountainous landscape down below; the satisfaction we derive from perfectly aligned geometric patterned pavement blocks; the feeling of happiness evoked by pencils methodically arranged by colour.
This task involves setting out on a psychogeographic journey documenting these unusual repetitive rhythms.
A myriad of coincidences; repetitive patterns lay hidden behind the flux of the city. When we focus on these rhythms, the fragmentary repetitions take on a new meaning. We are confronted by a similar intricacy in the functioning of the occurrences constituting the city.
122
10
The Art of a Surreal City Create a juxtaposition of unusual discoveries on your journey using a combination of photomontage, drawing and writing.
Observation people / communication / surroundings /
Documentation photography / drawing / writing /
The Urban Explorer / The Triggers
'Surrealism can therefore be described as an attention to everything that lifts man above himself or seems atleast to draw him out of himself.' Ferdinand AlquiĂŠ
126
The Urban Explorer / The Triggers
Preoccupied with our routines, our experience of the environment on a daily basis is nothing but mundane and sterile. This boredom manifests itself into a passivity of sorts. We are no longer concerned with anything that does not affect our lives directly. For instance, on an average day, we encounter a multitude of objects, unusual discoveries and intriguing conversations. These could include tickets, bills, newspapers, street art or an overheard conversation. In a fleeting moment, these everyday revelations fade away. We move around with blinders, as a result of which our awareness of the world is gradually declining. There is a strong need to expose the emptiness of the everyday place and change the passivity we are habituated to. It’s time to make our senses wake up to our desires, where we are and what needs to change around us. We require a sense of adventure in the urban city.
126
The Urban Explorer / The Triggers
This forms a core exercise in the practice of psychogeography. Drawing influence from the Surrealist movement, it aims at collapsing the distinction between adventure and our everyday surroundings.
The task involves taking everyday objects [such as tickets, labels and other such paraphernalia] out of their habitual context and using them for a purpose entirely different from what it was originally intended to be.
The idea is to document and juxtapose these revelations post the journey and construct a piece of art liberating the imagination. Various methods can be utilised to create a surrealist piece of art: a cut and paste technique juxtaposed with text and colour or a photomontage.
By interweaving various aspects of the visual and auditory experience, it leaves the mind to question the real connection between people and place. Through this process of editing and synthesising, we create our own narrative of a place.
The sole purpose here is to engage in a playful reconstructive behaviour of the living environment. As vague and bizarre as it may sound, the urban space enters a realm of surreality. when works of art allow the unconscious to express itself.
128
'The world is an astonishing place.' Milton Glaser
Let's explore it.
NOTES
NOTES
NOTES
NOTES
NOTES
NOTES
NOTES
NOTES
Sometimes you need your own space.
The Urban Explorer / Setting out on the Journey
EXERCISES
EXERCISES
Where should you begin? As strange as it may sound, set out on an exploration of your own home. Explore the unfamiliar. Corners and the space between, dead spaces, forgotten objects, shadows and textures, cracks, spots on the wall. Time yourself. Document your observations and discoveries.
148 64
The Urban Explorer / Setting out on the Journey
EXERCISES
EXERCISES
Try to list down five places within which you’ve found your own space. A place you could call your own. This could be a street, a corner in a room, a city or even a park bench. Be creative. Dig deep.
150 64
The Urban Explorer / Setting out on the Journey
EXERCISES
EXERCISES
Draw a map of your ideal city. Use your imagination. The bizarre, the better.
152 64
EXERCISES
EXERCISES
There will always be one familiar route you've grown used to taking. Pick that route and look out for previously unnoticed details. Use the method of photography, writing or drawing to document your observations.
154 64
On this time map, try to recall the places you were at yesterday.
11:28 AM
3:29 PM
11:32 PM
156 64
EXERCISES
EXERCISES
9:34 AM
EXERCISES
EXERCISES
List ten objects you come into contact with on your daily commute.
158 64
20 TH JANUARY 2015, HAMPSTEAD HEATH. Time, yes the fast paced London time – stood still. The magnificent heath had captured us. We wondered and wandered. Upon reaching the bench at the summit, we were awestruck by the glorious view of the London city line. The bench however, could not be perceived as unique or isolated; it owed its significance to the environment that set it apart. Realisation then dawned upon us; we collectively acknowledged the importance of documenting our journey towards this glorious summit.
Journey as a group, Kimberly Goes.
EXCERP TS
EXCERP TS
On a cold winter’s day we embarked upon our journey towards the Parliament Hill summit. Consumed and thoroughly devoted to our individual roles, we aimed to record our thoughts and vision through our chosen mediums. Minutes into the climb, we were overwhelmed by the exceptional beauty surrounding us.
22 ND FEBRUARY 2015, M AIDA VALE UNDERGROUND. The warm lights overhead caught my eye. I was quite sure I hadn’t seen these before.
A brown hat too. He was covering his face and facing a wall. A few seconds passed.
Or was my memory now playing a strange game?
EXCERP TS
EXCERP TS
I took a turn and noticed a strange man wearing a zebra striped suit and pants.
The Art of Free Writing, Kimberly Goes.
22 ND FEBRUARY 2015, M AIDA VALE. On first thought, the place felt like it had been stuck in a moment.
And those giant trees. Devoid of any colour and life. Ending abruptly into the blue evening sky.
EXCERP TS
EXCERP TS
Beautiful but stationery.
Life and its motion had been sucked out of it.
Hauntingly beautiful against its backdrop.
The Art of Free Writing, Kimberly Goes.
27 TH FEBRUARY 2015, PADDINGTON BASIN.
EXCERP TS
Each of them have their own character. Their names define them. The Wandering Swan. The Electric Barge. Jessie. Fingolfin. Adelaide Dock.
EXCERP TS
Memories kept alive. Hues. Shades of Blue. Reflections in the water. Still. Be still my love. Chains and ropes are tying us down.
The Art of Free Writing, Kimberly Goes.
06 TH M ARCH, 2015, NORTH GREENWICH. My thoughts drift as I continue walking, I begin to see the geometry in the space.
The rigid architectural forms.
EXCERP TS
EXCERP TS
The monotonous greys and blues are broken by the fiery reds.
The Wonder of Mind Travel, Kimberly Goes.
8 TH M ARCH, 2015, SHEPHERD’S BUSH.
I got done early today. I moved about a year back.
EXCERP TS
No, but the problem is the house.
I think he was quite interested. She laughed hysterically. Could you stop smiling. Are you okay?
You know what, I think I know why.
It’s a Monday tomorrow; it gets so damn difficult for me.
I guess eventually it will all fall into it’s place.
Alice! Stop running.
What’s the time?
You know sometimes in the morning, I do run into her.
Documenting Overheard Conversations, Kimberly Goes.
EXCERP TS
I was looking for you out there, where did you disappear?
09 TH AUGUST 2015, PORTO, PORTUGAL .
EXCERP TS
A royal blue, an earthy brown.
The ornate details. The paint chipping off the edges. Fingerprints on the knob. The reflecting metal. Cracks in the wood. Reflections. Barriers. EXCERP TS
Why is it that I’m always drawn to doors? The vivid colours of doors.
The Familiarity of an Everyday Object, Kimberly Goes.
THE URBAN EXPLORER PROJECT
BIBLIOGRAPHY AND FURTHER READING
In a fast paced urban environment, we have almost no time to stop and examine the life we have involuntarily grown accustomed to. Bogged down by schedules and tasks and faced by larger challenges, the idea of examining life itself seems insignificant. But every once in a while, we must begin to question ourselves and our place in the larger scheme of things.
If the subject of this book has held your interest in any way, you could draw a bit more inspiration from these books:
The Urban Explorer Project is a step towards overcoming the monotony we associate with everyday life. Through the reflective narrative and actions in the form of triggers, it aims to provoke a sense of thought on the urban environment we are surrounded by. Currently introducing ten triggers, the idea is to actively intervene in and provide a model for the audience to test. The next phase would involve the establishment of a participatory practice. A platform to possibly collaborate and involve the audience in perhaps setting their own triggers. Driven by a desire to create an active subject, one who will be empowered by a participatory experience. Exploring the possibility to turn the spectators into collaborators. At this moment then, it isn't about the results produced but the feeling evoked. It’s a mere proposal of an experimental research into the subject, the results of which may lead into unknown trajectories. A trajectory with a multitude of paths, a few of which have somewhat been defined and those that are yet to be defined. This very state of uncertainty, unfamiliarity and excitement forms the driving force of this project.
Abram, D. [1997] The Spell of the Sensuous. 1st edn. New York: Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group. Bachelard, G. [1964] The poetics of space. New York: Viking Books. Coverley, M. [2007] Psychogeography. 1st edn. United Kingdom: Pocket Essentials. Coverley, M. [2012] The Art of Wandering. United Kingdom: Oldcastle Books. De Certeau, M. [1988] The Practice of Everyday Life. 1st edn. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press. Debord, G. [1994] The society of the spectacle. 1st edn. New York: Zone Books. Fletcher, A. [2001] The Art of Looking Sideways. New York: Phaidon Press. Lefebvre, H. [1992] Critique of Everyday Life: Introduction. London: Verso, 1991. Lynch, K. [1960] The Image of the City. United States: MIT Press. New, J. [2005] Drawing From Life: The Journal as Art. 1st edn. United States: Princeton Architectural Press. Perec, G. [2008] Species of Spaces and Other Pieces. Edited by John Sturrock. London: Penguin Group [USA]. Plant, S. [1992] The Most Radical Gesture. United States: Routledge. Smith, K. [2011] How to be an Explorer of the World. 1st edn. London: Penguin Books.
It’s the beginning. A possibly never ending exploration.
Solnit, R. [2009] A Field Guide to Getting Lost. New York: Penguin USA. Sontag, S. [2001] On Photography. 1st edn. United States: St Martin’s Press.
For more information and to provide feedback, write to goeskimberly@gmail.com
Woolf, V. [1993] Travels with Virginia Woolf. London: The Hogarth Press.
174 64
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS To my tutors, Tony Credland for introducing me to the subject of psychogeography and being a sounding board to my drifting thoughts and ideas over the year. Paul Bailey for persistently encouraging me to be bold, take risks, break [some] rules and most importantly motivating me to write as a Graphic Designer. Vanessa Price for encouraging us as students to be critical of our design practice. To all the other lecturers, technicians and support staff at the London College of Communication. To the Travelogue Summer School Team, Porto, 2015 for providing the perfect platform and inspiration to engage with a talented group of people who share a similar interest in the subject. To Aaditya Vaze, Aakanksha Shah, Sunaynna Venkatesh, Rand Ghibril, Rosanna Vitiello, Kate Brangan for taking the time to read and share their comments on the content. To Jade Goes Lewis and Ella Goes for their diligent proof-reading skills. To Teju Jhaveri, Prarthana Gandhi and Jarvis Henriques for their optimistic words of encouragement on tough days. To my mentor, Dolly Biswas; my employers and colleagues at DY Works, Beyondesign and Ideaspice Design; my friends and family for their constant support and encouragement throughout the journey. To the MA Graphic Design Class of 2015, Thank You!