VENICE LOOKING UP - Visual studies of wanderings in Venice Ruth Mclennan
Looking : To search for, to seek.
-4-
| VENICE LOOKING UP | Moving through Venice on foot you are forced to pass through a series of tight and interesting spaces that create a unique experience of journey. This journey is made up of a constant variation of open and closed spaces above or beside you that seem to move along with you. The high density of Venice’s changing structure allows every wanderer to get physically close to the spaces. Caged in this great maze you are encouraged by its very nature to explore and discover the spatial relationships of Venice.
is an intriguing composition uniquely Venetian.
The heavy form of the built environment and the light tendrils of life reveal the layers of life existing in the city. Some spaces above are empty of signs of dwellers, Whereas in some of the most difficult and narrowest spaces a family washing hangs out to dry; an incredible use of the space so close to hundreds of people walking past below. Perhaps the shutters of the windows on an entire building are closed to you, only to be opened once or twice a year when Guided by light from above, one is encouraged the foreign owner returns for a holiday. In other naturally to look up. The light trickles down from areas the shutters hang open, plants fall over the above highlighting the edges of the buildings window ledge and you know it is someone’s home. surrounding you and the shape of the space you are moving through. Passing from one space to It is from this that you can start to read the spaces the next looking up you can see that each street, and areas that you are passing through, who square and passageway revels an inverted plan of lives here, or if anyone does at all. What kind of Venice. Through which one may become aware of place it might have been once and what amazing the solid and void, the open and close cast above potential there is to use the spaces above in this in intricate patterns; a pleasure to move within. city! People seem to be only concerned with what is going on at ground level, leaving the spaces In contrast to these solid shapes of light and dark above standing empty, invisible to the passers-by. are strung instruments of every day life in Venice. A washing line, a rack of plants, street lights, This collection of studies is the result of my shop signs and electrical cables, all are hung wanderings in Venice exploring spaces, streets, without any solid rule of placement. The result connections and the life that is strung in-between. 5-3-
-6-
-7-
-8-
-9-
-10-
-11-
-12-
-13-
-14-
-15-
-16-
-17-
-18-
-19-
-20-
-21-
-22-
-23-
-24-
-25-
-26-
-27-
-28-
-29-
-30-
-31-
-32-
-33-
-34-
-35-
-36-
-37-
-38-
-39-
-40-
-41-
-42-
-43-
-44-
-45-
-46-
-47-
-48-
-49-
-50-
-51-
-52-
-53-
-54-
-55-
-56-
-57-
-58-
-59-
-60-
-61-
-62-
-63-
-64-
-65-
-66-
-67-
-68-
-69-
-70-
-71-
-72-
-73-
-74-
-75-
-76-
-77-
-78-
I encourage you to look up around you, see things differently and explore your surroundings.
-79-