Expanding teritorry
What is for me territory?
The territory for me is very personal in a way that contains roots and background of experience
Territory as an aura that surrounds
Taking the thoughts of expanding my personal territory I worked partly with the concept of a “sense of place”.
Sense of place describes the wide range of connections between people and places that develops based on the place meanings and attachment a person has to a particular setting (Lewicka, 2011; Relph, 1976; Trentelman, 2009; Tuan, 1977).
Sense of place refers to the emotive bonds and attachments people develop or experience in particular locations and environments, at scales ranging from the home to the nation. Sense of place is also used to describe the distinctiveness or unique character of particular localities and regions. Sense of place can refer to positive bonds of comfort, safety, and well-being engendered by place, home, and dwelling, as well as negative feelings of fear, dysphoria, and placelessness. When first introduced, the concept drew attention to the often subjective nature of human environmental experience, as well as to the perceptual and cognitive dimensions of those experiences. Sense of place remains a bridge among a number of subdisciplines, as well as a link between humanistic and positivistic geographies.”(K.E. Foote, M. Azaryahu, in International Encyclopedia of Human Geography, 2009)
“Our relationships with places are as necessary, varied, and sometimes perhaps just as unpleasant as our relationships with other people.“ - Edward Relph, Place and Placelessness, 1976
The nature of the work that I created have a retrospective character. It have also this element of observation and making conclusions after my stay in Porto. I was building this “sense of home” through routines in social environments both positive and negative plus everyday walking routine containing different trails. The streets of Porto and social groups there, left a big imprint on my emotional state, relations in different social circles, and my artistic work
I was always wondering about what lays on the next corner, the next hidden door, basement, gallery, next stairs and the other side of the park, the next sunrise, the sunset, and much more.
All of that wonder turns out to be translated into a map. “Maps are more than pieces of paper. They are stories, conversations, lives and songs lived out in a place and are inseparable from the political and cultural contexts in with they are used” (Waaren 2004)
Since maps are more than pieces of paper I choose to make mine out of textile. And also with the function of a book – a visual diary of my experience in Porto.
Part of the reason of choosing the textile as main medium for creating the map was linked to my early childhood memories from my grandma’s home where I had a textile book for learning new words
Dimensions of the map/book 2:4m. 4 times bigger the most common touristic map of Porto.
The textile book can be folded, as a real map. The textiles I choose give the book/map a texture. From the ones that are fragile, transparent, fairy to very solid vibrant yellow and orange. Different textiles for the different landmarks. All in one flow. I left the map unfinished in order to leave myself a door for acknowledging that there is much more to explore, that also the city grows every day and changes constantly.
For the cover of the book/map I used found wooden panels of crib. Taking into consideration the nature of the wooden pieces I wanted to create a cross-reference to childhood again from our early years of learning how to create this sense of place by ourselves.
“A sense of place is something that cannot be purchased in a prepackaged curriculum or incorporated into the program in a single day. A sense of place takes time, thought, and reflection. A sense of place builds a sense of belonging. Most importantly, a sense of place begins with you.”
Since the “sense of place” can contain and can be built from both the positive and the negative experiences of the 2 panels there are two oil pastel drawings. The drawings themselves are dynamic and emotionally impactful. An organized chaotic forms and vibrant colors put together in very well balanced composition. For finishing the pieces, I “framed” them with this very strong orange color. The same as some of the landmarks made out of textile.
“Orange is red brought nearer to humanity by yellow.” — Wassily Kandinsky
