Perceptions of Place

This interdisciplinary research takes a practice-led approach to mapping the ephemeral nature of perceptions of place. Perception of place is a complex and evolving relationship between the self and the environment; it is in a constant state of flux, shaped by time, experience, memories and feelings. The transient nature of many of these qualities challenges conventional cartographic methods which often struggle to capture ephemerality. What is generally perceived to be conventional mapping typically prioritises abstracted, often fixed, representations of a physical environment, that might often overlook the human experience of place, such as such transience of time, emotion and differing perspectives of place.

Moving beyond conventional approaches to mapping, I turned to post-representational cartography, which emphasises the fluid, evolving nature of spatial understanding, where maps are always in a state of becoming, remade as they are interpreted and translated. This shift in cartography embraces a more subjective, process-oriented, and embodied approach to understanding place, and is conducive to generating maps that are emergent and dynamic in nature. Taking a processual and creative approach to mapping can better capture the lived experience and ephemerality of perception of place, through the making of cartographic artworks that in turn encourage engagement and reflection.

Please click on the images below to see the creative process data collection.