Peer led session
This session was much busier! Most of us felt a bit lost this week, we had prepared our draft proposal for a Monday hand in with expected feedback on Friday. We were then told on Monday morning that hand in was actually Friday and that we would not receive feedback for another week. I was not able to book a tutorial until next Thursday, so if feels like I’ve lost a solid week waiting for feedback and not knowing if my direction is acceptable. I feel like the consensus was to just continue researching and carry on with blog work while waiting.
Maps were brought up a great deal – Sophie suggested I look into Greyson Perry’s Map of Days
Which is a fantastic autobiographical map, created while participating in a geneological programme for Channel 4. He said “… the “self” I think is not a single fixed thing but a lifelong shifting performance. In the centre is an open space; there is no pearl, no central core; our “selves” are but shifting layers of experience. My “sense of self” is a tiny man kicking a can down the road.” (Perry 2013) This ties into my narrative sense of self theory, that you create your sense of self out of your personal narrative, the stories you tell to yourself or about yourself, become your self. This is why labels are so attractive, but also so dangerous.
We also talked about Paula Scher’s maps, with the note that they feel like maps about the feeling of a place, rather than concrete facts or accurate notation. This is an interesting prospect to me. I’ve been working with a local artist on a map project of Penzance and Newlyn in the last few weeks, and the comments I’ve heard about what was included or not have been interesting. Hand drafting a map can be a very personal endeavour. In the days of accurate satellite imagery, map making is no longer needed to be done by hand for mapping purposes. This has created a space for personal map making as an act of expression or personal history. I have been thinking of creating a personal map, as well as one for other pivotal people in my life, or my ancestors. I think this could be an interesting take, possibly shifting over time or in an interactive way.
We also talked about maps in relation to Cat’s project, and she shared her pinterest board of maps with me. I love the focus on stitching and mixed media in her links – texture and layers are very appealing to me.
I’ve also discovered these lovely maps by Puca Print, a lockdown project by designer Neil Parkinson. His fantastical maps are inhabited by local mythical beasts and creatures of folklore. So far he has produced six maps, and the combination of research, folktales and a charming illustration style are instantly compelling. For my Cornish Myths project, I need to develop illustrations of some of the folk creatures in Cornwall, and this has been a personal struggle for me. It has been a long time since I drew anything seriously and I have lost the joy I used to have in this.
Draft proposal
I feel like I need to tighten up the question, I’ve really struggled with defining it, and what I finally ended up with for the draft is still too wobbly.
