Video Tutorial and Written Feedback 1
Project 1 - Tutorial Session
July 5th, 2022
In this 20-minute tutorial, we saw with my Tutor my first approach (step 1) to work on this project, which will in turn be divided into 10 steps (projects).
It is important, in view of the assessment, to see more than one point under each project (e.g. study of practitioners, readings, reflections) and insert regular, short entries.
These are the suggestions:
- insert an entry on how my perception of psychogeography will change along the whole path of learning, research and practice.
- make a mind map referring only to psychogeography and to the sides of this most appealing to me, in order to select some topics to be deeper explored. Mind mapping is a very useful method for getting an overview of a vast topic such as psychogeography and selecting what interests me most.
- it's okay to have a critical review done by comparing practitioners who have drifted consciously or unconsciously, my Tutor states that there is a certain overlapping between the principles promulgated by psychogeography, which is an "amorphous" concept and those of some practitioners.
Alec Soth: there is a certain overlap between his work which is somehow unique and psychogeography.
Of all the practitioners I have found, it is appropriate to select those that are closest to the concept of psychogeography. For example, Diane Arbus has some points in common with psychogeography, but it does not appear to my Tutor that she has ever referred to or even used this term.
The creative process is often unconscious (instinct), determined by random facts and places that cause emotions that it is up to the artist to try and collect (encode?).
I must try to stay away from dogmatic definitions and my practice must be as unique to me as it was to Soth.
It is possible, starting from the study of the concepts, methods and experiences of others, to establish a framework for myself that could be disciplined but that leaves open a space for something unexpected or unknown before starting.
Donald Winnicott, one of the leading exponents, together with Freud, of psychoanalysis, spoke of reserving for oneself a "safe place" in which to "play" freely "and establish an" unself conscious conversation ".
In any case, this unit is all about research and preparation for the next two units, so project 1 is, as we can say, "the first step of 10 of the first step of three".
My Tutor will provide other names of practitioners so as to keep an open mind and not try to classify everyone's work too much.
For my critical review, I could therefore observe (keep an observational mind) how these practitioners work and find the points of convergence or opposition of one with respect to the other. (how artists dealt with wandering, drifting and, ultimately, the perception of psychogeography).
My Tutor recommends watching Alec Soth's interviews, particularly when he refers to taking preliminary notes of what he hopes to see on his journey.
At this moment, in which I am collecting material and, rather than delving into it, I am launching my network into the sea of all the themes of psychogeography, I have to select some topics or practitioners that I am interested in studying.
There are also some precursors to the practice of wandering with the camera, such as August Sander.
It is a good idea to have made a first test drift without special knowledge of psychogeography and other concepts, and then, once the other more "aware" drift have been made, compare the images.
Reflections
This tutorial and the written feedback have been very useful for me, in particular, to direct me to select all the material that I have collected and to focus on some and not all themes and practitioners.
Since the subject of psychogeography is so vast and amorphous, I will hardly be able to classify certain authors as followers of psychogeography or not.
As mentioned by my Tutor, there is often an overlap between the map of principles developed in the artist's creative process and the extensive map of concepts concerning psychogeography, and it is up to me to choose which ones interest me and inspire me the most, in order not to be encyclopedic.
Furthermore, the mind mapping approach will help me make a more informed choice. As a practice I will focus on drifting: also in this case I will have to leave room for my creativity and sensitivity.