Journal

The pollen record of Dartmoor is captured in three distinct formats in our new collection, On the record. I've had my head in scientific papers for several months researching this work. The project started with a mild feeling of uneasiness reading a popular book about land use and forests in the UK. The book suggested that Dartmoor had always been forested, which didn't match my understanding. A little scratching, a little sniffing (and a lot of support from friendly scientists) and I found nearly a dozen research papers on the pollen record of Dartmoor that had been conveniently ignored. Our latest...

Watching the trees wake up.

It's a common assignment for students to be asked to sit beside a tree each day and record the changes over the season. Just one tree, not all the trees. By observing the single individual with intention, we start to see the little things which were once invisible. Suddenly, the amorphous giant has distinct limbs and characteristics that make it unique from others of its species. Over time, the tree will tame its observer in unexpected ways. This week, find a tree so that you might be tamed by it. Your prompts for this week Monday This week we'll be...

The connection between thought and place was first described as psychogeography in the 1950s, but it would be impossible to say when the relationship between the two actually began. Movement is a way of knowing. As you travel through time, and move along your daily route, you know, with certainty, how the ground feels. You know what the weather is like. Your final week of prompts is rooted in the techniques, experiences, and experiments posed by urban explorers. They challenge us to explore our environment differently and to use our feelings -- not maps or technology -- as a guide....