How do you map data and visualise time?Â
Art history, Weeks 3-5, 16/03-30/03/2020
Some thoughts on the class presentations of key artworks and artists across the themes of mapping and visualising time...
Mapping
Growing up in the UK, as a small child I was always drawn to the old maps I would find in antique shops, some of which I convinced my mum to buy!  Their history and the way they show beliefs or knowledge at a specific moment in time always intrigued me.  Therefore, I really enjoyed the class on mapping.  I found it particularly interesting how there is a geographical map of Venice which showed the city from an almost aerial view, despite this being a height which was impossible to reach.  Also, the concept of paper towns is quite cheeky but also telling of the time, it was where map publishers would include fake towns on their maps to protect their copyright.  A more contempory work I was interested by was Aaron Koblin’s Flight Patterns, as it shows these movements in such a beautiful and gentle way.
After the mapping history and theory we were asked to leave the room with a pen and paper, and to then map the room we had just exited. Â This was far more tricky than expected! Â Even though I had spent several hours in the room, I could barely remember its layout or features, which became painfully apparent when I re-entered the room with my map!
Visualising Time
I feel that visually representing time through an artwork may be one of the most challenging things to achieve, but when done well it can be truly impressive.  Sam Taylor-Wood’s Still Life video really caught my attention as it shows a process that we know occurs but rarely observe.  In a similar vein, I am also drawn to thw work of Dan Hanna in their Everyday Project, due to the long term and gradual nature of this work.
