The Rodd Residency

Rodd Wood

Although my prime interest is in the experience of the city I was intrigued to pursue my thoughts in a natural setting. (Of course, I use the word natural with my tongue somewhat in my cheek as there is nowhere in this country that has not had the hand of mankind firmly laid down upon it.)

After some consideration I adopted a space in Rodd Wood to sit and reflect, taking a few initial actions as I waited for the ideas to come: quick sketches of my surroundings, rubbings of various surfaces using my new water-soluble wax pastels in largely non-natural colours.

Taking ideas as they come…

Step 1: Select the Space

Via criteria or instinct?
What criteria?
By analogy?

Step 2: Explore the Space

What sort of space is this?
Walking
- Establish the boundary
  - What is the boundary?
  - How do I select this?
  - Is it my choice or that of others?
  - Where do I start/stop?
- Walk the boundary drawing an object at each step
- Walk backwards through the space feeling the unevenness of the ground
Listening
- 9 minutes of audio recording
- Sit and listen for 30 minutes noting each sound heard
Measuring in human scale
- Boundary – 58 steps
- End to End – 20 steps
- Widest point – 8 steps
- Narrowest point – 2 steps
Exploring
- Sounds of the space
  - In the space/of the space?
  - Loudness/Softness?
  - Incidental or creating the space?
  - Tap all solid objects
  - Record the feet on the floor
  - ?
- Touch
  - How to “touch” the space?
  - Rubbings of surfaces in the space
  - The feel of a space? How are you ‘touched’ by it?
  - ?
- Colour hunt
  - Generally – record all different colour classes and shades within each class that can be discovered in the space – natural/non-natural
  - Specific Instance - Look for all colours that are not a shade of brown or green.
  - ?
- Looking
  - Look up
  - Look?
- Sense of the Space
  - How do you feel in the space
  - Psychology of the space
  - Sensing the place of the space in the world, which world?
  - ?