Narrative Walks

self grade

2008-11-03T12:20:00.000-08:00

I feel that myself an A. I am usually not a leader figure, but if I didn't step up to the plate on this one the final product might have been less than what we have now. As far as our group goes, we had a smaller one, and we took on a fairly large project. My contribution consisted of assigning jobs for everyone, taking the breadcrumb photos and many of the other photos present in the videos, editing all the videos together and doing the voice overs, researching 2 of 4 of the locations and writing the voice overs, and some last minute html for the website.

And by the way, I appreciate all the help we received in class and through the emails. Thank you for everything, Will!

2008-10-27T16:35:00.001-07:00

hotspots on walk should have polygon
in the description box is the url

create another smaller polygon near other polygon
inside description box put title and description. in that description, put instructions to go to the first spot.

in the html pages, lead user to re-enter geodellic.

GaMe IdEa!!

2008-10-15T16:34:00.000-07:00

My idea for a GPS game has to do with photography! The user will be given a set of pictures with numbers on the back. This could be printed from the internet or sent through the mail.

The second step is the user gets a set of gps coordinates that correlate with the numbers on the back of the photos.

The object of the game is for the user to go to the given location with the photo that matches the location number and hold the photo up to the place where the photo was taken. Once the user finds the area the photo was taken, they move to the next area!

(awesome.)

seven maps

2008-10-13T16:29:00.000-07:00

My favorite part was the narration. With the narration in the back of my mind, I could see the characters he was referencing, not necessarily at the same time, but later on in the footage. The shooting around town seemed random, however the narration brought a cohesive story to the work. I like how it was shot in hand-held because it seemed to give the notion that we were moving an active part in the story.

Awoke. A fictional walk

2008-10-11T09:49:00.001-07:00

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art walk

2008-10-08T13:28:00.000-07:00

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The idea behind my algorithmic walk was I would move two streets north, and one street east. It seemed simple enough. I plotted my path beforehand so there would be no chance I would screw this up.

I started at 8th and Columbia. Esther Short park was right across the street so I could see and hear children playing on the jungle gym. There were many parents enjoying the nice day, having conversations on benches with other parents.

I came to evergreen and it was time to take my first right turn. I stumbled over a few tiny shops including a coffee shop that was overshadowed by the local Starbucks. Though at around 6pm, the place was closed. I began smelling a floral scent which was coming from the flower shop next door.

Next door to the flower shop was Scott Barbour's photography studio filled with his works.

Free parking is difficult to find in downtown Vancouver and I remember having to park my car a long way away from my starting point. Parking tickets are a pain as well.

I turned left and began heading north again. At this point I remember thinking about fall and how the leaves were changing.

Off in the distance of this photo, I thought to myself, what an interesting piece of architecture. It turned out to be part of a bank, one that was still open.

I looked at the street sign, and realized that my walk may have been transposed east one block. I decided to make my personal error a part of my art walk.

..Back to the architecture.

I thought about this interesting indent in the side of the bank... Why was it there? It doesn't seem functional. Is it merely for visual variety?

As i looked to my left, I saw a towering church.

It was larger than any other building around by two times over. Architectural purpose, compensation?

I moved forward one more block.

I found this humble flower shop.

The neon sign was retro but somehow cozy in the midst of the banks and churches. The circular window added to this aesthetic.

At this sign I turned right again.

The landscape of Downtown Vancouver seemed to have changed dramatically within this block. there was a larger amount of green color coming from the yards of what seemed to be nice houses, but were really places for psychiatrists and lawyers to set up practice.

I turned left again and headed north a block and stopped to look at this fountain. Was it corporate art? I saw no large businesses set up anywhere.

On top of being a brisk day, with the large amount of diversely colored leaves that collected in this fountain, I began to feel like fall was here. I noticed the banzai tree attached to the fountain.

I looked around and found something etched in stone.

It seems that this is a fountain that has to do with forestry. Why is it here? Was there an award granted to the fountain, or was the fountain the award for a forestry piece?

At this point, I walked north a few more blocks and saw the run down Kiggins Theatre in the background. What my camera saw was the obvious signs of fall.

We crossed over Mill Plain on Main. I noticed the steam/smoke coming from the massage parlor. I questioned this as well, but came up with no answers.

I thought about my photography and what I like to take photos of. As i passed the 15th Street Pub and saw a nice reflection and it brought me back to the old days when I bought my first Cannon SLR. I took this one for old time sake.

At one of the lecture halls on Main, Halloween decor was already in place. I am reminded to buy those pumpkin candy corns that I love so very much that are only available in the month of October.

I turned right here.

Though I wasn't on a photo shoot, I thought I would take one that might have some artistic merit.

Something about the size of this guy and the lighting coming through the trees made me uneasy.

Then... I couldn't help but take photos for myself.

I had been brought back to my early days of college the first time around when the weather was brisk, and the leaves were falling.

I found myself in the uptown village district and I thought I had ended my walk... Then I ran into my friend Crystal who, coincidentally had her new digital SLR with her!

I disbanded the walk and we had dinner at hulaboys. I do not recall the route we took but the walk was disbanded for 3 hours and we ended up near the river to take night photos. The mood was cold and quiet. Only the sounds of traffic from the I5 bridge would warm my freezing hands that had trouble taking pictures.

We were interested in the graffiti murals and wondered how they would turn out in a night photography setting.

In conclusion, the moon was high and the lights shone brilliantly off the water. A strong finish to a random adventure.

Species of spaces - The street

2008-10-06T14:17:00.000-07:00

George Pierce makes interesting observations about the way we use space in relation to cities and what the roads and buildings mean in context to society and the way we move.

I enjoyed the section on the spatial exercises. He gives an example of what to record when we do our spatial city walk: from the rhythm of the traffic, to what the women are wearing, to the individual routines people are carrying out. Within this exercise, the narrative element becomes apparent in merely recording what we see and the questions we should ask ourselves.

As Pierce suggested, it may be an interesting experiment to do this in four different seasons during the year where the weather will be different, the people will dress differently, and how their actions change.

On the Wrights & Sites: A manifesto for a new walking culture, these three walking artists take a different "suit" and write about a particular idea or manifesto about walking culture.

spatial practices.

2008-10-01T14:50:00.000-07:00

This is a very difficult article.

the article sounds like it talks about designing cities in relation to how people live and move in them. there was one part i almost understood what they were talking about. i get confused by his analogies, such as detours relating to "turns of phrase" within a conversation...