Dovedale – the all encompassing view that Ilam embraces. My residency this week has, by default, been all about this. Walking the lost paths that I have worked out and discovered (hours of old and newer maps – transposing routes to work with new OS maps. I chose, as always not to do this digitally by with analogue technology – pencil and papered compass.)
On walking them out I was bombarded by questions flowing out of me.
John Muir, environmentalist and explorer was right:
‘When we try to pick out anything by itself, we find it hitched to everything else in the universe.”
I stooped and scribbled these thoughts down, shaded by a fine Ash tree.
The View………
What does it mean?
Who’s allowed it?
How accessible is it?
How do we measure it?
What is our response to it?
What are the benefits?
Who is affected?
Suddenly it seemed I was on the wrong track, not literally but the connections were too great to be confident of this type of walk being an artwork. I couldn’t place my hand on it. I finished early. All paths complete. Not rushed but not given the time that I thought I would have done.
Hamish Fulton said in one of his pieces:
“A walk has a life of its own and does not need to be materialised into an artwork”
I have a few days of reflection now before heading back – who knows where this journey will lead.
