I am drawn to water places, the beach a trout stream, the river side. I was born in California and have vivid memories of walking along the beach exploring, body surfing in the waves and building things in the sand. I moved with my family to New York state when I was 6 and I grew up on an island in the middle of the Niagara river. We water skied, snorkeled, fished, and boated through the summer. We skated on the canals in winter and thrilled at the break up of the ice every Spring. Even now my favorite place to vacation is the beach. Since coming to Wyoming I have discovered small stream fly fishing. I can go out to my favorite stream and spend hours completely alone and not expect to see another person the whole time. The sound of water falling over a ledge or bubbling through smooth stones is very soothing and refreshing.
Its wonderful that you have found your "water places" even in the landlocked state of Wyoming. Sorry, but I think fishing is supper boring but when I get dragged into one of these outings I will try not to complain. I'll bring my sketchbook and draw the place instead of fishing it!
Place is an abstract idea of many different things. You can be from a place or going to a place. So there is a physical component of place. It can be a exact spot with a latitude and longitude. Or it can be more it can be a region of space an area of similar things.
Place can be mental place. A mindset that you have or that you share with others. Or one that you have on your own. I have often heard students say that they are not in a place to learn today, especially after hearing news of not going home.
“Place” means a location or physical point to me from previous usage or definition. It is my home, my town, my country, my world, like Worland, Wyoming. It can also be a location such as a window ledge, cupboard, or shelf, such as a dish's location. My position in a social context can also be a "place", like as a daughter, or third child or secretary. I understand that "place" may mean something different in the Art context. This is what I expect to learn.
I had not thought about imagination as a place but I can see how it can be so. I think that youth today may misuse words by assigning them a definition that is not correct.
Say Varian, My place was my home also but looking at Kadria's post I do agree that I have some friends that are in a different mindset place that I would like to explore more.They almost use it in a way to manage stress.
I define place by the people I surround myself with. A sense of place, for me, is nonexistent without loved ones to fill the space with energy and enthusiasm. It is formed through connections of affection and trust; in this bond to others I feel safe and secure.
Do you have any private places that are only for you? Sometimes it's nicety getaway from everybody, I never had a physical place that was as empty as some I've been to in Wyoming and I treasure those alone times...
To me place is a location that I or someone has a connection to. This could be a physical connection or an emotional connection. It could be as small as your favorite chair to read in or as big as a country. Place could also be a made up location that only exists in your head or an emotion. Place could be a feeling of belonging, your home, a vacation spot, or a dream. For me personally place is somewhere that I have been or want to go to. As a kid my favorite place was my Girl Scout camp. I knew every trail, creek, and river, even some that were just animal trails. Currently favorite place is my most recent vacation to the Coast. One of the beaches that I went to was actually off of a rest stop on the highway. There were caves and rock covered in barnacles! My experiences and memories from that beach are what makes it the place that it is for me. A place has a story; a memory that someone created there whether it is good or bad.
Place to me is my Home in Kaycee Wyoming. I built it five miles north of Kaycee 22 years ago for my wife Elaine and two boys Andrew and Levi and any animals that the boys would bring home.
When I think of place, I automatically think of comfortable places. My mind goes to my home and my studio and my corner of Wyoming. My concept of place has been influenced by Lucy Lippard’s definition, “Space combined with memory defines place.” It is an interesting exercise to try to imagine space without memory. If you can think of it, you’ve been there in one form or another, and thus you have a memory of that space so it becomes a place.
I also think of my mind and my body as places. We often talk about being in “a good place” when we are happy, or being in a “bad place” when we’re depressed. It is very easy for me to “get lost” in my mind. In fact, it’s a natural tendency that I have to fight. I have to fight this tendency because it makes me forget about being in my body.
"if place is where is culture lived, then space is their union" The Lure of the Local http://www.asu.edu/courses/aph294/total-readings/lippard%20--%20thelureofthelocal.pdf
The concept of place for me is both physical and metaphorical. It is a location, a space where things happen; it is the sum total of all that has ever happened as well as all that may be waiting to unfold. I don't think that it is dependent on the human experience although it includes the human experience, the more-than-human experience as well as all that is biotic and abiotic. In other words, in this place in Wyoming, the wind is ubiquitous -- it is as much a part of this place as the humans who live here and the geology under our feet. Was it a "place" before humans? Was it a "place" before we moved beyond meeting our most basic needs and had the luxury of stepping outside the grind of survival and observing our location and considering that other places might be different -- better or worse? I think so. Even though concepts are human inventions (a way to understand the world and our place in it), they are based on that which is real. So places are real. And they are metaphors for all that we love, hate, avoid, embrace.
Say Sylvia, I like how you put that a place can be physical and metaphorical. My place has always been my home but I'm looking in to a mindset in ways to manage stress.
Place for me can be an actual place or a place in time and memory. These places have varying degrees of importance to me. The most important place for me is a place of the heart and that place is wherever the people I love are.
I've definitely been in places that I love and places I dislike. For me, it there has been an energy, a rhythm, to each place I have encountered. In some places I can quickly sync my personal rhythm with that of the location. In others, I feel out of step and unsure of myself. That is not always bad, but I believe it is easy to interpret that discomfort as a negative and quickly dismiss a place.
Before grad school, I was enamored with plants, specifically their defense mechanisms. I haven't looked at those collections in many, many years. Last night I brought in my box of bagged up specimens and went through them with Ashley-- "Wow, you like mean plants!" Just like the spikes and spines of plans, I seem to find beauty in even the most desolate places. I like to sit in quiet and meditate. I find cities jarring most of the time, but can be in them when needed. There's a different kind of beauty there too, even for me.
Heather, your explanation and idea of energy of a place resonates with me. It's sometimes the things we can see, but those that we sense that help define a place for me. When something isn't quite right, I tend to sit with it and ask why. Maybe it will never feel right, but I don't necessarily ascribe a negative value to that.
Posting a bit late in the week, and in response to Casky Russell's discussion on the native perspective of place, I'm interested in the notion of "storied landscape" - how our narratives are shaped by the spaces in which we exist. I'm interested in exploring the relationship between the landscape and our selves (our inner landscapes, if you will...) I'm drawn to places that tell stories and/or that make my own story. I've been working on a project these past years involving collecting objects from places I have lived. (It was only today I've ever considered it to be a "project" - I've never consciously gone to a place with such intentions. Rather... It just happens.) I have jars of river stones from my summer in Northern California; sea glass from that week in Italy; pressed flowers from a summer spent on a farm. While living in Brooklyn for three years, I took to picking up trinkets (what most people would consider trash...) off the street: A tiny plastic hippo found in the park; earrings missing their pair; marbles; all kinds of random things lost and forgotten on the sidewalks of the cities. I even took my hefty collection of Brooklyn objects and arranged them in the tiny rooms of an old type drawer (I like to pretend like it's art...). When I moved to Laramie, I found myself collecting objects here as well - though these objects tend to be from the many hikes I take: pinecones; animal bones; chunks of obsidian ... Reflecting on this slightly strange obsession of mine to collect things/objects from my many homes - I might conclude that these items create portraits of those places for me. I keep them to remember those places. Each item holds its own story that is mine but that also belongs to the place where it was gathered. Anyway - I'm rambling (as I tend to do) ... back to my original thought regarding "storied landscape" - I consider place to be not merely that physical space in the world, but the history that happens there.
Place is location in space, time and/or imagination. Where you are were or can be.
ReplyDeleteDave, what are places that resonate with you?
ReplyDeleteI am drawn to water places, the beach a trout stream, the river side. I was born in California and have vivid memories of walking along the beach exploring, body surfing in the waves and building things in the sand. I moved with my family to New York state when I was 6 and I grew up on an island in the middle of the Niagara river. We water skied, snorkeled, fished, and boated through the summer. We skated on the canals in winter and thrilled at the break up of the ice every Spring. Even now my favorite place to vacation is the beach. Since coming to Wyoming I have discovered small stream fly fishing. I can go out to my favorite stream and spend hours completely alone and not expect to see another person the whole time. The sound of water falling over a ledge or bubbling through smooth stones is very soothing and refreshing.
DeleteThat sounds lovely! Are there places that don't resonate in that same way? Why don't they?
DeleteIts wonderful that you have found your "water places" even in the landlocked state of Wyoming. Sorry, but I think fishing is supper boring but when I get dragged into one of these outings I will try not to complain. I'll bring my sketchbook and draw the place instead of fishing it!
DeletePlace is an abstract idea of many different things. You can be from a place or going to a place. So there is a physical component of place. It can be a exact spot with a latitude and longitude. Or it can be more it can be a region of space an area of similar things.
ReplyDeletePlace can be mental place. A mindset that you have or that you share with others. Or one that you have on your own. I have often heard students say that they are not in a place to learn today, especially after hearing news of not going home.
Place can be more.
Kadria,
DeleteI like how you said a place could be a mental place.
I have some students / friends that are at a mindset that I would like to explore more.
Kadria, you said place could be more... like what?
DeleteWhat is place to you?
ReplyDelete“Place” means a location or physical point to me from previous usage or definition. It is my home, my town, my country, my world, like Worland, Wyoming. It can also be a location such as a window ledge, cupboard, or shelf, such as a dish's location. My position in a social context can also be a "place", like as a daughter, or third child or secretary. I understand that "place" may mean something different in the Art context. This is what I expect to learn.
I had not thought about imagination as a place but I can see how it can be so. I think that youth today may misuse words by assigning them a definition that is not correct.
DeleteSay Varian,
DeleteMy place was my home also but looking at Kadria's post I do agree that I have some friends that are in a different mindset place that I would like to explore more.They almost use it in a way to manage stress.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteI define place by the people I surround myself with. A sense of place, for me, is nonexistent without loved ones to fill the space with energy and enthusiasm. It is formed through connections of affection and trust; in this bond to others I feel safe and secure.
ReplyDeleteI agree that place is wrapped up in the people close to you. There is truth in the old cliche, "home is where the heart is"
DeleteDo you have any private places that are only for you? Sometimes it's nicety getaway from everybody, I never had a physical place that was as empty as some I've been to in Wyoming and I treasure those alone times...
DeleteI define place as a moment in time, a place that I have been to in my dreams or in real life. I also think spaces with emotional connections.
ReplyDeleteTo me place is a location that I or someone has a connection to. This could be a physical connection or an emotional connection. It could be as small as your favorite chair to read in or as big as a country. Place could also be a made up location that only exists in your head or an emotion. Place could be a feeling of belonging, your home, a vacation spot, or a dream. For me personally place is somewhere that I have been or want to go to. As a kid my favorite place was my Girl Scout camp. I knew every trail, creek, and river, even some that were just animal trails. Currently favorite place is my most recent vacation to the Coast. One of the beaches that I went to was actually off of a rest stop on the highway. There were caves and rock covered in barnacles! My experiences and memories from that beach are what makes it the place that it is for me. A place has a story; a memory that someone created there whether it is good or bad.
ReplyDeletePlace to me is my Home in Kaycee Wyoming.
ReplyDeleteI built it five miles north of Kaycee 22 years ago for my wife Elaine and two boys Andrew and Levi and any animals that the boys would bring home.
When I think of place, I automatically think of comfortable places. My mind goes to my home and my studio and my corner of Wyoming. My concept of place has been influenced by Lucy Lippard’s definition, “Space combined with memory defines place.” It is an interesting exercise to try to imagine space without memory. If you can think of it, you’ve been there in one form or another, and thus you have a memory of that space so it becomes a place.
ReplyDeleteI also think of my mind and my body as places. We often talk about being in “a good place” when we are happy, or being in a “bad place” when we’re depressed. It is very easy for me to “get lost” in my mind. In fact, it’s a natural tendency that I have to fight. I have to fight this tendency because it makes me forget about being in my body.
"if place is where is culture lived, then space is their union"
ReplyDeleteThe Lure of the Local
http://www.asu.edu/courses/aph294/total-readings/lippard%20--%20thelureofthelocal.pdf
Lippard speaks of the Axis Muni in this book, meaning home or the place where we feel most grounded, and centered. What are these places for you?
Delete*axis mundi-- I typed incorrectly, whoops.
DeleteThe concept of place for me is both physical and metaphorical. It is a location, a space where things happen; it is the sum total of all that has ever happened as well as all that may be waiting to unfold. I don't think that it is dependent on the human experience although it includes the human experience, the more-than-human experience as well as all that is biotic and abiotic. In other words, in this place in Wyoming, the wind is ubiquitous -- it is as much a part of this place as the humans who live here and the geology under our feet. Was it a "place" before humans? Was it a "place" before we moved beyond meeting our most basic needs and had the luxury of stepping outside the grind of survival and observing our location and considering that other places might be different -- better or worse? I think so. Even though concepts are human inventions (a way to understand the world and our place in it), they are based on that which is real. So places are real. And they are metaphors for all that we love, hate, avoid, embrace.
ReplyDeleteSylvia,
DeleteCan you give an example of a "place" that has no history?
Say Sylvia,
DeleteI like how you put that a place can be physical and metaphorical.
My place has always been my home but I'm looking in to a mindset in ways to manage stress.
Place for me can be an actual place or a place in time and memory. These places have varying degrees of importance to me. The most important place for me is a place of the heart and that place is wherever the people I love are.
ReplyDeleteHi
DeleteWhy do we love certain places and hate other places, or maybe not even give some places the time of day?
ReplyDeleteKatie,
DeleteAs Elaine and I look around for places where we would like retire we are keeping an open mine.
I've definitely been in places that I love and places I dislike. For me, it there has been an energy, a rhythm, to each place I have encountered. In some places I can quickly sync my personal rhythm with that of the location. In others, I feel out of step and unsure of myself. That is not always bad, but I believe it is easy to interpret that discomfort as a negative and quickly dismiss a place.
DeleteBefore grad school, I was enamored with plants, specifically their defense mechanisms. I haven't looked at those collections in many, many years. Last night I brought in my box of bagged up specimens and went through them with Ashley-- "Wow, you like mean plants!" Just like the spikes and spines of plans, I seem to find beauty in even the most desolate places. I like to sit in quiet and meditate. I find cities jarring most of the time, but can be in them when needed. There's a different kind of beauty there too, even for me.
ReplyDeleteHeather, your explanation and idea of energy of a place resonates with me. It's sometimes the things we can see, but those that we sense that help define a place for me. When something isn't quite right, I tend to sit with it and ask why. Maybe it will never feel right, but I don't necessarily ascribe a negative value to that.
Posting a bit late in the week, and in response to Casky Russell's discussion on the native perspective of place, I'm interested in the notion of "storied landscape" - how our narratives are shaped by the spaces in which we exist. I'm interested in exploring the relationship between the landscape and our selves (our inner landscapes, if you will...) I'm drawn to places that tell stories and/or that make my own story.
ReplyDeleteI've been working on a project these past years involving collecting objects from places I have lived. (It was only today I've ever considered it to be a "project" - I've never consciously gone to a place with such intentions. Rather... It just happens.) I have jars of river stones from my summer in Northern California; sea glass from that week in Italy; pressed flowers from a summer spent on a farm. While living in Brooklyn for three years, I took to picking up trinkets (what most people would consider trash...) off the street: A tiny plastic hippo found in the park; earrings missing their pair; marbles; all kinds of random things lost and forgotten on the sidewalks of the cities. I even took my hefty collection of Brooklyn objects and arranged them in the tiny rooms of an old type drawer (I like to pretend like it's art...). When I moved to Laramie, I found myself collecting objects here as well - though these objects tend to be from the many hikes I take: pinecones; animal bones; chunks of obsidian ... Reflecting on this slightly strange obsession of mine to collect things/objects from my many homes - I might conclude that these items create portraits of those places for me. I keep them to remember those places. Each item holds its own story that is mine but that also belongs to the place where it was gathered.
Anyway - I'm rambling (as I tend to do) ... back to my original thought regarding "storied landscape" - I consider place to be not merely that physical space in the world, but the history that happens there.