Geospatial What?


I was in an art fair recently where the judge tried to cram as many $10 terms into a 50 word judge's statement as was humanly possible. It has many of us with too much time on our hands racing to the community center public use computer and going to on line dictionaries. And ending up in philosophical discussions about how the term was applied.

One of those terms was geospatial cultural influences. Basically that is how the land in which we live influences our culture and ergo our art. By that determination I believe I am part Navajo in culture, because we love the same land.

But it does not merely explain what I paint but it also explains what people buy to hang on their walls. So clearly I paint the wrong things for the visitors from the plains. But then I also live in the wrong space to nurture my geospatial cultural heart. But then priests don't all live in Rome.

So what is my relationship with the geography around me? I grew up in New Mexico - split between the mountains and the high dry mesas. Maybe part of my heart belongs in both.

Comments

  1. Recovering TeacherAugust 3, 2009 at 9:07 AM

    When I was teaching social studies I always tried to bring as much of the various elements of geography into the lessons as I could. I was fortunate enough to actually get to do some training at National Geographic, as well as working with geographers from other parts of the country. If I could just focus on that (and not have to deal with contentious children) I might consider going back to teaching one day.

    ReplyDelete
  2. The Blog of BeeAugust 6, 2009 at 11:32 AM

    Catfish: I already have my eyes on two pieces when the bank balance improves! So you'll have to get past me first!

    This is definitely an interesting topic. Do you really think that a JBB piece of art would look out of place in Cloggyland? I'm not sure - I think it depends amongst other things on a) one's decor and b) where one hangs it.

    ReplyDelete

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