Deep Encounters is a Walking the Land project conceived of by Janette Kerr.
Deep Encounters is a multifaceted mapping of a small piece of land involving artists working in different areas/location. At its centre is the perception of a space in a much more intricate way than normal.
Janette Kerr
There is a patch of woodland in the municipal park near my house where I will be walking regularly. It is in the middle of a residential area, overlooked by many tenement flats, and the trees in it have a view of the sea. To one side there is a newer coppice with smaller trees planted by the community.
Surrounded by grass and a playpark, it is well-used but not always respected, with a great deal of rubbish ending up there, one way or another. There have been burnings, graffiti and other damage done. There is a great variety of trees and other undergrowth, and I’m guessing that birds inhabit it and animals visit.
Although I have spent some time at Granton Crescent Park in the past, my aim is to continue to show it some appreciation – after all, it is the closest I get to countryside here in the city. Paying attention to somewhere changes me and it may even be that I change it, although I would not seek to interfere. I will get to know the place further – listening, watching, touching, smelling and even tasting. The landscape and I will be in a more continuous relationship, and who knows what will arise. It will be interesting to see what artwork comes through as the seasons turn and we get used to each other.
I will add to this blog as the project progresses.
Walking without a donkey 