The message of my project is heavily related to ‘psychogeography’ - the practice of exploration or travel in an environment led by curiosity. Psychogeography is about exploring your surroundings on your travels, but also finding your way to new places because of the curiosity to follow new routes. Psychogeography is also about appreciating the smaller, finer details in a journey - something else my project focuses on. Psychogeography was something I wasn’t properly aware of until I started researching last semester, and it ties in with my project very well, with the exploration and appreciation aspects echoing my subject.

One of the interesting authors to cover psychogeography is Iain Sinclair, who is widely known as a ‘Psychogeographer’. One of the books relating to my study was Sinclair’s ‘London Orbital’ - a book documenting his journey around the M25 on foot in several stages. Something that stands out to me about Sinclair is that until one reads his work, it sounds dull and unappealing to most, but his work really brings to light the strong imagery of his journeys. Sinclair manages to create an engaging account of his journeys, focusing on all the details overlooked by the majority and putting them into words that really change your view of the surroundings. Writing is something I have always been interested in, and the way he translates his journeys into an interesting story is inspiring. In a similar way to what I aim to say, Sinclair really puts across the message that any journey has a deep story behind it.

Another book I found interesting and engaging to read was ‘Waterlog: A Swimmer’s Journey Through Britain’ by Roger Deakin. Water Log is an account of Roger Deakin’s journey, swimming his way across Britain. This was actually a book I already owned as the idea of wild swimming and exploration was something that really appealed to me. This book also linked in well with my ideas for my project as the book was all about his journey around Britain and appreciating his surroundings, rather than focusing on getting to a specific location. Deakin’s writing creates an incredibly strong image in your mind of his surroundings, sensations and mood, bringing his journey to life. One thing I really enjoy about Deakin’s book is the unusual, but beautiful nature of his journey. I found Deakin’s enthusiasm and his attitude towards the appreciation and importance of his journey very refreshing and inspiring.

I’ve also watched ‘Robinson in Space’ - a film in which an unseen researcher named Robinson and a travelling companion embark on a journey to ‘investigate the problem of England’. Interestingly, the ‘problem’ is never explained or even solved, but the film moves in an unusual and unpredictable way, in which they arrive at various locations and explain the areas story and their movements. The film was almost confusing to watch, but the appreciation and new take on locations really interested me and helped me to realise more potential within urban surroundings and unusual locations.

https://vimeo.com/41410087