Mapping

Through looking at how narratives are built up through the unconscious, I have also started looking at decay and loss of resolution through time. This could be a consideration of archiving. By looking at the idea of a map, I have tried to distinguish my project where it is at the moment, and create a devise that can be carried forward throughout my final year. This is simply a sketch book, however carrying on the idea of a palimpsest I have three sections to it.

The original document – 120 gsm paper
Tracing paper
Carbon Copy Paper

This sketch book has a layer of all three before moving onto the next section. This is because by having the carbon copy paper I will have a compressed archive, a ‘one time telling’ if you like of each sketch book. The carbon paper will be used to make a copy of each sketch that I do, so at the end you will have a compressed palimpsest of my work. The next layer is the tracing paper, the reason why this is here is so that I can rip out each drawing and see my idea morph as my process develops. It may be that I develop a way of presenting this and keeping this archived. Finally you are left with the original sketch book, the hard copy. This is so you can physically trace the ideas, and how they have progressed.

Through creating this map my thoughts have developed to experiments that I want to carry out throughout the coming week:

• By having a tape recorder and a vhs recorder I want to record over and over the same article, so that slowly the clarity will dissolve and you will be left with a sound rather than individual words and the video will have a similar outcome. This is because as you re record the tape starts to decay, and as you build up the layers…it starts to morph into something else.
• I will try a similar thing with the blackboard, by writing scrubbing out and re recording; I will be left with a physical palimpsest; as you can never completely scrub out the past sketches on the board.
  I want to carry on looking at eye witness testimonies and look at how through the user the same situation can change. Like Chinese whispers or how stories are passed through generations. I want to start looking at the user as the palimpsest rather than a physical outcome.
• One of the original experiments that I carried out, by taking a photograph every 5 minutes through out my day; I want to carry on experimenting with. However I want to carry it on throughout the week, and look at different ways in which I can influence the outcome. Could I do this by somebody taking an image of me and my movements, or of what I am seeing, a bird’s eye view, or a view from the ground? These are all concepts that I want to develop.
• A simple quick experiment that I want to consider is by taking a book out of the library and looking at the notes and extracts highlighted, and creating a new book for that user. By editing it to their specifications and needs, can you create a totally new outcome?
• Something that also interest me is secret messages. For example Morse code looks like one thing when you originally look at it, however it has a totally different understanding and meaning, when you translate it. Looking at the idea of initial perception and hidden depths through layers.
  

I also want to start looking at the following books that have been recommended to me.

Oulipo Compndium, edited by Hary Mathews, Alastair Brotehue
The unfortunates, B.S. Johnson
Secret Messages, William.S.Butler, L. Douglas Keeney
Exercises in Style, Raymond Queneau253, Geoff Ryman