Representations of Embodiment: Implications for Fine Art and Geographical Information Science  - “Chat Moss”
2003 - 2005

Participants
Derek Hampson (Artist and AHRB Fellow)
Gary Priestnall

Funding
Arts and Humanities Research Board

Edited volume containing book
chapter (see outputs below) and Derek Hampson's
ceiling painting on the cover published in 2008.

Project Overview
‘Representations of Embodiment’ built upon several Art-Geography collaborations which explored the common ground between artist and geographic representation of landscape. The previous project ‘Mapping Change’ paired geographers and artists to create certain thematic representations of a common urban landscape, Hawley Square in Margate, Kent, UK. ‘Representations of Embodiment’ focussed specifically upon representation from the perspectives of figurative painting and Geographical Information Science. The project was funded under the Arts and Humanities Research Board (AHRB) and Arts Council England (ACE) Science-Art Fellowship scheme which allowed artists to work within the contexts of other disciplines. Through exploration of geographic information alongside direct encounter with the landscape the project has explored the creation of a phenomenologically informed artistic representation of a place in the landscape, Chat Moss in Lancashire, England (see below). Chat Moss was chosen because of its historical significance, the site of the world’s first passenger railway, and also because of its present anti-picturesque appearance. Although the project scheme focussed primarily on artistic outcomes there have been several interesting developments in terms of the implications for GIScience data capture, knowledge representation and visualisation.

Research Outcomes

Priestnall, G. and Hampson, D. (2008) Landscape Visualisation: Science and Art. In Dodge, M, McDerby, M., and Turner, M. (eds) Geographic Visualization: Concepts, Tools and Applications. Wiley.

Hampson, D. and Priestnall, G. (2005) Chat Moss CMG Nottingham ISBN:1-870-522-42-7 [more]

Priestnall, G. and Hampson, D. (2005) GIScience – Art collaborations: Experiences and Implications Proceedings of the 13th Annual Geographical Information Science Research UK Conference (GISRUK ’05), University of Glasgow, 6-8th April 2005, 507-512

Related Links
www.chatmoss.co.uk