These unique handmade collages are inspired by the experience of walking around Richmond and are part of an ongoing exploration of how to represent GPS data in my work. This article describes the thinking behind the work.
The work includes several ideas and areas of interest that frequently recur in my work, for example – the experience of walking, the variations encountered in our daily lives, recording my experience of a place in data, observing patterns in nature and in the built environment, and the exploration of colour and pattern in handmade printmaking.
The overall composition and colour scheme is based on a visualisation of GPS data (specifically altitude data) collected while walking. The specific shapes and patterns in the ‘tiles’ are inspired by the natural features along the River Swale and the man-made features of Richmond town centre.
Each tile represents one altitude data point selected at regular intervals from the whole GPS data set. The data is grouped into 5 bands.
The tiles have been cut from handmade collagraph prints. The navy tiles represent the lower altitude section of the walk, along the river. The patterns in the prints are based on natural forms observed during this section of the walk.
The maroon tiles represent the higher sections of the walk, through the town centre. The patterns in the tiles are inspired by the geometric shapes and patterns in the architecture of the town centre.
The tiles with green gradient sections represent altitude data in between the lowest and highest bands, i.e. walking down to the river or up to the town.
The tiles have been randomly sequenced to create a balanced composition of colour and pattern.