When I watched the Coal Video, I was struck by a comment made by one of the individuals in response to the Coal Mining industry. The speaker mentioned that the company just wanted to use the land until it was depleted, and that they would then sell it off.
I was thinking about how there are different concepts of land ownership, and what those different ideas mean to different individuals.
A common theme in land ownership is the neutrally subjective demarcation of borders surrounding or enclosing an area. Once an area has become conceptually separate from the space that surrounds it, it can be owned, sold, leased, and traded.
What people actually choose to do with land ownership can vary drastically. Individuals may choose to profit from exploitation of all the resources present (water, soil, minerals, etc.). They may also choose to grow food or other commodities. They may place a road through it or feel a sense of responsibility for historic preservation. Whatever choice is made to change or alter the landscape is not what strikes me as most interesting here.
I am most interested in how placemaking is required to stake a claim on something separate from oneself. By placemaking, I mean to say the mental steps that are taken to determine the meaning of something or someplace.
I am thinking about the different modes of operation (personal and public) that are followed when dealing with formulating a conception of place. How does one structure their understanding of where they are and what a place is, and how does this affect the ways that they interact with something or someone?
It occurred to me that I am not altogether certain of how I conceive of place. I am interested in exploring my relationship to land and my physical interaction with it. How can I be more open-minded or take into consideration different ways of relating to people and places? What kind of preconceptions do I have of a place, and how does an expectation of ownership shade or alter those conceptions? How can an awareness of land issues inform my own self awareness?
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ReplyDeleteElizabeth Shores
Coal Response
UNM Art & Ecology – Creating Change
Fall 2012
When I watched the Coal Video, I was struck by a comment made by one of the individuals in response to the Coal Mining industry. The speaker mentioned that the company just wanted to use the land until it was depleted, and that they would then sell it off.
I was thinking about how there are different concepts of land ownership, and what those different ideas mean to different individuals.
A common theme in land ownership is the neutrally subjective demarcation of borders surrounding or enclosing an area. Once an area has become conceptually separate from the space that surrounds it, it can be owned, sold, leased, and traded.
What people actually choose to do with land ownership can vary drastically. Individuals may choose to profit from exploitation of all the resources present (water, soil, minerals, etc.). They may also choose to grow food or other commodities. They may place a road through it or feel a sense of responsibility for historic preservation. Whatever choice is made to change or alter the landscape is not what strikes me as most interesting here.
I am most interested in how placemaking is required to stake a claim on something separate from oneself. By placemaking, I mean to say the mental steps that are taken to determine the meaning of something or someplace.
I am thinking about the different modes of operation (personal and public) that are followed when dealing with formulating a conception of place. How does one structure their understanding of where they are and what a place is, and how does this affect the ways that they interact with something or someone?
It occurred to me that I am not altogether certain of how I conceive of place. I am interested in exploring my relationship to land and my physical interaction with it. How can I be more open-minded or take into consideration different ways of relating to people and places? What kind of preconceptions do I have of a place, and how does an expectation of ownership shade or alter those conceptions? How can an awareness of land issues inform my own self awareness?