Blake Morris: Memory, Proposal, Exchange
Walking is a memory practice. There is no way to remember, nor record, every aspect of the walk. I took no pictures, and few notes, which I have since misplaced. I retain only the memories:
A sense of euphoria upon arriving back in London—warm fuzzy feeling of walking through beautiful surroundings with interested and interesting colleagues.
Hilary invading Kris’ bubble.
How could we invade our own bubble? What is the value of ‘retreat’?
The mishaps of solo practice being shared by a group: unplanned diversions, changes in the landscape, fuzzy memories, disputed pedometers, group timings. How long is too long to sit on the hill and feel the wind. Where are the hippies dancing naked by the fire? Are they accessible by phone?
The Pram descending the hill.
What is our relationship to the community of CAT, the farms through which we are trekking, the pub for our (mid-point/final) drink.
Eating and drinking as the production of knowledge; the importance of informal discourse; calories, calories, calories.
A shadow that is there and not there.
How do we share an ephemeral practice? It is both there and not there, depending on when you encounter it.
A group emerges, if only temporarily. But potential connections resonate. Listening trumpets in NYC. York New York. The wider WAN.
To put into words is to do some disservice to the memory. Instead, I offer a walking proposal-with a hope to continue the exchange:
Google the name of your town, city, neighbourhood. Notice where Google plants its pin on the map. Put down your phone and leave all maps behind. Walk to the pin. Create a walking instruction in response to your walk. Share your instruction.
A type of walking chain, to uncover new tensions, encourage new dialogues, and create more opportunities to walk.
Two days ago, I completed the walking task I set forth with two other walkers: Danya Mahni Gomez-Douglass, and Simona Grasso. We set off from our flat to find Orwell Ave and Ravenshill Road, the center of Upton Park according to google. After a few wrong turns and some backtracking we found our intended location. Oh what joy we felt at the discovery!
We created the following walk in response to our experience. Please try it out, and create your own walking response:
Wait for a day when the sun comes out after it rains. Walk into the sun and find a wet surface that reflects the light. Listen for the sounds of children at play. Walk towards the sound.