19/1 - How has my research helped me so far?

The first piece of research from today was collecting the responses to my question. I was quite pleased with the number of responses since the question was up over Wednesday when most people wouldn't be in the studios. After seeing the responses, I have decided to move away from the idea of a literal time capsule to a more metaphorical sense of preservation. Even though this research has not directly helped me, it is still useful as it led me to focus on the idea of the map as a way of recording and preserving memories, rather than physical objects. Also, I found the survey an enjoyable research method, and in the future I would like to conduct similar surveys (although I would also try to make the questions more specific, and also not anonymous so that I could find out more about each response).

My books about maps are really interesting, and they inspire a huge range of possibilities in therms of the layout (linear routes, illustrations of places or features, geographically accurate or based on my memories), format (physical, hand drawn, mass produced, printed onto textiles, a digital interactive map) and purpose (a guide to a journey or area, a piece of art in itself, making it navigable or not) of the map. These books have helped me to begin my new strain of research and supported the formation of my idea.

My other research, particularly the collaborative exercise with the childhood drawings and the trips to the Tate Modern and the British Museum, has also been extremely useful in leading me to the core idea of my piece, which is about memory, preservation and attachment to place. This initial research has perhaps been the most useful, as it has shaped the core of my ideas for this project, whereas the other research has helped with other, less essential aspects of the project.

Arrival - reflection

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