Wayfaring and Creative Practice in Tropical Far North Queensland Landscapes

Authors

  • Jacqueline Scotcher James Cook University

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.25120/etropic.15.2.2016.3541

Keywords:

wayfaring, painting, immersive contemplative practice, tropical Australia

Abstract

Walking and the tropical Far North Queensland landscape of Australia have had a major influence on the author’s creative research. In this paper, immersive practice, which includes walking, is examined as a means to form connections with the natural environment and stimulate imaginative thought. These attributes have developed the author’s painting processes, which endeavour to enrich understandings of the landscapes of tropical far north Queensland. An immersive approach responds to the complexities of increasingly sedentary lifestyles and the tendency to engage with digital distractions in our high speed media-connected world. In this fast-paced realm, meaningful relationships with the natural environment can be reduced, with meandering and imaginative pursuits often becoming neglected. Living in Far North Queensland provides easy access to unique tropical landscapes to engage with. Walking receptively in such natural environments can provide a physical and mental counterpoint to  contemporary fastpaced lifestyles. Furthermore, walking provides opportunities to engage in ‘mindwandering’ and embodied experience that can enrich painting practice.


The research presented in this paper celebrates life in tropical Far North Queensland and highlights the artist’s experience in this particular part of the world. Recently, the 29th of June was designated the International Day of the Tropics by the UN General Assembly, a day founded to raise  awareness and consideration of both the challenges and opportunities faced by tropical regions of the world. (stateofthetropics.org). This designated day provides space for the author/artist to reflect upon the diverse culture and ecosystems of the region and position her artistic practice within a broader context of ideas relating to tropical environments.

Author Biography

Jacqueline Scotcher, James Cook University

Jacqueline is an artist-researcher who is interested in landscapes, exploring human connections with natural environments and the sense of belonging that comes from knowing oneself in place. Painting is the artist’s dominant medium, but drawing, collage, photography and moving image are also processes employed. After moving north to Cairns from northern New South Wales (both in Australia) in 2011 the local tropical environment has become an area of continuous intrigue and focus of Jacqueline’s creative practice. Jacqueline is due to submit her PhD research in 2017 at James Cook University.

References

Andrews, M. (1999). Landscape and western art. Oxford, United Kingdom: Oxford University Press.

Baker, J. (1991). From the landscape: A review of the influence of the landscape in contemporary art. Brisbane, Australia: The Museum of Contemporary Art.

Berman, M., Jonides, J., & Kaplan, S. (2008). The cognitive benefits of interacting with nature. Psychological Science, 19(12), 1207-1212. doi: 10.1111/j.1467-9280.2008.02225.x

Braziller, G. (Ed.). (1991). Richard Long: Walking in circles. New York, NY: George Braziller.

Casey, E. (2005). Earth-mapping: artists reshaping landscape (Vol. N - New). Minneapolis, MN: University of Minnesota Press.

Drake, G. (2003). ‘This place gives me space’: Place and creativity in the creative industries. Geoforum, 34(4), 511-524. doi: 10.1016/S0016-7185(03)00029-0

Edensor, T. (2000). Walking in the British countryside: Reflexivity, embodied practices and ways to escape. Body & Society, 6, 81-106.

Evans, D. (Ed.). (2012). The art of walking: A field guide. London, United Kingdom: Black Dog Publishing.

Folkestone Artworks. (2013). 31 Walks from water to water 1971 – 2010 Hamish Fulton. Retrieved from: http://www.folkestoneartworks.co.uk/artists/hamish-fulton/

Fulton, H. (2010). Walk. Visual Studies, 25(1), 80-14. doi:10.1080/14725861003606696

Gaillet-de Chezelles, F. (2010). Wordsworth, a wandering poet: Walking and poetic creation. Études Anglaises, 63(1), 18-33.

Gompertz, W. (2012). What are you looking at? 150 Years of modern art in the blink of an eye. London, United Kingdom: Viking.

Graham, G. (1997). Philosophy of the arts: An introduction to aesthetics. Abingdon, United Kingdom: Routledge.

Grishin, S. (2013). Australian art: A history. Carlton, Australia: The Miegunyah Press.

Gros, F. (2015). A philosophy of walking. London, United Kingdom: Verso.

Ingold, T. (2007). Lines: A brief history. London, United Kingdom: Routledge.

Ingold, T. (2010). Ways of mind-walking: reading, writing, painting. Visual Studies, 25, 15-23. doi:10.1080/14725861003606712.

Ingold, T. & Vergunst, J.L, (Eds.). (2008) Ways of walking: Ethnography and practice on foot. London, United Kingdom: Ashgate Publishing

Jung, Y. (2014). Mindful walking: The serendipitous journey of community-based ethnography. Qualitative Inquiry, 20, 621-627. doi: 10.1177/1077800413505543.

Levitin, D. (2014). The organized mind: Thinking straight in the age of information overload. London, United Kingdom: Penguin Books.

Levitin, D. (Guest Presenter). (2015, September 5). All in the Mind ABC Radio [Audio podcast]. Retreived from http://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/allinthemind/dr-daniel-j.-levitin/6744490

Luckman, S. (2009). Creativity, the environment and the future of creative lifestyles: Lessons from a creative tropical city. The International Journal of Humanities, 7(6), 1-10.

Macfarlane, R. (2012). The old ways: A journey on foot. London, United Kingdom: Hamish Hamilton.

Merchant, N. (2016). Got a meeting? Take a walk [Video of presentation]. Retrieved from TED: https://www.ted.com/talks/nilofer_merchant_got_a_meeting_take_a_walk/transcript?language

Merleau-Ponty, M., Johnson, G. & Smith, M. (1993). The Merleau-Ponty aesthetics reader: Philosophy and painting. Evanston, IL: The Northwestern University Press.

Morrison-Bell, C., Collier, M., Ingold, T., & Robinson, A. (2013). Walk on. Manchester, United Kingdom: Cornerhouse Publications.

Nietzsche, F. (2013). Twilight of the idols, or how to philosophize with a hammer (D. Fidel Ferrer, Trans.). Leipzig, Germany: Verlag von C. G. Naumann. (Original work published 1889)

Oppezzo, M. & Schwartz, D. (2014). Give your ideas some legs: The positive effect of walking on creative thinking. Journal of Experimental Psychology, 40(4), 1142-1152. doi: 0.1037/a0036577

Schlieker, A. (2011). Folkestone triennial: A million miles from home. United Kingdom: Cultureshock Media.

Smith, B. (2002). A pavane for another time. South Yarra, Australia: Macmillan Art Publishing.

Smith, T. (2011). Contemporary art world currents. London, United Kingdom: Laurence King Publishing.

Solnit, R. (2000). Wanderlust: A history of walking. London, United Kingdom: Penguin Group.

Tate, (2016). Hamish Fulton: Walking journey. Retrieved from: http://www.tate.org.uk/whats-on/tate-britain/exhibition/hamish-fulton-walking-journey

Wilson, G. (1998). Escape artists: Modernists in the tropics. Cairns, Australia: Cairns Regional Gallery.

Downloads

Published

2016-12-20

How to Cite

Scotcher, J. (2016). Wayfaring and Creative Practice in Tropical Far North Queensland Landscapes. ETropic: Electronic Journal of Studies in the Tropics, 15(2). https://doi.org/10.25120/etropic.15.2.2016.3541