simplify: strip the context Unsurprisingly, the previous ways of analysis were carried out from a human perspective. The fundamental problem of dissecting a path through photographs of edge states was its overflowing context. Though natural tracks were walked on less frequently than paved ones, traffic's visual contours made them easy to detect. Crucially, breaking free from an analytic human perspective, new paths may be found, or in this case, missed. We built models to reduce and abstract the volume of visual data found on any path. With decreased information, pathways can only be speculated. Paths that are visually obvious become illegible. It was now easy to imagine how an animal, unaware of human courses, might see the area. For aquatic species, it was the waterways that were the primary means of transportation. Land animals used a variety of terrain for travelling, seeing only the water and structures as constraints. Birds used landmarks such as the tops of trees and higher edges of buildings for their orientation. It is fascinating, especially in contrast to humans, how little importance fauna places on sticking to the beaten path.
The fundamental problem with photographic analysis, conducted from a human standpoint, as is customary, is a site's overflowing context. Breaking this custom by separating oneself was important to gain a new perspective. As a means of documentation, model building decreased the amount of visual data and broadened the perception of the research. The focus has shifted from an individual to a more extensive range of site users. Five paper models each portray a separate area of the routes. Now, with reduced information, the pathways could only be guessed at. Paths that once had clear indicators are now completely incomprehensible. Context is absent from the initial models. The addition of color accentuates the ground, water, and treetops, all used by varied forms of fauna, disregarding any solid route. The previously documented but now concealed manmade route is finally exposed.
Yana Kigel
22
on site review 42: atlas :: being in place
:: complex systems
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