It's great to actually see someone else's visual representations of the theory that I've been researching, as it has been quite hard to source so far. Her illustrations were a study from Luton airport in London which was interesting for me, (being from London myself) and her interpretation of the place.
Why did I choose this place, this airport? It was because of this very paradox, a place that is both strange and familiar. I was not particularly drawn to the aesthetics of such a place although I have become so. I was interested in documenting these strange yet familiar spaces in which we spend ever increasing amounts of time; shopping malls, hotels, stations and airports. In this sense, the airport was an understandable choice. I hadn’t anticipated the opinions that I am going to present to you today.
I liked this paragraph as it is the same reasoning behind my choice of the study of shopping centres - a place that is both strange and familiar. Although she isn't drawn to the aesthetics like my essay does, as I discuss the layout and design of the places and how that encourages consumption. Strange yet familiar is what she keeps repeating in this paragraph and within her writings, which reminds me of the uncanny - something I can put in my essay?
"If a space can be defined as relational, historical and concerned with identity, then a space which cannot be defined as relational, historical or concerned with identity will be a non place (Augé 1995)
Augé argues that these non-places don’t integrate with those that have come before. Instead, they promote these existing places to the status of spectacle or ‘places of memory’. He states that non-spaces are defined by their over-abundance of space and contain excessive information. The way we as travellers or visitors relate to non-spaces are through these instructions for use. The space of a non-place creates neither singular identity nor relations; only solitude and similitude. This definition of non-place gives a reason for those feelings I had when visiting the airport; had I ever been there?"
Marc Augé states that Non-places are a product of supermodernity. He defines supermodernity as an intensification of modernity and an emphasis on the ability of biology and technology to overcome all natural limitations. A profound lack of integration between past and present is caused by an outright repudiation of historical knowledge. The three characteristics of supermodernity as described by Augé are excess of time, excess of space and excess of ego. (Augé 1995)
The use of space in this imagery is very well executed. It's made me think of my own practical and composition that I need to consider. I need to think about the space around my image - negative space? Make my main image smaller? I should have an experiment on photoshop and see if this would work for my images.
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