“Why do you enjoy walking?”, people ask.
“Is it about being in the fresh air or being close to nature? Is it about having time to think?”
Well yeah — maybe; all of the above, probably.
But those aren’t the best parts – not for me at least. For me, the special thing about walking is the way in which it forces my attention to take part in what I can only describe as a mysterious dance.
I will try to explain what I mean.
When you are walking you have to watch your step. You have to watch your step the whole time. In particular, you need to scan the ground immediately in front of you, checking for stones, muddy patches and tree roots. It’s possible to do this more or less unconsciously but, neglect it altogether, and you are likely to find yourself flat on your face.
But then you can’t really get very far by having your eyes constantly glued to the ground; you need to look up from time to time and take in the bigger picture. Beyond the ground immediately in front of you, there is the path you are following. It might be no more than a barely noticeable depression in the grass or a path that threads its through trees; it might be a steadily ascending series of rocky steps. Whatever, the precise nature of the path, you need to keep checking to see you are still on it.
The path threads its way through the immediate landscape, this simply being the biggest space you can take in at any particular stage in your journey: an area of featureless moorland, a stretch of coast between headlands or a valley narrowing towards a high pass.
It can help to identify some marker up ahead – a cairn, a bridge or a ruined building where you can stop and take a short rest, drink some water, take stock. The best resting places are those where one landscape makes way for another. On reaching a pass, for example, it can take a little time to adjust to the new landscape ahead.
The day’s journey is made up of a succession of these enclosing landscapes through which you slowly travel, your attention flickering all the while across the different scales. For me, this is the real appeal of walking, this constant shift of attention from the awkward boulder at your feet, to the sweep of the path, the patch of forest behind which it eventually disappears and, on rounding the headland, the sudden view of a succession of further headlands fading into the distance.
As night draws near, you begin to scan the landscape for a place to pitch your tent, looking for shelter from the wind and a supply of water. And, much as you did throughout the day, you find yourself traversing all the scales, from the largest to the smallest, in your search for the right spot – a patch of level ground on which to sleep.
And once you have pitched your tent, prepared and eaten your meal and laid out your bed, then it’s time to let your imagination reach out again to where the light of the setting sun is touching the distant mountains and to think of what tomorrow might bring.
This is interesting to me, since it seems to be closely related to similar issues of scale shifting which affect skiing (and skiing off-piste, in particular).
You start by considering a large scale and even time-scale:
* Which direction does this slope face?
* Will it have had the sun on it?
* Where did the apparently nice powder snow on it come from?
* Where would an avalanche on here run out? (What’s above this slope?)
That could lead to “This is a great slope to ski” or “It’s a south facing slope that will have had the sun on it, so will have a layer of ice, and that nice looking powder has blown on because of the wind direction in the snow-storm yesterday, so is deep but very unstable. Avoid at all cost!”
Then you move on to an intermediate level of “Where are the safe places to stop on the slope?”, (Like your “I should aim for that cairn”).
Then, finally, when actually skiing on the slope, “Where should I put my next turn?”, “Is this bit icy?”, which is your “Is there a root trying to trip me, or a slippery rock?”
I wonder what it is about this consideration at different scales which is so attractive?
I also find, though, that the complete involvement in the actual run is extremely attractive. You are right in the moment, and, at that point, thinking of nothing beyond the feel of the snow, the next turn, and so on. You’re certainly not thinking about brex*t, or, even whats for lunch. (Though I admit that “Where are the good cafés?” does feature in my overall plan for the day!)
That’s odd – was thinking today ( as I walked ) about walking and the annoying thing about going from short to long focus/roots in the path to where the path goes. I am often suckered into the view then find myself tripping. so – I cannot get to the point where you are at : “For me, this is the real appeal of walking, this constant shift of attention ………” In rockclimbing I dont have a problem with this and relish the route finding/way ahead and then switching to the next few moves ahead. Others ( mate Andrew for example whose place you stayed in at Crackington haven ) like to know where they are heading – a straight corner crack allows them to concentrate on the moves, they dont like the unknown and the route finding aspect. I digress a little ?
You have told me before how you make those artworks – you have – to my mind something very distinctive going on there – and I am particularly curious on the ” Into twilight”. It has a very modern look combined with classic references in the compostion and that mix of ‘old ‘ elements and flawless technique. If you dont mind my saying I was immediately reminded of some early computer games ( eg. Dune )_ and later ones where antique architecture/settings were combined with ‘unreal’ technique. This time I managed to get as far as your coimments on politicians. ( Purely from a marketing aspect / sales – I would be thinking of another venue for showing those – eg.Instagram ? ( Personal opinion -0 they detract for me from the works that come before.
I was wondering how you sell the forner works – are they prints ? If so a limited edition, or paintings or something on a bloc chain ( I forget the term for those works.) just curious.Cheers