A Sense of Place

Abstract

The concept of "place" is a mental construction that we, as humans, create to give importance to a location. The experience of authentic human attachment to an environment is a phenomenon all people can relate to. Through interactions with a location we give significance to it and imbue it with meaning. Place, in turn, identifies us and gives our lives continuity. "Sense of Place" is an installation that draws inspiration from locations that have influenced me. I have come to understand these sites through my physical interactions with and observations of the landscape. These localities are stored in my memory in a series of mental maps. In this installation, I have selected and combined certain mental maps of places that have played a significant role in shaping who I am. By combining these several locations into one landscape I have created a new place; a place which reflects where I come from, where I draw inspiration from, and consequently, a place to better understand who I am. I have created a "sense of place," in which I can further contemplate, reflect, and explore who I am and remember how I got there.