The impossibility of Describing Place is a layered interplay of several ephemeral moments in/of a place: space, time, light, sound and air. Language is also an inherent aspect of the work. The impossibility of Describing Place uses language as inspiration to form a deeper connection to and be ‘present in’ place. It is impossible to fully describe the moment when a series of ephemeral elements interconnect, but the project suggests that the point is the intent; that trying to use language to develop a relationship to place serves to deepen the connection – although it can’t explain or fully describe it.
v.1 was created on July 2, 2016 at Hayes Valley Art Works . It included a self-guided tour using text fragments of poems and questions (organized by Juliana Gerdts) as inspiration for the users participation in the piece.
–After seeing a presentation on September 10, 2016 by Mildred Howard, I found she created a piece using some similar aspects; her work at the Richmond BART Station, Moving Richmond, features a poem by Macarthur Fellow Ishmael Reed that was incised into a 40-foot wall of faceted steel.
