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Final Reflections, Research Report

To conclude on this project, I feel that by looking into the ideas of the picturesque and sublime, it helped when producing the prints for my graphic media aspect of this project. I think towards the end I had started to look more into the human and nature divide and had there been more time it would have been nice to continue on and have a series of print and written work that works its way from landscapes to the urban areas.

I am overall happy with the way this project has moved forward, and I believe the development made here will continue to contribute and influence future projects.

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Tourism Hotspots and their Influences, Research report

Within this, the development of tourism and the impacts this has on local people's sense and meaning of place will be explored. Tourism as a general in many places helps to boost local economies as well as many local people's sense of place. The idea of specific places attracting tourism which then causes changes to the local areas and landscapes which surround ‘Landmarks’.

(Figure 1, Pontcysyllte Aqueduct, Canal River Trust, n.d.)

The first to be looked at is Pontcysyllte Aqueduct known for being the longest Aqueduct in the UK and one of the tallest in the world (Welsh Landmarks: 11 Natural and Man-made Spectacles - Twinkl, n.d.) This not only has a global tourism interest but is sometimes a local social hub, the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct in recent years has hosted an event called under the arches which allows people to come together in a festival type of way. Going back in history, however, the Aqueduct meant an easier way of transporting goods. However, after the decline in need for this, they now use this to encourage tourists to the area with boat tours down the Aqueduct. The aqueduct brings people into the surrounding areas such as Llandgollen, Llandegla, and the HorseShoe Pass. The HorseShoe Pass is known for its history of Slate Quarries. This specific slate quarry features in an etching print made for the graphic media aspect of this project. The slate has drastically shaped the landscape that now encourages hiking groups and bikers to visit. The history that shaped the landscape has encouraged tourism for this specific area as well as many other areas. Llandegla is now a hotspot for mountain biking. Camping in this landscape is also very popular.

The idea of landmarks within landscapes would be a very interesting way to approach this topic, As often with the areas I have previously looked at for this project many of the biggest tourist attractions are single landmarks located within specific landscapes which have been crafted due to their history.

Bibliography -

Canal River Trust, n.d., Available at : Pontcysyllte Aqueduct & Trevor Basin Visitor Centre, North Wales | Canal & River Trust (canalrivertrust.org.uk)

Nature and Landscapes, n.d., Available at : Nature in Wales – Welsh Reserves & Landscapes

Tourism, n.d., Available at : Tourism - Pontcysyllte Aqueduct and Canal World Heritage site (pontcysyllte-aqueduct.co.uk)

Welsh Landmarks, n.d., Available at : Welsh Landmarks: 11 Natural and Man-made Spectacles - Twinkl

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History affecting the local landscapes, Research Report

Previously I looked at place attachment, things that could change one's attachment to place, however within this I hope to link this idea to places relevant to my research project, hopefully places that have been included within the series of prints.

(Figure 1 : Picture of Slate Quarry, Source : rcahmw.gov.uk )

The main topic being looked at is the areas of Slate Quarries in North Wales. Over the course of hundreds of years, the mining of slate in North Wales has slowly shaped the landscape, creating hills of slate, providing jobs as well as allowing for an improvement in architecture. “The quarries and mines are monumental in scale, comprising stepped hillside workings, deep pits and cavernous underground chambers, massive cascading tips, ingenious water systems, and a range of industrial buildings.” (The Slate Landscape of Northwest Wales - UNESCO World Heritage Centre, n.d.) The development in Slate Mines also increased the need for transport links which at the time of their development will have more than likely boosted the social and economical elements to the locations they were in. People still use slate for jobs today with many people selling Locally Sourced Slate at increased prices, this again boosting the local economy and work. Slate Quarries being a Tourism Attraction, The landscape created by the production and quarrying of slate can be seen as an attractive place to visit. “Today, slate tourism sites tell the story of this important aspect of North Wales’ industrial and geologic heritage.” (Quarrying for World Heritage Designation: Slate Tourism in North Wales | Geoheritage (springer.com,), August 2019)

(Figure 2 : Minera Lead Mines, Source : Minera Lead Mines - Wrexham Heritage Wales)

Slate Quarrying is not the only important element affecting the history and landscape of North Wales, Lead Mining plays a very large element in the history of this specific landscape and the after affects of this are both above and below ground. More specifically looking at Minera Lead Mines which is situated towards the beginning of the Clywedog Trail, A mine that was operational for a very long time and still the building remains today as a tourist centre and visitors centre where people can go to gain more knowledge of how the mine worked when it was opporational. From my own experience we took many school trips there during my time in Primary School, and however I may not have been alive during the mine's period of operation, the influence of learning about what happened there still holds influence to this day. Tourism increases the spread of this knowledge and influence over the area and landscape surrounding. The site is spread across 53 acres of grassland and is now filled with all different types of wildlife (Minera Lead Mines - Wrexham Heritage Wales, n.d.)

To conclude upon this research it is interesting to see how many elements of the history of the area now bring in tourism today, more than likely boosting most locals' relationship with the area and landscape which is included. Having a rich history in many ways strengthens people's sense of place and having so many surrounding communities be a part of it only reinforces this idea.

Bibliography -

Minera Lead Mines & Country Park, n.d., Available at : bing.com/ck/a?!&&p=6033c8e6d1193c79JmltdHM9MTcxNDI2MjQwMCZpZ3VpZD0wMGMyODRlZS02MDE2LTYxODctM2M1MS05NzIxNjExMDYwY2MmaW5zaWQ9NTIzMA&ptn=3&ver=2&hsh=3&fclid=00c284ee-6016-6187-3c51-9721611060cc&psq=mineral+lead+mines+wrexham&u=a1aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cud3JleGhhbWhlcml0YWdlLndhbGVzL21pbmVyYS1sZWFkLW1pbmVzLw&ntb=1

Quarrying for Heritage Designation, William R. Price & Catherine L.Ronck, August 2019, Available at : Quarrying for World Heritage Designation: Slate Tourism in North Wales | Geoheritage (springer.com)

The Slate Landscape of NorthWest Wales, Unesco, n.d., Available at :The Slate Landscape of Northwest Wales - UNESCO World Heritage Centre

Visualising the Subterranean: Tunnels and Flows Beneath a Welsh Lead Mining Landscape,

October 2021, Available at :

Visualising the Subterranean: Tunnels and Flows Beneath a Welsh Lead Mining Landscape (researchgate.net)

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Artist Research, Research Report

When looking at artists who worked during the romanticism era as well as being linked in with the sublime, this text will look at John Martin as his work also ties in with religion and the picturesque. An artist relating to sublime and landscape art is John Martin, an artist born in the year 1789. He was an English Painter, Engraver, and Illustrator. He died in 1854.

The sublime being linked with this artist as “Martin is best-known as a painter of religious subjects and fantastic compositions.”(Tate, n.d.), The key element here is the idea of composition as often the elements of unease and drama within art referred to as sublime are based largely on the composition.

(Figure 1 : The Destruction of Pompeii and Herculaneum, 1822, John Martin, Tate)

The artist John Martin has created a vast number of pieces. However, the one being looked at here is entitled ‘The Destruction of Pompeii and Herculaneum' based on the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD. The image is referred to as apocalyptic by ‘The Guardian’. However, many of his works have been referred to as this. The word apocalyptic is “showing or describing the total destruction and end of the world, or extremely bad future events” (Cambridge Dictionary)

(Figure 2 : The Plains of Heaven 1851–3, John Martin, Tate)

Figure 2 shows another piece by John Martin which is entitled ‘The Plains of Heaven’, The reason for choosing to look at this specific piece is because the tate refers to the mountains as ‘Majestic Mountain Scenery’ the idea of majestic being “beautiful, powerful, or causing great admiration and respect”(Cambridge Dictionary) which in many ways links back to the idea of the picturesque being out of this world beautiful. Many artists of this time worked by incorporating religion into their work. The idea of playing with religion could be the reason for the idea of sublime paintings being so uncomfortable for the viewer. Things being intangible to the point you can not figure out why it leaves you so uneasy by the outcome. The choice of colour in figure 1 will play into this idea whilst figure 2 comes across very calm and serene once again due to colour choice, These two of his works are the complete opposite of one another and show the way that the idea of the sublime can be used in both ways, creating the comfortable and the uncomfortable.

To conclude, John Martin is very influential within this area, having created many images that all hold a feeling of unease, which is likely due to the composition and colours chosen. The idea of both the sublime and picturesque being relevant with John Martins' work has influenced the layout of darker and lighter tones in my prints. It is useful to see how the level of drama and otherworldly effect is created. 

Bibliography - 

John Martin Pompeii Painting, The Guardian, September 2011, Available at : John Martin's Pompeii painting finally restored after 1928 Tate flood damage | Painting | The Guardian

John Martin, The Plains of Heaven, Tate, n.d., Available at : John Martin, The Plains of Heaven (The Art of the Sublime) | Tate

John Martin 1789-1854, Tate, n.d, Available at : John Martin 1789–1854 | Tate

Cambridge Dictionary, Cambridge Dictionary | English Dictionary, Translations & Thesaurus

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Lino Prints

Figure 1, Lino Landscapes, Source : Own Photo

Figure 1 shows the final of my Lino Prints, these I believe that to be the most successful of my prints. After this project being solely based on landscapes, I made the decision to include elements of the human within them. I find the idea of the human touching nature very interesting when looking at what can influence place and what place means to people, often human touch can cause a devaluation of place for many people however for others it can increase this often due to an increase in social interactions and groups.

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Etching Prints

Figure 1 : Landscape Etchings, Source : Own Photo

Figure 1 shows the final of my Etching prints. These have no tone to being a simple black line.

Figure 2 : Landscape Etchings, Source : Own Photo

Figure 2 is the same design as seen in Figure 1. However, to show the comparison to the black line, these have tone. After learning more about the idea of the sublime in landscape art, I attempted to create more tension with the shading in these, which I have not done in any of the other etchings produced. I think they have been successful in showing development from the first etchings printed at the start of this project.

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The Sublime, Research Report

Earlier in this research project I touched bases on the idea of the picturesque, during that same area of research I started to look at the sublime however there is far more to know about this topic than what was previously covered. Within this text, it will be looking at the idea of the sublime, the landscape, and how this can be linked to my project of locational identity crossed with nature. “The sublime is a central category of aesthetics in romanticism. It was a major topic of aesthetic theory in the 18th century, especially in England and Germany”(The Sublime – Literary Theory and Criticism (literariness.org), 2021) The sublime is a category of art which has a very specific feel to it, one of wonder and excellence.

The idea of the sublime within landscapes often links back to the idea of the picturesque and idealistic landscapes. This linking into my graphic media project as the prints I produced had the intention of being those that people associate with North Wales. The rolling Hills and perfect views, which for a long time artists have produced through the idea of the sublime. The Sublime in landscape art however, according to an article from the collector conveys the idea of a captivating scene with areas that have intent on instilling fear or wonder into the eyes of their viewer. The sublime is sometimes linked with religion by artists such as Pieter Brueghel and his piece entitled Landscape with the Flight into Egypt done in 1563. (These Are the 10 Most Sublime Landscape Paintings of All Time (thecollector.com), August 2020)

Figure 1 : Landscape Etching, Source : Own Photo

Figure 1 shows one of my own landscape etchings. After creating this plate, an artist called John Martin was brought to my attention. When looking at some of his work, it often links well with the sublime. Having worked during the romanticism era, his work has a very interesting feel to it. They instil a sense of unease within them due to their striking colour or very tonal elements. After seeing his work, I attempted to use this influence to change the idea of my landscape prints from simply being that of a captivating landscape but to one that makes you feel more unsure of it

To conclude, the idea of the sublime, especially in landscape art, can help convey a very distinct message through their use of very striking colours or compositions, which enhances the idea of an uneasy but wondrous landscape. I think had I researched this idea at an earlier stage within this research project, it could have had a much more of an impact on the graphic media aspect than it did at this stage.

Bibliography -

Contemporary art and the Sublime, The Tate, n.d., Available at : Julian Bell, 'Contemporary Art and the Sublime' (The Art of the Sublime) | Tate

Explore the Power of the Sublime,The Tate,n.d., Available at : The Art of the Sublime | Tate

Literary Theory and Criticism, Nasrullah Mambrol, February 2021, Available at : The Sublime – Literary Theory and Criticism (literariness.org)

The Collector, Rosie Lesso, August 2020, Available at : These Are the 10 Most Sublime Landscape Paintings of All Time (thecollector.com)

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Lino Prints

Figure 1 : Landscape Lino Prints, Source : Own Photo

The first Lino Prints produced of landscapes are shown in figure 1, These visually are very different from the Etchings. I believe the solid colour adds an element of dramatics and atmosphere that works differently to the shades produced in the Etchings. To the right of figure 1 is a two coloured Lino Print, Although the solid black is very interesting, the use of black and green means it looks like shadows and shade have been created.

Figure 2 : Landscape Lino Prints, Source : Own Photo

Figure 2 shows the second Lino print produced. I think in terms of creating a 3D visual effect, this is the most effective it looks like it has a foreground, middle ground, and background affect, and for the next set of lino Prints I will hopefully be attempting to keep this same aesthetic.

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Etching Plates and Lino Boards for Printing

Figure 1 : Etching Plates, Source : Own Photo

Figure 1 shows the completed designs ready to be printed. When these have been printed, it will complete the set of Etching that I have been working on over the duration of this 12-week project. Within these, they will hold the same feeling as the previous four, once again being very tonal and sculpted in order to create the dramatic affects that are trying to be created.

Figure 2 : Lino Boards, Source : Own Photo

Figure 2 consists of the two Lino boards that will be tried. By doing these, I hope to get a feel for how one solid colour will look when printed. Will they have the same dramatic affects as the Etchings did, or will they lack that being flat colours. It will also be interesting to see how much the line work affects the look created as with lino even though it is possible to get a thin line through this process they are typically bigger and smoother looking than ones achieved through Etchings.

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Artist Research, Research Report

After looking through different forms of relations and connections with landscapes, I found the idea of certain artists being connected or potentially focusing on the same specific landscape as me, that being the landscape of North Wales an interesting topic to research next in this research project. By doing this I hope for there to be a similar but different feel to the next pieces produced in the next six weeks of the graphic media project.

Figure 1, Ffynnon Lloer 1948-50, John Piper

Figure 2, Cwm Idwal, North Wales, John Piper

One fascinating artist that can be looked at is John Piper who was an English Painter, Printer, and Designer of stained glass windows. He studied at Epsom College and then later trained at the Richmond School of Art and then continued at the Royal College of Art in London. Later on in his career between the years 1943 to 1950 John Piper spent his time exploring the location of Snowdonia the project was entitled ‘The Mountains of Wales’ during this period he produced several artworks drawn from life often in materials such as Ink, Watercolours, Gouache, and Oil Paints. These images are seen to have a large amount of drama with very interesting varieties of tone as most if not all are a very limited colour palette (Amgueddfa Cymru, John Piper: A Journey Through Snowdonia (museum.wales)). After having drawn in many areas of North Wales in this time he decided to move to South Wales spending large amounts of his time drawing and creating work in areas such as Pembrokeshire. The work of John Piper can be seen to capture his passion for this specific landscape which in many ways I would have liked to capture in mine.

Figure 3, Caernarfon Castle, North Wales, J M W Turner (Joseph Mallord William Turner, 'Caernarvon Castle, North Wales' 1800 (J.M.W. Turner: Sketchbooks, Drawings and Watercolours) | Tate)

The second artist being looked at is J M W Turner, an English Romanticism Painter, Printmaker and Watercolourist who sometimes used the landscapes of North Wales as a focus point. His landscapes in general are often described to be very creative and he is also well known for his expressive use of colours in the images he creates. At the point in his career when he was painting in the landscapes and mountainous areas of North Wales a main focus of his was the idea of Myths, Ancient History and the Dramas of Human Tragedy which in many ways may have helped with the narrative feel that is created in a number of his pieces. He once again like the previously spoken about artist John Piper travelled to the sites that he wished to draw, throughout the majority of his career he stuck to this having travelled large amounts of the UK and Europe throughout his life (Llyfrgell Genedlaethol Cymru, Turner and Wales - National Library of Wales). The work of J M W Turner was also one of John Piper's influences and the reason he decided to pursue creating art based on the landscapes of North Wales.

Figure 4, Oil Painting Of the Welsh Landscape, Ian Walton (The Ian Walton Gallery Farndon (ian-walton.com))

The third and final artist that will be looked at is Ian Walton who lives and paints in Beaumaris, Anglesey. His work often has a focus point that is based on skies, seascapes, and mountains. They are all completed in oil paints which he is self-taught having begun at the age of 13. When reading about this work his inspiration is often based around the idea of the power of nature, using a limited colour palette similar to most other artists that have been looking at work based around the idea of varying tones with similar intentions to John Piper in attempting to capture the drama of the places he paints. One of his main reasons for continuing to use the same landscapes and locations throughout his career is the idea that specifically in Wales there is a never-ending source of inspiration to gain reference from. A quote taken from his gallery site that can be particularly interesting is “I believe artists grow if they experiment and keep pushing the barriers, and create at their best when they have a connection with the subject. ” (About | The Ian Walton Gallery, The Ian Walton Gallery Farndon (ian-walton.com)) This peaked interested as the idea of gaining a connection with your source of inspiration often making your work better links with the idea of having a national identity and cultural identity as in this case he has always been from the area of Beaumaris, Anglesey he does, however, travel all over the area of Wales to create his oil paintings including places like Snowdonia and Llyn Peninsular.

Therefore after going back to look at several artists again before starting the second half of the Graphic Media project it now means that these people can be used as a reference when figuring out what I hope to achieve in the next six weeks. How the pieces may be produced in terms of colours and tones as well as styles. 

Bibliography 

Amgueddfa Cymru, April 2012, Melissa Munro, Available at  John Piper: A Journey Through Snowdonia (museum.wales)

Ian walton, n.d., Ian walton.com, Available at The Ian Walton Gallery Farndon (ian-walton.com)

J.M.W Turner, May 2021, Biography, Available at J.M.W. Turner - Paintings, Facts & Art (biography.com)

J.M.W Turner Sketchbooks, 1798, Tate, Available at North Wales Sketchbook 1798 (J.M.W. Turner: Sketchbooks, Drawings and Watercolours) | Tate

J.M.W Turner Sketchbooks, 1800, Tate, Available at Joseph Mallord William Turner, 'Caernarvon Castle, North Wales' 1800 (J.M.W. Turner: Sketchbooks, Drawings and Watercolours) | Tate John Piper, N.d., Tate, Available at  ‘ii‘, John Piper, 1944 | Tate

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Changes to the way you see locations, Research Report

‘Sense of place’, is a concept that is linked to people and their emotions towards specific places, this idea has been previously spoken about when looking both at the word ‘Place’ and the idea of ‘Place Attachment’, however, it is something that can be easily influenced both negatively and positively due to many causes. Sometimes ‘Sense of Place’ naturally just changes over time. This text will explore how people perceive places, what can cause changes to these perceptions, and why they change. The idea that people are emotionally attached to places, What has caused these attachments? Does time play a part in constructing these attachments? 

Figure 1: A short passage taken from Sense of Place, Science Direct Assets PDF

Looking at the text in Figure 1 links in with the quote, “Sense of place holds promise to understand how people perceive and respond to social and ecological change; however, using this concept to explore vulnerability and adaptation first depends on identifying the multiple ways people define their relationship with a place.” (The meaning(s) of place, Identifying the structure of sense of place, The idea that one's ’Sense of Place’ changes through time is explored, Often this is through social changes. The changing people within a specific environment that once held a strong ‘Sense of Place’ can cause the perceptions and emotions that are felt to change. It changes the narrative of the location for a person or group, Changing the infrastructure that has been built around it.

The idea of the way we see places changing can be due to many factors. One example could be the idea of the values changing, “A location can certainly lose its attractiveness – for instance when industries close, or when it is abandoned because of population decline (like hill towns in Italy). And people can lose their sense of place, for instance with the onset of dementia and the increasing inability to find one’s way around. Sense of place can also shift, so the suburban community which seemed marvelous to a young child becomes increasingly unattractive and boring as that child becomes an adult.”(Place In The World: What is ‘Sense Of Place’,Place In The World: What Is ‘Sense Of Place’? (amexessentials.com)) The idea of growing up can change the way we view different places as often the world tends to feel much smaller as we grow older, and people we know start to decline in numbers. There is far less adventure whereas when you are young you can find entertainment in a lot more of the smaller elements of life which often you cannot when you are older, Potentially because they have experienced many different events that could change their outlook on life. Another cause for change in views over time could be the idea of being too familiar with a location, Nothing ever changes, This idea can lead to many either positive or negative emotions being created.

When places are developed or go through a period of change often causes elements of a sense of loss, a very interesting Concept is a feeling of destierra, “The psychology of a loss of place: When we demolish socially significant places, we demolish part of who we are A feeling of destierra.”(The psychology of a loss of place: When we demolish socially significant places, we demolish part of who we are (medicalxpress.com)). To continue looking at the idea of place loss it is very interesting to look at what losing a specific building can cause, The idea of place-related grief and how that affects humans, “Social psychologist Irwin Altman said the loss of buildings and places where we have lived our lives and built community can feel like the loss of a personal relationship which we expected to last indefinitely. Our experience of a change in a place is “both a serious environmental issue and a deeply personal one.” (The Psychology of a loss of place’, The psychology of a loss of place: when we demolish socially significant places, we demolish part of who we are (theconversation.com)). Place Attachment could influence this idea as the idea that grief does not just come from living elements but things that have been very influential in your or someone you knows life, this could be related back to the disruption and destruction of landscape and the scenery of a place.

The idea of some places being ‘Placeless’, That being the area where two places meet. “One of the essential characteristics of a place is its distinctiveness, its particularity. Places have names and stories, landscapes and patterns of activities, and memories for those who know them, which distinguish them from other places.” When different things such as trees and pathways are in the area crossing between two places typically they are assigned the idea of being ‘Placeless’ as neither side owns them. This means that not everything has its sense of place. (Place In The World: What is ‘Sense of Place’, https://www.amexessentials.com/sense-of-place-interview-ted-relph-place-and-placeness/) ‘Placeless’ could also be the idea of someone unfamiliar with the area or place looking in and not understanding the same ‘Place Attachment’ that you are feeling, likely because you have feelings and memories for the place that an outsider does not have looking in.

To conclude, The idea of changing opinions and views towards places has helped with the development of how to look and view places and groups. It has helped with understanding why people gain attachment as well as giving more ideas to look at throughout this project. The idea of losing your sense of place and why this can often cause negative emotions and grief in a different form to how it is often seen and viewed.

Bibliography

Amexessentials, n.d.,Jessica Keller, Available at https://www.amexessentials.com/sense-of-place-interview-ted-relph-place-and-placeness/

British Ecological Society, June 2020, Kiandra Rajala, Micheal G. Sorice, Valerie A. Thomas, Available at The meaning(s) of place: Identifying the structure of sense of place across a social–ecological landscape - Rajala - 2020 - People and Nature - Wiley Online Library

Medicalxpress, March 2022, Iain Butterworth, Available at  The psychology of a loss of place: When we demolish socially significant places, we demolish part of who we are (medicalxpress.com)

Science Alert, March 2016, Peter Dockrill, Available at What We Know Affects Our Visual Perception of The World, Study Finds : ScienceAlert

Science Direct, November 2015, F. Stuart Chapin III,  Corrine N. Knapp, Available at Sense of Place, Science Direct Assets PDF 

The conversation, March 2022, Iain Butterworth, Available at The psychology of a loss of place: when we demolish socially significant places, we demolish part of who we are (theconversation.com)

Very Well Mind, July 2022, Cathy Cassata, Available at New Research Explains Why We See the World Differently (verywellmind.com)

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Final designs for Printing

Figure 1 : Final Sketches for Etching Plates, Source : Own Photo

Figure 1 shows the etching designs that will be on the etching plates. These are supposed to fit with the other four to make a set of six etching prints.

Figure 2 : Final Sketches for Lino boards, Source : Own Photo

Figure 2 are the designs that I will be transferring onto to Lino Boards. I am very interested in how these will differ from my previously printed etchings as they will have no tonal different, and it will be one solid colour instead.

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More sketches

Figure 1 : sketches when man made touches nature, Source : Own Photo

Figure 1 shows some more sketches. However, unlike many of my other sketches, these have elements of human-made objects within them, such as a stone wall, sign post, and house. However, I believe I may stick with the theme of purely just landscapes. However, this may be a topic I try to re look at later in this project.

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After completing four etchings during the first six weeks of the graphic media project, I will be continuing to produce more prints for the remaining six weeks. I have now started to produce some sketches as to what these could look like. They will be both etchings and linos as I want to see the different styles and effects that can be achieved with both.

Figure 1 : Initial pen sketches, Source : Own Photo

In Figure 1 are some of the sketches that I might then take into print. By using biro it has helped with pre planning how to lines may work on an etching plate as often the method for shading it crosshatching.

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Place Attachment, Research Report

The idea of place attachment is a cognitive-emotional connection between a person and a place. Place Attachment is formed and created only through a person's emotions, It is linked to the idea of a relationship between a person and an environment. Many studies of this often link back to a particular individual's childhood, their memories linking to a place or beings within a certain place. 

The emotional responses to places. When looking at the site Psychology Today it showed that often certain places definitely do hold some form of sentimental value. Often places you associate with happy memories can relieve stress. These ideas can often be seen being referred to as a happy place. Somewhere that is associated with a happy memory that sticks with you and makes you happy in some sense. For me this is likely returning home from University, Knowing where I will be going helps to calm anxieties over being away from home, Somewhere that is associated with many happy memories. For many, this could be seen as an escape from places that have had negative impacts on your life. (Your Happy Place, Psychology Today).

Place attachment does not always remain the same, It can vary and change for a variety of different reasons. Often one of the main reasons for this is social interactions and people changing. The dynamic of a placeshifting will cause place attachment to falter. (Place Attachment and Meaning, Green Cities: Good Health ) Place attachment can change and alter one example of how this could be is through aging, Growing older or growing up and having an increasing amount of memories linked to one place such as a family home, someone dying could cause this place attachment to change and it could also change for more than one person at the same time because places can have group attachments.

The idea of communities creating attachments to specific places can be interpreted differently than individuals' place attachments. A good definition of this is “Place Attachment in a community context, which can be interpreted as community attachment, which means that there is connectivity between the place of residence and the community in it and there is a close relation of the individual relationships with social networks in the environment ” (IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science, pg 2). Often groups with attachments have an entire infrastructure based around interacting and meeting new people who likely have similar feelings about something. In terms of community place attachment, it is likely to be based on where you live, go to school or work, and many other potential factors that groups share place-wise.

To conclude on the idea of place attachment, Through this research it has given a much more in-depth idea of why people gain attachments and how they help with people's identity both individually and on a group level. It has also helped with linking my ideas of the visual elements causing emotional connections with people and their place attachments.

Bibliography 

‌Coolgeography.co.uk. (2016). Places and the impact of external agencies. [online] Available at: https://www.coolgeography.co.uk/advanced/Places_external_agencies.php#:~:text=The%20MEANING%20of%20a%20place [Accessed 19 Mar. 2024].

depts.washington.edu. (n.d.). Place Attachment & Meaning :: Green Cities: Good Health. [online] Available at: https://depts.washington.edu/hhwb/Thm_Place.html#:~:text=Place%20attachment%20and%20meaning%20are%20the%20person%2Dto%2Dplace%20bonds. 

‌Erfani, G. (2022). Reconceptualising Sense of Place: Towards a Conceptual Framework for Investigating Individual-Community-Place Interrelationships. Journal of Planning Literature, Available at: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/08854122221081109 

‌Geogspace.net.au. (2024). Years 9-10: Key understandings - Illustration 2. [online] Available at: https://www.geogspace.net.au/Core%20units/Years%209-10/Understandings/y9-10-understandings-y9-illus2.php#:~:text=The%20idea%20that%20people [Accessed 19 Mar. 2024].

Gurney, G.G., Blythe, J., Adams, H., Adger, W.N., Curnock, M., Faulkner, L., James, T. and Marshall, N.A. (2017). Redefining community based on place attachment in a connected world. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, https://www.pnas.org/doi/full/10.1073/pnas.1712125114  

Lebrusán, I. and Gómez, M.V. (2022). The Importance of Place Attachment in the Understanding of Ageing in Place: ‘The Stones Know Me’. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, Available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9779384/ 

N S Wijaya, IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science, 2018,  https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1755-1315/202/1/012052/pdf 

www.psychologytoday.com. (n.d.). Your Happy Place | Psychology Today United Kingdom. [online] Available at: https://www.psychologytoday.com/gb/blog/presence-mind/202209/your-happy-place?amp

[sereniln2001]

The Concept of Place, Research Report

The idea of place is a particular position, point, or area that gives a location. This text will be looking at the idea of place in the way locations or places hold meaning. The start of this project began by looking at the ideas of landscapes and the meaning they hold, often there is some type of emotional connection. Often these are created through memories whether they be good or bad, They create a forever form of link which, draws you back and keeps you connected.

The idea of place when looking at it from a human perspective is forever changing. In the past often places were recognised as attractive due to their defensibility, Location for religious buildings, and Shipping Ports. They were more typically viewed as what could be useful resource-wise. (Place In The World: What is ‘Sense Of Place’, Place In The World: What Is ‘Sense Of Place’? (amexessentials.com)) In Today's world, These are less of a factor, people often live in certain places due to Emotional Connections, Locational Popularity, and Visual Aesthetics. 

A quote taken from The National Geographic, Concept of Place that helps to explain the different elements of place and how place can change or be described is, “One of the oldest tenets of geography is the concept of place. As a result, place has numerous definitions, from the simple “a space or location with meaning” to the more complex “an area having unique physical and human characteristics interconnected with other places.” There are three key components of place: location, locale, and a sense of place. Location is the position of a particular point on the surface of the Earth. Locale is the physical setting for relationships between people, such as the South of France or the Smoky Mountains. Finally, a sense of place is the emotions someone attaches to an area based on their experiences. Place can be applied at any scale and does not necessarily have to be fixed in either time or space. Additionally, due to globalisation, a place can change over time as its physical setting and cultures are influenced by new ideas or technologies.” (Concept of Place, National Geographic). This helps when looking at why people form such strong emotional attachments to places based of their unique characteristics. 

Place Perceptions are perceptions of people about their environment and the thoughts that they knowingly have about it, So this idea of a sense of place can be seen to have descriptive and emotional aspects of the environment experiences. It means that the concept of a sense of place is both a psychological and physical concept. (Malaysia Journal of Society and Space, 2013, pg 1 - 2) Place perception is a very changeable factor about place, it can be changed very simply by the way people speak about a place how the media represents a place, and the experiences that you experience there both good and bad. It is a constantly changing factor that can be seen as very fragile, negativity around a place could have detrimental impacts on many elements of the place and the communities or environment of that place. However, similarly, the way people speak about places can also boost their popularity in people's perspectives of it.

In conclusion, Place as a topic alone is very interesting however, Something that does raise interest is the idea of whether or not a certain location can ‘Lose its sense of place’, Individual sense of place as well as group sense of place, Many factors link together under the topic of place.

Bibliography

Erfani, G. (2022). Reconceptualising Sense of Place: Towards a Conceptual Framework for Investigating Individual-Community-Place Interrelationships. Journal of Planning Literature, Available at: Reconceptualising Sense of Place: Towards a Conceptual Framework for Investigating Individual-Community-Place Interrelationships - Goran Erfani, 2022 (sagepub.com)

geography.org.uk. (2023). Place in geography - Geographical Association. [online] Available at: Place in geography - Geographical Association

Malaysia Journal of Society and Space 9 issue 1, 2013, Available at : https://journalarticle.ukm.my/6072/1/107-117.pdf 

‌National Geographic (2023). Concept of Place. [online] education.nationalgeographic.org. Available at: https://education.nationalgeographic.org/resource/resource-library-concept-place/. 

www.amexessentials.com. (n.d.). StackPath. [online] Available at: ‌Place In The World: What Is ‘Sense Of Place’? (amexessentials.com)

www.mytutor.co.uk. (n.d.). What factors affect the way a place is perceived? | MyTutor. [online] Available at: https://www.mytutor.co.uk/answers/16463/A-Level/Geography/What-factors-affect-the-way-a-place-is-perceived/. 

[sereniln2001]

Etching Plate Experiments, Research Report

Figure 1, Etchings printed with a background.

The next stage of my graphic media project consisted of trying the same plates however this time with a coloured background layer. However after producing these images I believe they work far better in a monochrome colour pallete as in many ways I think that it creates the more atmosphere feeling and idea that was intended to be portrayed through these images.

Figure 2, Aquatint Etching

After producing the images seen in Figure 1, I then moved on to trying Aquatint for the first time. I then also moved back to working in a monochrome colour pallete. This was definitely very interesting as it helped with making an image with alot more contrast. In many ways it helped to give the images more depth and atmosphere to them. It has helped with giving the images a foreground, middle ground and background which before they may have been lacking.

The first 6 weeks for the graphic media project is now complete. However, I have decided that due to still wanting to explore more within print and what can be done when producing them I will be continuing on with Etchings however, I will also be attempting to produce a series of lino cuts as well to see how they may differ from Etchings due to the different marks that can be created.