A SOUND PERSPECTIVE: Site Specific Azimuth at Crooked Creek

Conceptual Orientation: The emergence of a crooked azimuth

I walk in the spirit of Rousseau, as a means of being in nature and outside of society--(Soltin 18). However, this peripatetic does not pretend to believe that such a complete separation is actually possible. Thus, I trade in the walking stick for a microphone. And instead of attempting to construct a project that focuses on rearticulating my personal experience, I hope this walking work succeeds in suggesting 'process' beyond the metaphysical limits of a room, or a website, or even the space in which it was carried out. A site-specific azimuth that, like nature, "does not proceed in a straight line" and that suggests a continued path because of the arbitrariness with which it stops…(Smithson, 281). And that perhaps because of the unavoidable presence of the mediator, inspires the viewer to create their own site-specific azimuth at this or another location for the experience of it. Furthermore, the sound perspective of this project aims to comment upon the presence of the mapmaker in the visual representation of space. Listening makes us more keenly aware of what is invisibilized in other forms of representations of space, particularly in navigational aids.

An azimuth can be defined as the projection of a direction from a central point. There are many different azimuths radiating from many different computational points. In other words, the definition of central positions is defined in many different ways.

Why is there a need for a site-specific azimuth at Crooked Creek?

Because there is not only one north, and our orientations are constantly in need of readjustment.

Because the way we navigate through space is physical and social. The appendages or points of our azimuth quickly become loaded with symbolism so that to a person in San Diego, "the South" is actually a thousand miles east…and it is easy to forget how the azimuth was created and how the spaces we visit or inhabit came to be represented.

IMPLEMENTATION

After surveying detailed topographical maps of the White Mountain Research Station's Crooked Creek Laboratory digitally and in print, I decided to largely disregard them as I structured my own walking work in the spirit of personal exploration and the possibilities of cognitive mapping. Agreeing that the simplest and most interesting way of organizing human exploration is by creating an egocentric, self-centered azimuth; I located a central point: equidistant from my eating and resting spots at the Crooked Creek facilities. Then I stuck the maps in my back pocket and proceeded to establish an appropriate azimuth for the exploration of this area. The lines I would walk would establish directions of orientation. Based on the data collected by walking in each chosen direction, I could compile information that would serve to characterize that region. I would walk in each direction until I felt satisfied that I had absorbed the character of that region. Then I would retrace my steps, so as not to get lost, and return to my center point to eat or sleep.

Turning to the dilemma of what data I could possible gather that would add depth to the current representations of this Californian territory, I developed a sound perspective. I decided to carry a microphone and collect sounds that might serve as navigational aids, perhaps units of measurement and certainly representations of the character of the region.

RESULTS

In choosing the angles of each walking direction, I was compulsively drawn to higher ground. So, despite the impression that most azimuths consider only the horizon, and point in an objective horizontal direction; my azimuth accounts for elevation, with each direction pointing to the highest points within sight and short walking distance. And the straight lines existing in my head materialized into a windy path influenced both by the natural terrain (at times I avoided jagged boulders or slippery footing) and by the human-made paths (as my conscious urged me to walk on roads or trails, so as not to kill more plants than necessary in the name of exploration).

The sound perspective will soon be available!

ADRIANA BARRAZA

Adriana Barraza is completing her bachelor's degree in visual arts media with an emphasis in photography at the University of California, San Diego. Concurrently, she is pursuing a Master of Education degree in education.

Raised in the Imperial Valley of southern California, Adriana has been living and working in San Diego since 1999. Her background includes graphic design and documentary video. She works with various collectives with particular interest in issues of social justice, migration and the border.

Photo by Christin Turner