as a postscript to the ‘mapping my terrain’ task, i will try and respond to the feedback and questions that i was asked after my presentation of the task last monday, which i didn’t get to answer. the questions are paraphrased. here goes…….
was the task overwhelming? not at all, i just took it one step at a time or one word at a time then one map at a time. i worked very organically and methodically although that sounds like a contradiction in terms. although the timeline of title frames was very large on my video editing programme, i got used to that pretty quickly.
did i struggle with the word territory as i changed it to terrain? no i didn’t struggle with it but i decided to change territory to terrain as i felt my approach to ideas and my work seems more like a geographical place i explore physically rather than a claim to an area or set of ideas.
why do you not paint any more? i’m not sure why, i suppose i just found other ways of working that seems to be more suitable to what i’m trying to explore. as usual – i’m always excited and drawn to the new! i think i could work past ways of working such as painting into my professional plan as it could be equally challenging to go back to previous working methods as it would to try new ways.
your maps seemed like clouds? to me it felt more like little ‘pings’ as a thought was given the form of a word then seemed to disappear from my mind.
what will i do with all the research? who knows – i just work away gathering and gathering and it feeds into the work one way or another although not always directly or in any obvious way.
have i read Rebecca Solnit? have i what? over and over many times. it was a foundation text for my degree thesis on ‘walking as a contemporary art practice’ (2016) where i set out the relevance of walking as a contemporary art practice by proving it could reflect and resist or challenge in contemporary times.
what is the irish constitution? it is a document published in 1937 which sets out the legal bases for how the irish state should be governed. among other things, it makes reference to women and their role or place in society. it has been a trigger for some of my work in the past. it is now very much to the fore of irish discourse at the moment with a upcoming vote on changing the 8th amendment of the constitution which would potentially change abortion rights in ireland.
what about free to wander off the map? i suppose i like to feel that my work and working processes could take me somewhere that i haven’t researched, imagined or anticipated – somewhere new.
was categorising your work a challenge? i think yes it always is, i never think of categories as i work, it is an after-thought, if it happens at all. i am not sure it is even my job to categorise my work but maybe the job of someone else. the only time i think along the lines of categorising my work is when i have to write a proposal or statement for other projects and applications. that said, it might be worth thinking along broad lines of categorisation when i get a bit stuck and am not sure what i’m trying to say or do.
thank you for all your positive feedback and useful questions.
elaine crowe 
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