Exercise 5.2

Exploring Origins

● Create an illustrated mind map exploring an aspect of human activity on the landscape and critical responses to it.
● Within the map connect visual material (found or your own) to an environmental concept, issue, practice or event.
Examples might include; pollution, deforestation, contamination, freak weather, climate change, or industrialised agriculture.
This task can be made digitally (Xmind or Coggle is free software) or by use of analogue materials such as pens, paper, pencil, crayons etc. (The map can be any size – you can photograph or scan the work for your tutor to refer to).
Further questions:
1. What patterns can you identify in the visual material used around a particular environmental issue?
2. Are there key photographers who have made work in the area that you have identified?
3. Analyse their work – are there repetitions of certain signs or symbols within the visual language they use? Upload your findings to your learning log.

LP&E, p.170

[22Jun22 p.179] I have never mind-mapped before but I will try Housing. I’ll run this as a background task rather then let it hold up progress with Part 5.

[27Jul] No progress on this for a month and my inclination has been changing. Working on Asg.5, and reinforced by Part 5.3 on Agnes Denes’ Wheatfield … (with which I am becoming a little fixated) I am moving towards concentrating throughout Part 5 on Plant Use and Abuse, a theme that I have pursued for years and which broke into this course in EyV Asg.1.
The specific subject is likely to be the cut (dead) flower market.

[31Jul] Cut flowers
L1 supply demand seasons (supp?) events marketing
Then weather / climate

(Dilemma over SL memorial – need something but unfortunate that we have slighted on dead plants – making Diana and roadside shrines to traffic victims) Ceremonial


1st run

[2Sep] I’ll record some ideas before attempting a diagram.

I used to be the finest systems analyst I know, in 30yo methodologies I understand, but my forte was flowcharts not mindmaps: I tend to see things in terms of processes.

1. the pricipal first level nodes (if that’s the word) are supply drivers and demand drivers. That could mean the first livel is just “drivers”.

2. the demand drivers are rooted in traditions – flowers are the go-to product for celebration, ceremony, mourning and guit (sorry, dear, it didn’t mean anything).

3. the basic supply driver is profit, as with most businesses. Beyond that all businesses are similar with various altruism goals.Worker-owned businesses are at the opposite end of the spectrum with greys between. State-run businesses are a separate consideration

4. other high level nodes concern the running of the business – climate and weather are big issues, as is the cost of power for heating and irrigation. Shipping (hot climate vs. distance to market). Is there a level 1 node to cover these?

[1Oct] first draft, using Miro.

Box A
1. Floristry mind map

LPE Exercise 5.2 References

Alexander, J, Conroy, A, Hughes, A, & Lundy, G (2019) Landscape, Place and Environment [LPE]. Barnsley: Open College of the Arts.