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In this world, our lived experience is a negotiation between the cognitive and the cartesian. We move forward, backwards, laterally, asking and answering the questions where am i? Where did I come from? Where am I going? Sometimes the answers come from within. Sometimes the landscape provides valuable clues. Sometimes the map is held in our hand sometimes, it all exists in our heads.

Artists such as Richard Long, Kathy Prendergast, Stephen Chalmers, myself, and many others navigate the space between cognitive mapping and Cartesian coordinates to consider mapping in terms of permanence, impermanence locational identity, human emotion and creative expression.

Richard Long explores the cognitive and the Cartesian through the act of walking, believing that walking - as art - provides an ideal means to explore relationships between time, distance, geography and measurement. In his own words, “I create walks and land-based sculptures as a way of inhabiting the rich territory between two ideological positions, namely that of making 'monuments' or conversely, of 'leaving only footprints'.”

Kathy Prendergast
At first glance Kathy Prendergast’s “HYPERLINK Map” appears to be a straightforward map of the United States with the familiar topographical patterning of mountain ranges, lakes, and state borders. If we could examine this work closer we would see that all of the names of places have been removed from the map except for those that begin and end with the word lost (e.g., Lost Creek, Lost Island, and Lost Canyon).
In describing “Lost Map” Prendergast writes: “For the last few years I have been researching place-names with the idea of producing an “Emotional Atlas of the World.” This atlas would show all the places in the world which have names connected with emotions, i.e., Lost Bay, Lonely Island, Hearts Desire, etc., rather than the conventional atlas which shows places of importance. “Lost Map” is a variation on this theme. Through Prendergast’s work, we may come to know every “lost” place in North America.

Stephen Chalmers
Over the past five years photographer Stephen Chalmers has formed a compendium of human suffering through documenting roadside memorials and researching the story behind each one. Chalmers has photographed 300 memorials in the continental US and Hawaii since the summer of 2001. Chalmers first photographs each memorial. Then, using a GPS receiver, he records the latitude and longitude of the location and uses that data, with mapping software to locate business owners nearby, who he then contacts to see if they know anything about the memorial. The stories are enduring and tragic, though the memorials themselves are quite temporary. Interstate road crews are instructed not to dismantle, alter, or remove roadside memorials, though most deteriorate within ten years of being sited. Some are maintained, most are not.

I asked Stephen why he records the lat. and long….why is that important to the work as a whole? In response he offered that using Cartesian coordinates creates a map of human suffering across the country. It reveals a known network of discrete locations where a human spirit has separated from a human body. The work brings all-encompassing grief to a single point on the planet experienced as a fleeting blur by passersby and a point of enduring sorrow for those closer to the tragedy. Chalmers is currently publishing this work as a monograph, titled “ In Memorium: Roadside Memorials and Public Grieving in America”.

My recent investigations on cognition and the Cartesian have been focused on navigation and mapping with regard to order, chaos and our relationship to land, climate, and natural phenomena.

In 2001 I mounted an exhibition in Seattle, titled Precisely Known Completely Lost. Describe…

I was attracted to the implied permanence of these radically terrestrial objects. And began documenting them through photographs and audio recordings. As it turns out, survey stations are only slightly more permanent than roadside memorials, as they are regularly paved over, turned under or otherwise obliterated by new construction and housing developments. My goal is to document as many as possible before they disappear. Places are people…

FLOATING DATUM
I began this series of work titled floating datum as a way to explore what it means to bring a fixed matrix to dynamic circumstances. The oceans are navigable but the waters can be quite rough. Forests can be mapped, but trees decompose. Land can be sectioned into squares, but sometimes the wind blows in circles. That sort of thing The first work in this series is a broad-based exploration of the disconnect between navigation and survival. I was looking at the history of shipping, oceanic exploration, and wars fought at sea. After a while of comparing histories, it seemed that sailors were equally susceptible to dying of boredom and bad behavior brought on by boredom as by ships running aground, cannon fire, or being eaten by great white whales. This work explores in image and sound the listless state of being becalmed in the middle of nowhere, with very few external references, relying not on a map, but on a single song to keep one sane. This work asks the question “when are we gonna get there”

FLOATING DATUM: FIXED GRID – explores land management, more specifically, our often failed attempts at mitigating natural forces and environmental disasters. This work is located at a superfund site on Bainbridge Island…

CONCLUSION
We navigate by stories….says the writier Rebecca Solnit. This place won’t be found on any map says Herman Melville, true places never are. We all possess a basic human need to explore and a need to make sense of our world. Without a Cartesian system of navigation, we would all be lost. Without cognitive maps, we may very well end up becalmed and adrift. Sense of place does not exist in the physical word. It is not universal and it is not permanent. It shifts relative to our bodies, our memories, external information and what we choose to pay attention to. The artwork shown here explores mapping relative to human emotion, navigation, and intuition. locates and illuminates that which often goes overlooked and unheard. Where am I? Where did I come from? Where am I Going? With more attention towards our surroundings we all may derive a deeper sense of place. Thank you very much.

Sense of place does not exist in the physical world. It is not universal and it is not permanent. It shifts relative to our bodies, our memories, and what we chose to pay attention to. My hope is that these installations and art works will bring heightened awareness to details of our surroundings that are often overlooked. With more sensitivity towards our environments, we all may derive a deeper sense of place.”

"Sightline: Standing Stones" - Public Art Proposal
Sand Point Magnuson Park - Seattle, WA - October 2005

The Sand Point Calibration Baseline is a poignant “working” landmark that is often overlooked and not experienced by park visitors due to its quiet presence in the landscape. Incorporating artistic enhancements with the re-establishment of this subtle yet substantial landmark is a rare chance to illuminate survey work, mapping, and measurement as critically important stages in the process of shaping and navigating the complex world in which we live. Distances can be deceiving. Through a direct interactive experience, visitors will have the opportunity to exercise their powers of perception, learn a bit about the history of survey work and come to understand its importance in obtaining a true measure of distance, locating our position on the planet, and deciding where to go from here.

Concept

Where am I? How did I get here? Where am I going? We all possess a basic human need to explore and, at the least, an idle sense of curiosity about the place where we stand. For children, this curiosity is rooted in that which is directly underfoot, in front if the nose and within arms reach. Adults gravitate towards the sweeping vista, the blue of distance, the great beyond. This artwork satisfies both curiosities through framing a perspective on the landscape in detail and over a great expanse.

A procession of standing stones will create a sightline leading to the baseline swath cut through the trees in the southeast section of the park. Each stone will be drilled with a unique pattern and sandblasted with educational elements. When viewed individually, each stone serves as an aesthetic point of contemplation. When the observer peers through the stones, the circular drill holes create a framed perspective of the trees, grasses, sky, and surrounding natural elements of the park environment. The observer will have the experience of making a targeted observation in the landscape, adopting the stance of a surveyor calibrating his instruments.

This artwork will educate the public about the history and spirit of the geodetic survey as well as provide an opportunity for visitors to make a “field” observation. The standing stones will possess multiple narratives in a sequential arrangement. Each stone will be sparsely etched with text, simple diagrams, and graphic elements illuminating various aspects of the calibration process, survey equipment, and historical accounts. These elements will be poetic, non-didactic, and easy for visitors of all ages to understand. Some examples may include: An image of surveyors making observations from a Bilby tower with a theodolite, biographic quotes on the life of Ferdinand R. Hassler and other luminaries, or fragments of language used by surveyors to communicate in the field. This installation encourages multiple encounters and repeat visits, as the view through the stones will change based on atmospheric conditions, the presence of sunlight, and topographic shifts as the wetlands are established and native plants are reintroduced to the area.

The southeast corner of Magnuson Park features relatively flat topography, close proximity to Lake Washington, open areas with clear sightlines, and easy access to the 000m and 150m monuments for EDM calibration. The nearby Promontory Point features hiking trails, educational community boards, and interpretive trails featuring native plants. In the 1970s, Washington State Senator, Warren G. Magnuson facilitated the acquisition of a de-commissioned naval air station for Seattle park land which became Sand Point Magnuson Park. The park boasts 153 acres of open space, an off-leash area for dogs, an auditorium for cultural events, a community center, artist studios, a sailing center, community garden, sports fields, hiking trails and many other amenities which draw a tremendous diversity of users. Community organizations have been key to the aesthetic development and positive change in the park. The Magnuson Environmental Stewardship Alliance (MESA), The Magnuson Community Garden Organization, Dark Skies Northwest, The Promontory Point Habitat Enhancement Project and other organizations and initiatives contribute greatly to the habitat, aesthetic development, safety, and spirit of the park and its visitors.

Calibration baselines were first established by the National Geodetic Survey (NGS) to provide a thread of traceability between the national standards for distance measurement and field data collected by instruments in the hands of local surveyors and those who rely on highly accurate distance measurement as part of their daily work. Correctly calibrated EDM equipment, redundancy in measurement, and careful attention on the part of the observer are all critical to obtaining accurate and reliable results. The Sandpoint Calibration Baseline was established in 1981, though there are records of calibrations happening on site for many years prior. The baseline is accessed and utilized on a daily basis and is considered the universal standard for EDM calibration in our region.

Between 1850 and 1900 baseline stations were marked by heavy stone posts made of marble, sandstone, and limestone. These posts were 2-3 ft. in length and were placed at each end of the baseline with incremental stations along the path. Sub-surface marks were established using the same type of posts as well as bottles, earthenware, jugs, and crocks. After 1900, cast bronze disks and poured concrete monuments became the standard. In 1965, steel rods driven to refusal were used at times and are considered to be the most stable marks by today’s standards.

Materials for this installation have been chosen based on a few key criteria:

1. The artwork will enhance and not detract from the reestablishment of native plantings and landscape improvements of the surrounding area.

2. The artwork will be assimilative and non-interruptive to the park environment.

3. The artwork will convey historical aspects of the National Geodetic Survey through materials and content.

4. The artwork will be comprised of simple, natural materials (stone) that will not harm or negatively impact the surrounding area or visitors.

The sightline will consist of a procession of locally quarried stones such as Moses Lake Basalt, High Cascade Granite, Whitetail, and/or Pritchard Argolite. Each rock with have a unique texture and character. The stones will be rough-hewn, maintaining their original, naturalistic qualities. Small surface areas will be ground and polished to accommodate sand-blasted text and images. The stones will be placed in clear alignment, encouraging visitors to move from one to the next and experience the view through the stones. Each unit will weigh approximately two tons and will have the rough dimensions of being 2’w x 2’h x 6’L.

Stones will be secured by one of two methods. The preferred method is to bury each stone to sufficient depth in 95% compacted soil. Text and graphics will be sandblasted into the surface prior to installation. The sightline will be drilled through after installation to ensure proper alignment. If this method of installation is not feasible due to site conditions and soil composition, a secondary approach is to place each stone on a concrete footing with a steel bearing plate. The sightline would be drilled prior to installation and “dialed” into alignment using threaded bolts which lift or lower the bearing plate.

Stones will be placed intermittently between monument 0:00 and the beginning of the wide swath through the trees. Final determination of placement will be contingent upon location of native plantings, wetlands, environmental analysis, and other site conditions.

Maintenance

This artwork is designed as a permanent installation that is very low maintenance. The sand-blasted stones will maintain original form, function, and appearance for at least fifty years and probably much longer. All surfaces will be coated with ProtectoSil -- a clear, water-based, sacrificial, anti-graffiti coating. Periodic cleaning with sponge and soapy water is recommended once a year. Pressure-washing, excessive scrubbing, and hot water washing should be avoided except in the event of graffiti tagging. If the artwork is tagged, the area should be lightly scrubbed to remove ink or paint. Sealant should be reapplied after five years or ten “tags” in the same spot.

Preliminary Budget

Item	Qty.	Rate	Total
Pritchard Argolite	6 tons	282. p/ton	$1,692.00
High Cascade Granite	6 tons	350. p/ton	$3,150.00
Moses Lake Basalt	6 tons	289. p/ton	$2,601.00
Surfacing	9 units	$200. p/u	$1,800.00
Cutting	9 units	$350. p/u	$3,150.00
Concrete footing	9 units	$800. p/u	$7,200.00
CAD services	30 hrs.	$35. p/hr	$1,050.00
Installation	9 units	$350. p/u	$3,150.00
ProtectoSil	10 gal.	$100. p/gal	$1,000.00
Engineering	20 hrs.	$50. p/hr	$1,000.00
Artist Fee		20% of total	$8,000.00
Subtotal			$33,793.00
Contingency & Tax		18% of total	$6,082.74
Total			$39,875.74