Field notes from an invisible landscape
The term "invisible landscape" refers to aspects of the natural and built environment that are not immediately visible or tangible, such as the hidden processes, systems, and relationships that shape the world around us. This could include things like air and water pollution, the complex network of interactions within an ecosystem, the political and economic forces that influence urban development, and many other factors that shape our physical and cultural surroundings but are often overlooked or ignored.
Drawing and observation, invites me to look through a new pair of glasses. Through these I see the city and everyday environment from a new perspective. Observation and drawing are well-known design methods, which are used to gather information, generate ideas, and communicate design concepts. This approach forces one to take time to closely examine the world around, and by slowing down and look closely we can identify new patterns and relationships. The glasses I have put on lets me spot my project partners, the invasive plants, in the landscape of the city. I hadn’t really noticed them as individual plants before. But now I see where and how are they growing, acting and adapting to the environment.
For me, drawing provides a low-tech and accessible way to capture and develop these observations. After working a lot on computers over the last years, I notice that my once so calm drawing hand is rushing - could it be the results of digital consumption? I want it to be done quick – but precise. But the pencil show no mercy and forces me to take a deep breath and relax. Focus on the plants.
When I manage to do so, I notice how it creates a deeper connection with the environment. So, it is not just a new pair of glasses, but also a chill-pill needed to actually just be in the context.
During my first observation and drawing session I walked from Haukeland Sykehus (the hospital in Bergen) towards the city center. I was quite surprised to find Japanese knotweed (Reynoutria japonica/ Fallopia japonica), Butterbur (Petasites japonicus), Persian hogweed (Heracleum persicum), lady's mantle (Alchemilla mollis), Western hemlock (Tsuga heterophylla), Golden chain (Laburnum anagyroides), Sycamore maple (Acer pseudoplatanus), Hybrid yew (Taxus X media) and Scotch broom (Cytisus scoparius) – all within a radius of 1 km. This is an urban area with varied programming: office buildings, industrial buildings, hospitals, cemetery and residential buildings. While drawing I was thinking of the plants I remember from my childhood, the once we used to make flower wreaths, perfume and bouquets. Some of the flowers had quite unique applications, like Smørblomst (Ranunculus acris) which “could tell” if someone liked butter, or not, or Tusenfryd (Bellis perennis), which we used to predict if someone loved someone or not (loves you, loves you not, loves you…). And I was thinking if any of the plants infant of me had ever made children laugh and play. In this very landscape they certainly din’t make a very happy impression. Or that is, with the exception of the Yew, the Western hemlock and the Golden chain, which have been planted inside the cemetery long time ago and have prominent positions in the park.
The other plants I observed seemed to exist in a sort of limbo, not as a part of the build and planned environment, and still not free and natural in a wild landscape. And this is where we come back to the invisible landscape, because it is as if they live in a parallel landscape – trying to act invisible in order to survive. They grow along sidewalks and buildings, in cracks in the pavement, on roofs or in roof gutters, out of a stone wall, or under a small bridge. They fill the empty gaps and cover the wounds of the city.
It makes me think of Marc Augé, who introduced the term non-place in his book "Non-Places: Introduction to an Anthropology of Supermodernity" (1). Augé argued that non-places represent a new form of space in the modern world and represent a shift away from traditional places that are embedded in social and cultural meanings. A non-place refers to a space or location that is anonymous, neutral, and lacks a sense of place. It is a place that is not tied to specific cultural, social, or historical meaning, and is often considered to be a product of modernity, such as airports, highways, shopping malls, and parking lots. These types of spaces are often thought of as interchangeable and lacking a sense of identity, history, or community, and these are the places that the invasive species inhabit in the urban setting. Not inside a shopping mall or airport of course, but on their backside, along the fences, and on the wasteland in-between the planned areas.
They are nameless plants without any significance or meaning, growing on places with the same destiny. Non-species and non-places – almost invisible, but when we start looking, they seem to be omnipresent.
Photo credit: Siren Elise Wilhelmsen
Reference:
Augé, M. (1995) Non-Places: Introduction to an Anthropology of Supermodernity. London and New York: Verso.
