Abstract
‘Orienting to landscape’ is an idea that began with my PhD research. Contemplating the differences between creative environments of regional and metropolitan Australia, I used a metaphor familiar to anyone who uses a smartphone or laptop (bypassing centuries of gilded frames) to emphasise how shifting orientation sends a different message to us, the viewer. A portrait is a portrait, but a landscape-oriented image can be a portrait of a situation. The picture is bigger, more complex, than the subject alone. Instead of stepping in to focus on the detail of a subject in portrait, by ‘orienting to landscape’, the viewer must step back to see the picture in full. We’re looking around the plane to the things in relationship with the subject – people, physical environment, topography, horizon, community, sky, situations, narratives, indicators of vibe, tone and rhythm. These contextual elements, perhaps simply background detail in a portrait, take up more relative space in a landscape-orientated plane. Put simply; by orienting to landscape, we’re looking at the bigger picture. In my research, I found that in Australia’s creative regional communities, the more influential paradigm is landscape rather than portrait orientation, and horizontal rather than vertical social systems. This core concept of ‘orienting to landscape’ means stepping back; inviting a more empathetic reflection of any public-facing activity by exploring and amplifying its social, environmental and cultural value - in regional and urban communities alike. We frame Crimson Rosella’s work as part of a bigger picture. We orient to landscape.
Presenters
Lindy HumeCreative Director, Crimson Rosella Creative Adventures, New South Wales, Australia
Details
Presentation Type
Theme
The Arts in Social, Political, and Community Life
KEYWORDS
Landscape Oriented Practice Horizontal Mindset
