These maps were made on Thursday in the Barnsley area (which I’ve mistakenly labeled as being on the 27th, when they were in fact on the 28th. I am making these maps as part of a psychogeographical project where I intend to explain back to myself the experience of inhabiting certain human landscapes I am most familiar with. It is certainly an artistic project with social and political motives. I also hope they serve to others as a interesting guidances to an often unrepresented reality of place. Even though I do find it hard to shut my mind off to negative occurrences, all of as (most of the time) are preoccupied with keeping our spirits up when we walk through an urban environment, trying to find something that makes us feel at ease. After these walks yesterday I wasn’t physically tired, but was mentally drain. I found the task of keeping my spirits up such an effort. Looking back on these maps, out of reach of the impact of that area on that day, I can see a nature of environment that I would instinctively try to deny myself whilst within it in order to feel calmer about things. These maps are helping me understand the Real which we often don’t look at when in our own daily endeavors; yet this Real still has an impact on our mood, for bad or good.
John B Ledger 