CAA Learning Log @ Giorgio Colonna 514841

After reading "Walking", I asked myself this question as I perceived similarities between his way of dealing with spaces and places and that introduced by the situationists. Henry David Thoreau, known for his love of nature, solitude and his simple lifestyle, could be a precursor of psychogeography and psychogeographic drift in a certain sense. However, these theories and practices emerged in times and very different contexts. Psychogeography focuses on the relationship between place and emotion and the subjective perception of spaces. This concept is closely associated with the Situationist movement, a cultural and political movement that arose decades after Thoreau's works. Psychogeographical drift is a technique developed by Situationists in which people move through urban space randomly and unplanned, following instinct and personal attraction instead of predefined routes. This allows us to discover new perspectives and nuances of an often overlooked urban environment...

A photographer decides to start a walk without a set destination. He/she follows the flow of people, letting chance encounters and sudden situations inspire his/her street photographs. A photographer immerses him/herself in an unknown neighbourhood of his city. He/she lets him/herself be guided by the topography of the place and the sensations it arouses, capturing images that reflect the atmosphere and identity of that place. During a rainy day, a photographer decides to go around without an umbrella. Rain and puddles offer new photographic opportunities, creating unique reflections and plays of light. A photographer begins taking photographs without looking through the viewfinder, simply pointing the camera at the people and objects that catch his/her attention.  A photographer focuses on a particular architectural element in a city, such as a staircase or a graffiti wall. From there, he/she begins exploring the surrounding neighbourhood, allowing this element to guide his/her pa...

 It's a question I've asked myself since the first day I tackled this unit and the topics I chose.   Psychogeographical drift is a concept introduced by the Situationists, a group of thinkers and artists in the 20th century. It is, in short, an exploratory practice in which a person abandons himself to randomness and instinct, letting himself be guided by the surrounding environment to discover new perspectives and perceptions of urban space. Psychogeographical drift has also been applied to street photography, where photographers take a similar approach, allowing the circumstances and flow of street life to guide their photography.  The relationship between psychogeographical drift and street photography is based on spontaneity, openness to the unexpected and the ability to capture authentic and significant moments in the streets of cities.