Drawing, Well-being and the Exploration of Everyday Place : 228 Sketches of Clifton Street Hardback

by Nicole Porter

Part of the Global Health Humanities series

Hardback

Less than 10 available - usually despatched within 24 hours

Description

Over 200Â observational drawings created every dayÂ from the same window reveal life in an ordinary EnglishÂ street in extraordinary times.

This visualÂ record and accompanying prose is aÂ unique meditation on place, nature,Â community, time and mental well-being.Â Through this qualitative work we gainÂ insight into the individual and collectiveÂ experience and place-specific impacts ofÂ the pandemic, as opposed to theÂ quantitative statistics of mortality andÂ infection rates that characterise dailyÂ media soundbites and scientific discourseÂ surrounding lockdown.

Five themes areÂ central to the drawings, highlighting theÂ environmental and social factorsÂ influencing daily life, and how these canÂ be perceived and recorded viaÂ observational drawing: â€˜framing spaceâ€™Â foregrounds the importance of widows asÂ an interface between interior and exteriorÂ worlds; â€˜observing nature and the builtÂ environmentâ€™ celebrates the street andÂ garden as sites of human-nature relationsÂ that support well-being; â€˜watching peopleâ€™Â focusses on the activities typify livingÂ under lockdown including isolation,Â socially distanced interactions andÂ working from home; â€˜drawingâ€™ reflects onÂ the multiple professional and personalÂ benefits of drawing; and mindfulÂ awareness is discussed throughout,Â affirming the value of appreciatingÂ everyday life through drawing practice.