A commentary on public art in Edinburgh and an attempt to define the Edinburgh Aesthetic.

1. MA
of
Contemporary
Art
Theory
Assessment
Please see my enclosed Master Project and Thesis.
This submission includes the written thesis titled Alephs Moved Again and in conjunction
with this thesis I have produced a website documenting public art in Edinburgh of the same
title.
• The Masters project website url: alephsmovedagain.com

2. Alephs Moved Again
Table
of
Contents
Cover
page
….....................................................................................................................................1
Introduction
….................................................................................................................................4
Chapter
One
Edinburgh
&
Aesthetics
…..............................................................................................................8
Chapter
Two
It’s
an
Urban
Walking
Affair
….................................................................................................20
Chapter
Three
Reconstructing
a
Sense
of
Place
…...........................................................................................28
Chapter
Four
Alephs
Moved
Again
…..................................................................................................................38
Conclusion
…..................................................................................................................................45
Website
&
Portfolio
information
…..................................................................................49
Illustration
Figure
List
.……….………....................................................................................50
Reference
Bibliography
…......................................................................................................59
Research
Bibliography
…........................................................................................................61
2

3. Alephs Moved Again
Thesis
and
Project
Portfolio
online
Available
on
http://catrionablackdinham.wordpress.com/
Alephs
Moved
Again
Portfolio
….................................................................................................1
Jorge
Luis
Borges
project
inspiration
……………....................................................................2
Edgar
Allan
Poe
project
inspiration
…......................................................................................3
Miwon
Kwon:
Public
Art
as
Publicity
………............................................................................4
Project
Website,
Alephs
Moved
Again
……...............................................................................5
Brief
Idea,
Alephs
Moved
Again
………........................................................................................6
Edgar
Allan
Poe
project
inspiration
.........................................................................................7
Mapping
Requirements
…………...................................................................................................8
City
of
Edinburgh
Links
……..........................................................................................................9
Feedback
……………………………………………………………………………………………………10
3

4. Alephs Moved Again
Since
1947
the
months
of
July
and
August
see
a
swell
of
the
arts
in
Edinburgh.
These
annual
festivals,
representing
the
full
spectrum
of
the
arts,
were
introduced
in
an
effort
to
promote
goodwill
and
celebrate
the
human
spirit
post
World
War
II.
As
a
result
this
Scottish
Capital
and
World
Heritage
site
is
rife
with
a
bubbling
tourist
industry
and
a
rich
landscape
of
cultural
activities
during
those
months.
In
contrast,
when
looking
at
Edinburgh’s
publicly
accessible
art
year
round,
we
encounter
a
lack
of
public
art
in
general.
This
is
even
more
apparent
when
we
look
at
public
art
produced
in
the
past
few
decades.
In
this
thesis
I
have
attempted
to
define
possible
reasons
for
the
lack
of
contemporary
public
art
and
explore
if
this
is
a
fundamental
part
of
the
phenomena
that
could
be
termed
the
Edinburgh
Aesthetic.
This
thesis
offers
a
critique
of
public
art;
commenting
on
the
Edinburgh
Aesthetic
through
case
studies
of
contemporary
public
artwork.
The
foundation
for
these
case
studies,
catalogued
on
the
website
created
in
conjunction
with
this
thesis,
Alephs
Moved
Again,
is
the
dynamic
nature
of
place
as
a
socio-­‐geographical
concept.
When
reflecting
on
the
idea
of
a
city
having
an
aesthetic,
which
can
be
resistant
to
conventional
descriptions1,
we
must
acknowledge
three
elements,
which
work
together
as
a
triad
when
discussing
the
making
of
public
art.
These
are
Public,
Art
(activity)
and
Place
{Figure
1}.
Referencing
the
“relationship
between
society
and
space,
1Influence
taken
from
Ian
Campbell
and
Margaret
Stewart’s
examination
of
Edinburgh's
historical
and
4

5. Alephs Moved Again
history
and
geography,
splendidly
idiographic
and
the
enticingly
generalizable
features
of
a
postmodern
urban
geography”2,
how
can
we
retain
such
a
sense
of
immobility
of
the
local
sense
of
place
and
ignore
its
particularities
amidst
the
cross-­‐
hatchings
and
constant
movement
of
multiple
identities
and
cultures
in
a
place?
In
an
effort
to
outline
the
Edinburgh
Aesthetic
it
is
important
to
discuss
the
postmodern
critical
theory
of
place
and
explore
the
more
specific
question
in
relation
to
public
art
in
Edinburgh:
are
the
current
cultural
expressions
of
Edinburgh’s
people
visually
represented
and
encouraged
in
the
production
of
public
art?3
The
intersections
of
place
and
its
multiple
identities
and
visual
markers
are
currently
under
represented
in
artistic
expression
by
todays
inhabitants.
Visual
representations
can
come
in
numerous
forms,
such
as
permanent
sculptures,
community
projects,
performances,
graffiti,
etc.
I
have
broached
the
issue
that
Edinburgh’s
places
are
subject
to
various
paternalistic
notions,
driven
by
elements
of
Government
cultural
activity
policy
focusing
on
requirements
of
production
and
commissioning.
My
reaction
to
the
Edinburgh
Aesthetic
is
to
catalogue
what
permanent
and
temporary
public
art
we
have
in
Edinburgh
as
a
continuing
project.
2
Edward
Soja,
Postmodern
Geographies,
the
Reassertion
of
Space
in
Critical
Social
Theory,
Verso,
1989,
p.
223
3
I
must
acknowledge
that
Edinburgh
has
produced
and
grasped
other
non-­‐visual
forms
of
the
arts
instead
i.e.
poetry,
music,
I
cannot
deny
this
form
of
expression,
and
it
highlights
the
lack
on
non-­‐visual
expressions.
5

6. Alephs Moved Again
The
Geographer
Doreen
Massey
explains
the
construction
of
tradition
in
public
places.
Massey’s
place
as
practiced
concept
emphasizes
that
our
place-­‐making
traditions
and
identities
go
hand
in
hand
and
are
constantly
in
flux.
We
not
only
hold
onto
our
traditions
but
also
have
to
build
them.
Edinburgh
has
an
image
to
maintain
as
the
capital
city
of
Scotland,
and
it
preserves
its
architectural
heritage,
cultural
policy,
specific
regeneration4,
and
an
aesthetic
that
is
quintessentially
Edinburgh.
My
research
looks
largely
at
Massey’s
view
of
place
in
relation
to
the
idea
of
multiple
identities
of
place,
short
stories
by
Jorge
Luis
Borges,
and
theory
drawn
from
Situationist
discussions
and
psychogeography
Wandering
and
wondering
in
Edinburgh
is
the
ideal
way
to
encounter
its
public
artworks;
my
website
Alephs
Moved
Again
catalogues
and
documents
artworks
and
location
and
offers
mapping
points
and
markers
for
clarification
of
context;
what
this
illustrates
is
how
place
is
fluid
and
changing
by
also
seeing
the
artwork
in
today’s
context.
I
will
continue
to
document
new
artwork
and
events
in
the
future
as
the
project
progresses.
4
“Preserve
that
unique
sense
of
place,
create
the
conditions
for
a
vibrant
yet
safe
street
life,
and
encourage
continuing
private
sector
developments
and
improvements.”
(Andrew
McMillan
and
Ewan
Hyslop;
The
City
of
Edinburgh
–
landscape
and
stone.
ICOMOS
2008
Scientific
Symposium)
6

7. Alephs Moved Again
The
project
title,
Alephs
Moved
Again,
references
points
of
infinite
space
in
the
short
story
by
Jorge
Luis
Borges5.
The
catalogue
of
public
art
online
will
act
like
an
infinite
archive
and
resource.
By
creating
this
resource
that
users
can
contribute
to,
the
website
illustrates
the
lack
of
contemporary
artwork
in
our
streets.
My
hope
for
the
future
is
twofold;
that
we
re-­‐assess
current
public
art
and
we
re-­‐evaluate
the
code
of
production
and
process
within
this
city
when
producing
and
commissioning
public
art
in
Edinburgh.
5
This
reference
was
formed
through
the
formulation
of
Soja,
Edward,
Thirdspace,
Blackwell,
1996.
Print.
p.
57;
by
analogy
with
the
Aleph,
a
concept
of
spatial
infinity
developed
by
Jorge
Luis
Borges
in
1945.
7

8. Alephs Moved Again
EDINBURGH
AND
AESTHETICS
But
Edinburgh
is
a
mad
god’s
dream
Fitful
and
dark,
Unseizable
in
Leith
And
wildered
by
the
Forth,
But
irresistibly
at
last
Cleaving
to
sombre
heights
Of
passionate
imagining
Till
stonily,
From
soaring
battlements,
Earth
eyes
Eternity.
Hugh
MacDiarmid
(1892–1978):
“Edinburgh”
-­‐
plaque
on
the
Edinburgh
Canongate
wall
6
‘A
mad
god’s
dream
…
of
passionate
imagining’
-­‐
it’s
a
bold
piece
of
writing
from
the
one
time
Edinburgh
resident
MacDairmid;
writing
that
I
strive
to
realize
in
its
6Hugh
MacDiarmid
(1892-­‐1978).
Lived
and
died
in
Edinburgh.
A
Scottish
poet
of
the
20th
century.
He
was
instrumental
in
creating
a
Scottish
version
of
modernism
and
was
a
leading
light
in
the
Scottish
Renaissance
of
the
20th
century.
8

9. Alephs Moved Again
possibilities.
When
you
live
in
a
city
like
Edinburgh,
not
too
big,
nothing’s
too
far;
whether
to
explore
or
on
a
mission,
walking
is
a
natural
part
of
your
day.
The
pedestrian
nature
of
Edinburgh
is
quite
alive,
we
have
great
(before
that
tram
construction)
public
transport
but
many
of
us
who
can,
walk
to
where
we
are
going.
Walking
quite
often
deviates
from
just
wandering,
usually
I
walk
with
a
mission,
focused,
trying
to
get
to
work
on
time.
I
think
many
of
us
do
this
in
unity,
but
miss
the
day-­‐to-­‐day
attractions
of
the
terrain,
with
both
wonderment
and
calculation
of
the
city’s
possibilities.
The
uninhibited
act
of
the
derive
offers
wandering
with
an
awareness
of
the
psychogeographical
affects
of
the
environment,
which
I
will
discuss
further
in
Chapter
2.
Edinburgh’s
aesthetic
is
based
upon
heritage
and
monument;
in
1935
Edwin
Muir
gets
straight
to
the
point
by
describing
that:
Edinburgh
is
‘becoming
lost
to
history’7.
‘England
gives
some
scope
for
it’s
best;
Scotland
gives
none;
and
by
now
it’s
large
towns
are
composed
of
astute
capitalists
and
angry
proletarians,
with
nothing
that
matters
much
in
between.
Edinburgh
is
a
partial
exception
to
this;
but
Edinburgh
is
a
handsome,
empty
capital
of
the
past
…
[they
are]
monuments
of
Scotland’s
industrial
past,
historical
landmarks
in
a
country
which
is
becoming
7
Edwin
Muir,
Scottish
Journey.
Edinburgh.
1985.
Henceforth
Muir
p.
3-­‐4.
9

10. Alephs Moved Again
lost
to
history.’8
This
city’s
history
seems
apparent
as
soon
as
you
step
off
the
train;
you
look
up
and
see
Waverley
railway
station’s
original
1847
construction
all
around
you,
although
today
it’s
merged
with
travel
advancements,
Boots
chemist
and
WH
Smith.
Assuming
you
can
see
past
the
construction
the
history
surrounds
us
as
you
wander
up
the
famously
blustery
Waverley
Steps
up
to
Princes
Street
to
find
yourself
in
the
midst
of
the
character,
and
the
very
quintessential
nature
of
the
now
privatized
Edinburgh.
Edinburgh’s
character
has
often
been
defined
as
"public
probity
and
private
vice"
by
Dr
Jekyll
and
Mr
Hyde
writer
Robert
Louis
Stevenson.
And
again
Stevenson
reiterates
the
Edinburgh
Aesthetic,
and
implies
Edinburgh
is
a
"precipitous
city”
9,
which
when
I
was
a
newcomer
to
the
city
I
would
have
agreed
with
whole
heartedly,
but
I
have
been
softened
by
my
over
a
decade
in
residence.
The
Edinburgh
literary
community
has
had
great
recognition
over
the
past
two
hundred
years,
with
the
likes
of
R.L.
Stevenson,
Sir
Arthur
Conan
Doyle10,
Irvine
8
Edwin
Muir,
Scottish
Journey.
Edinburgh.
1985.
Henceforth
Muir
p.
3-­‐4.
9
Robert
Louis
Stevenson
(1850-­‐1894).
Born,
educated
and
lived
in
Edinburgh.
Scottish
novelist,
poet
and
travel
writer.
Famous
novels
are:
Treasure
Island,
Kidnapped
and
The
Strange
Case
of
Dr
Jekyll
and
Mr
Hyde
10
Sir
Arthur
Conan
Doyle
(1859-­‐1930).
Born
and
educated
in
Edinburgh.
Trained
physician
and
writer,
his
most
famous
stories
are
about
Sherlock
Holmes.
10

11. Alephs Moved Again
Welsh11
and
Ian
Rankin12,
all
have
given
the
city
a
pedestal
upon
which
to
stand.
While
non-­‐visual
expressions
have
been
on
the
rise
in
recent
years
the
visual
expression
of
Edinburgh’s
people
has
been
stinted.
Alexander
Stoddart,
a
prominent
sculptor
&
Ordinary
to
the
Queen
of
Scotland,
has
been
commissioned
to
erect
many
monuments
over
the
past
three
decades;
he
has
brought
us
the
bronze
landmarks
of
Adam
Smith
and
David
Hume.
Sadly,
in
my
opinion
{Figure
2}
however
talented
and
skilled
in
his
trade
and
respected
he
may
be,
demand
has
facilitated
his
monopolisation
of
the
production
of
contemporary
development
of
artwork
in
this
city.
His
mastery
of
classical
realism
through
bronze
monuments
has
stifled
the
creation
and
production
of
contemporary
artworks
in
the
public
realm;
artwork
that
the
public
can
relate
to
in
todays
time
and
context.
This
monopolisation
of
contemporary
artwork
in
Edinburgh
is
hardly
weighted
on
Stoddart,
but
by
the
conservative
sensibilities
of
the
commissioners
of
the
artwork,
which
I
shall
discuss
further
in
regard
to
cultural
policy
activities.
My
use
of
literary
references
and
heritage
in
this
project
can
be
based
on
the
reflections
of
critical
regionalism,
which
is
based
on
an
avant-­‐gardist
modernist
11
Irvine
Welsh
(b.1957).
Born,
educated
and
lived
in
Edinburgh.
Contemporary
Scottish
novelist,
best
known
for
the
phonetically
written
novel;
Trainspotting.
12
Ian Rankin, Born in the Kingdom of Fife. 1960. Prominent Scottish writer, particularly for his writings of
Edinburgh’s detective; Rebus.
11

12. Alephs Moved Again
approach.
If
we
look
at
the
Edinburgh
literary
tour
project13,
it
incorporates
both
reference
to
the
urban
symbolic
and
architectural
landscape
with
prominent
Edinburgh
born
and
resident
writers.
In
its
foundations
it
rests
in
the
local
or
regional
architecture,
which
in
Edinburgh
is
at
the
root
of
the
need
to
maintain
its
heritage.
The
writer
Kenneth
Frampton14
is
most
associated
with
the
term
Critical
Regionalism
that
fostered
postmodern
cultural
theory.
Critical
regionalism’s
original
use
is
in
architectural
theory,
which
includes
literature,
cultural,
and
political
studies
and
proposes
a
methodology
based
on
the
intersection
of
those
fields
which
I
use
in
my
discussion
of
the
mapping
of
the
urban
landscape
as
place
as
a
fluid
notion.
The
lack
of
non-­‐bronzed
contemporary
permanent
artworks
installed
in
our
pathways
is
perhaps
due
to
funding
hurdles
by
many
artists
and
(lets
not
forget)
council
permissions.
Edinburgh
has
a
public
aesthetic
that
is
adhered
to
and
maintained
by
the
authorities
including
the
City
Council.
After
seeking
out
information
in
regard
to
the
process
of
producing
artworks
for
the
streets
of
Edinburgh
I
was
directed
to
the
Arts
Development15
and
Cultural
Partnership
guidelines
issued
by
Edinburgh
City
Council.
The
guidelines
specify
what
public
art
13
'Palimpsest:
Literary
Edinburgh',
Academicians:
Miranda
Anderson,
Amy
Guy,
Simon
Biggs,
John
Lee,
James
Loxley,
Mark
Wright,
CIRCLE
&
UoE
English
Literature
Department,
www.literarycities.org
14
Kenneth
Frampton
wrote
the
essay
"Towards
a
Critical
Regionalism:
Six
points
for
an
architecture
of
resistance"
published
in
the
book
"The
Anti-­‐Aesthetic:
Essays
on
Postmodern
Culture"
(1983)
edited
by
Hal
Foster.
15Arts
Development,
City
of
Edinburgh
Council:
http://www.edinburgh.gov.uk/info/486/arts_development/372/arts_development
12

13. Alephs Moved Again
comprises
and
what
it
must
achieve.
Visual
arts
have
been
amalgamated
with
other
art
forms
including
dance,
craft
and
theatre
under
cultural
activities
within
the
Edinburgh
Cultural
Partnership16
sector
of
the
City
Council,
which
was
established
in
2002
to
head
the
community-­‐planning
network
that
includes
the
Edinburgh
Partnership,
and
the
City
Sports
Partnership
and
other
organizations.
As
an
alternative
model
and
aim
to
which
Edinburgh
could
adapt
and
follow;
Gateshead
in
Newcastle
put
itself
on
the
map
in
the
1970’s
and
1980’s
as
they
decided
to
become
active
in
the
commissioning
of
public
art,
mainly
as
they
had
no
contemporary
art
gallery
at
that
time.
In
1986
Gateshead
created
a
formal
public
arts
programme
funded
through
various
means,
such
as
the
Single
Art
Regeneration
Budget,
Arts
Council
Lottery,
and
established
a
modal
that
other
cities
could
follow
and
appropriate.
Gateshead
used
public
art
as
a
means
to
reclaim
derelict
areas.
A
stark
contrast
to
Edinburgh’s
preservation
of
heritage
and
art.
The
Edinburgh
Cultural
Partnership
states
that
they
as
a
sector
will
improve
access
to
the
arts,
sports
and
cultural
activities,
for
example:
• They
encourage
active
involvement
and
participation
from
individuals
and
16Edinburgh
Cultural
Partnership:
http://www.edinburgh.gov.uk/info/486/arts_development/465/cultural_policy/1
13

14. Alephs Moved Again
the
community,
which
helps
to
develop
self-­‐worth
and
community
identity
• They
help
to
raise
awareness
of
issues
relating
to
the
environment,
community
safety
and
disability
• They
help
to
develop
a
sense
of
pride
in
the
City’s
heritage
and
built
environment
• They
bring
in
new
ideas,
experiences
and
a
sense
of
enjoyment
to
the
City,
contributing
to
the
quality
of
life.
• Preserving
and
enhancing
the
city’s
built
heritage
• Arranging
displays
on
aspects
of
the
city’s
history
• Carrying
out
archeological
and
social
history
research
• Maintaining
and
encouraging
the
enjoyment
of
the
city’s
natural
heritage
of
parks
and
open
spaces
• Interpreting
the
city’s
architectural
and
historical
background
and
identifying
ways
of
making
it
more
accessible
to
the
public
• Collecting
and
preserving
artifacts
relating
to
the
city’s
heritage.
17
This
all
sounds
well
intended,
but
does
this
really
happen
in
the
development
and
production
of
public
arts?
It’s
a
common
view
that
public
art
must
follow
the
following
points,
perhaps
it’s
only
implied,
expected,
or
an
old
view;
and
there
is
little
17
‘A
Cultural
Policy?’
for
the
City
of
Edinburgh.
Towards
a
New
Enlightenment.
1999.
p.
7
~
I
obtained
this
document
from
the
Arts
Development
division
of
the
City
of
Edinburgh
Council,
this
is
their
most
recent
policy
document
guidelines,
but
I
was
informed
new
policy
documents
will
be
provided
to
the
public
in
2013.
14

15. Alephs Moved Again
evidence
that
public
art
achieves
any
of
these
things
which
Doreen
Massey
and
Dr
Gillian
Rose,
both
of
the
Open
University,
have
discussed
on
the
value
and
impact
of
public
art
in
their
report
commissioned
by
Milton
Keynes
Council18.
• Reference
cultural
policy
and
the
assertions
such
policy’s
demand
on
public
artworks
and
their
uses
• Enhances
the
physical
environment
• Creates
a
sense
of
place
and
distinctiveness
• Contributes
to
community
cohesion
• Contributes
to
social
health
and
wellbeing
• Contributes
to
economic
value
through
inward
investment
and
tourism
• Fosters
civic
pride
and
confidence
• Raises
quality
of
life
• Reduces
crime
19
From
such
guidelines
it’s
safe
to
assume
that
it’s
intended
that
permanent
artworks
must
integrate
into
the
city
landscape.
Many
public
artworks
are
funded
and
commissioned
through
such
schemes
as
‘Percent
for
Art’,
which
is
implemented
by
the
City
Council.
The
scheme
works
in
association
with
a
private
organization
to
enhance
the
relationship
through
commissioned
publicly
accessible
visual
art
with
18
Professor
Doreen
Massey
BA
(Oxon),
MA
(Phila)
&
Dr
Gillian
Rose,
BA
(Cambs).
Social
Sciences
Faculty.
The
Open
University.
Commissioned
by
Artpoint
on
behalf
of
Milton
Keynes
Council:
Personal
Views:
Public
Art
Research
Project.
2003.
19
Public
Art
Online.
www.publicartonline.org.uk/resources/research/current_research.php
15

16. Alephs Moved Again
privately
owned
land
developers.
For
example;
‘Percent
for
Art’
in
association
with
Cala
Homes
(Scotland)
artwork
can
be
seen
in
Stockbridge,
a
sculpture
titled
‘Horse,
Rider,
Eagle’
by
Edinburgh
born
Eoghan
Bridge
{Figure
3}
in
1997.
‘Percent
for
Art’
is
a
scheme
that
encourages
the
use
of
a
percentage
(typically
1%)
of
a
private
or
government
construction
project
cost
and
is
allocated
for
the
commissioning
and
production
of
a
publicly
accessible
permanent
artwork.
Richard
Serra’s
Tilted
Arc
sculpture
{Figure
4},
marked
a
change
in
the
way
such
artworks
where
instated.
The
Tilted
Arc
was
installed
in
the
courtyard
of
the
Jocob
Jarvits
Federal
Building
in
Manhattan,
New
York
in
1981.
There
was
an
outcry
by
pedestrians
and
workers
in
the
surrounding
buildings
that
this
mix
of
both
authoritarian
and
paternalistic
sculpture
was
commissioned
without
interaction
with
the
inhabitants
and
workers
of
the
area
and
was
removed
in
1989.
This
marked
a
change
in
process
of
commissioning
the
work
and
has
slowly
filtered
to
here
in
the
UK.
Although
the
funding
and
project
bodies
have
authority
over
the
artwork
commissioned,
community
engagement
and
approval
is
sought.
Perhaps
the
financial
encouragement
and
paternalistic
attitude
for
the
production
of
art
in
private
construction
is
to
‘give
back’
to
that
place
and
community,
and
enrich
the
lives
in
that
area
through
art.
Looking
at
the
use
of
the
Edinburgh’s
Aesthetic,
as
a
nuance
of
a
static
notion
of
place
16

17. Alephs Moved Again
and
discussing
the
documentation
of
current
artwork
and
the
need
to
produce
new
contemporary
artwork
in
a
way
that
implies
that
it
is
a
far
more
of
a
fluid
notion
is
how
I
wish
to
proceed.
By
fluid
I
refer
to
Miwon
Kwon’s
interpretation
of
Wrong
Place;
20
“Places
are
also
fluid,
changeable,
dynamic
contexts
of
social
interaction
and
memory”.
I
have
restricted
the
content
and
discussion
of
public
art
to
omit
the
festival
months
due
to
the
word
count
of
this
paper
and
to
emphasis
the
production
of
artworks
that
happen
in
the
remaining
10
months
of
the
year.
This
will
enable
me
to
focus
on
viewing
public
art
as
a
resident
and
to
comment
on
the
contradictions
of
the
local
sense
of
identity
and
the
dynamic
notion
of
the
association
of
place
through
the
use
of
visual
art
in
our
streets.
Documenting
the
artworks
in
festivals
will
be
a
continuation
of
the
Alephs
Moved
Again
project
for
a
later
time.
Ian
Rankin,
in
his
book
2007
Exit
Music21,
describes
this
city;
“It
seemed
to
him
a
very
Edinburgh
thing.
Welcoming,
but
not
very”.
Such
desire
and
economic
requirement
to
maintain
this
aesthetic
and
tradition
is
known
by
tourism
industries
around
the
world
is
perhaps
one
of
the
roots
of
issue.
20
Miwon
Kwon.
The
Wrong
Place.
Art
Journal;
Spring
2000.
59.
1.
Research
Library
Core.
p.
4
21
Ian Rankin. 2007. Exit Music. Desert Island Books
17

18. Alephs Moved Again
The
recent
lack
of
permanent
artwork
produced
in
the
city
is
reacted
to
in
the
festival
months
when
there
is
an
abundance
of
temporary,
ephemeral
artwork,
but
year
round,
this
enthusiasm
is
stifled.
This
is
where
one
problem
lies.
The
(perhaps)
discouraging
guidelines
of
the
city
council,
the
need
to
conform
to
obtain
funding
in
such
schemes
as
‘Percent
for
Art’
and
Creative
Scotland
proposals;
or
the
mountainous
and
precarious
nature
of
regulations
such
as
health
and
safety
etc.
has
dampened
the
expression
of
contemporary
artwork
in
the
public
arena
of
Edinburgh.
Boundaries
have
been
set
and
it
can
be
a
hazardous
crossing.
By
contextualising
the
modes
and
means
of
production
of
public
artworks
and
the
notion
of
places
in
which
they
inhabit;
I
am
attempting
to
shift
the
premise
from
the
production
of
art
as
economic
and
political
tools
of
growth,
to
that
of
the
need
to
include
contemporary
cultural
expressions
of
the
intercepting
cultures
and
identities
of
Edinburgh’s
people.
To
summarise,
the
Edinburgh
Aesthetic
is
a
conservative
sensibility
by
the
Edinburgh
City
Council
and
other
commissioning
bodies.
The
sensibility
of
the
people
in
authority
must
adhere
to
the
need
to
maintain
Edinburgh
as
a
world
heritage
site,
and
continue
to
strive
for
economic
growth
and
tourism.
All
to
the
detriment
of
new
18

19. Alephs Moved Again
forms
of
artistic
‘representation
and
meaning’22
being
produced
in
the
public
realm.
22
Merlin
Coverley.
Psychogeography.
Pocket
Edition.
Oldcastle
Books.
2006.
p.
96
19

20. Alephs Moved Again
IT’S
AN
URBAN
WALKING
AFFAIR
“Dérive
is
the
first
step
toward
an
urban
praxis.
It
is
a
stroll
through
the
city
by
several
people
who
are
out
to
understand
the
"psychogeographical
articulation
of
the
modern
city".
The
strollers
attempt
an
interpretive
reading
of
the
city,
an
architectural
understanding
…
“engage
in
"playful
reconstructive
behaviour"…They
see
in
the
city
unifying
and
empowering.23
The
dérive
is
the
ideal
model
notion
of
wandering
the
streets
of
Edinburgh
and
has
been
explored
extensively
by
Guy
Debord
of
the
Situationist
International
in
the
1950’s,
and
since
then
in
the
90’s,
by
the
‘London
Psychogeographical
Association’,
and
again
recently
by
Merlin
Coverley’s
book
in
2006
‘Psychogeography’,
and
the
2007
book
‘Psychogeography:
Disentangling
the
Modern
Conundrum
of
Psyche
and
Place’
by
Will
Self
and
Ralph
Steadman,
and
Ian
Sinclair’s
2004
book
‘London
Orbital’.
The
dérive
essentially
means
to
stroll
but
involves
a
‘playful-­‐constructive
behavior’24
and
awareness
of
psychogeographical
effects.
The
Situationists
use
the
dérive
and
other
fractions
of
psychogeography
as
a
means
of
showing
the
contrast
in
the
everyday
and
comment
on
what
it
is
now
and
what
it
could
be
in
the
future.
My
focus
leads
within
a
fraction
of
psychogeography;
the
derive.
The
dérive
is
an
awareness
of
your
surroundings
and
the
affects
the
urban
landscape
have
when
interpreting
your
23Anonymous.
Drifitng
with
The
Situationist
International.
http://www.geog.leeds.ac.uk/people/a.evans/psychogeog.html.
2002.
24
Théorie
de
la
dérive”.
Internationale
Situationniste.
Paris.
1958.
Translation
by
Ken
Knabb.
Situationist
International
Anthology.
Revised
and
Expanded
Edition.
2006
20

21. Alephs Moved Again
own
reading
of
the
city.
Guy
Debord
of
the
Situationists
was
the
forerunner
of
the
Situationists
International,
the
Letterist
Group,
which
included
psychogeography
and
various
elements
under
its
umbrella;
the
dérive
is
but
one
instrument.
Psychogeography
was
a
tool
in
an
attempt
to
transform
urban
life,
first
for
aesthetic
purposes
but
then
later
for
political
ends.
Merlin
Coverley
in
his
book
Psychogeography25
points
at
to
the
definition
of
where;
‘psychology
and
geography
collide’,
as
a
way
of
exploring
peoples
behavior
and
the
impact
of
the
urban
place.
Coverley’s
guide
to
Psychogeography
has
been
a
necessary
conductor
in
understanding
the
overly
appropriated
term
that
has
become
quite
vague
in
definition
and
use.
The
dérive
enables
the
storytelling
of
a
places,
the
history
of
its
internal
cogs,
cross-­‐
hatchings
of
current
and
old
inhabitants
and
its
complexities
in
its
current
context.
The
practice
of
derive
in
Edinburgh
and
witnessing
the
attractions
in
our
streets
dissolves
the
boundaries,
reinvents
identities
and
contextualizes
the
histories
of
place
and
becomes
a
situation
creating
method
and
tool26.
The
dérive
does
not
give
into
pure
unconscious
desire
characterized
by
the
surrealist’s
wanderings
and
the
journey
25
Merlin
Coverley.
Psychogeography.
Pocket
Edition.
Oldcastle
Books.
2006.
p.
11
26
Situation
creating
technique
–
Influenced
by
various
writings
by
Guy
Debord
21

22. Alephs Moved Again
of
the
stroller
of
the
flanuer.
The
dérive
lacks
clear
destination
but
has
purpose.27
Alephs
Moved
Again
is
in
part
my
visual
interpretive
reading
of
the
city
and
my
reaction
to,
in
my
opinion,
the
lack
of
contemporary
public
art
(non
bronzed),
and
to
map
the
artwork
in
the
streets
of
Edinburgh;
and
to
explore
the
ideas
that
are
open
to
place
being
interpreted
as
a
fluid
concept.
Why
aid
the
exhibition
with
an
online
model?
The
online
website
I
have
produced,
that
includes
an
integrated
map
can
give
the
audience
possibilities
to
follow,
and/or
give
points
of
places
to
give
start
to
the
possibility
of
the
derive:
beginning
with
purpose.
To
act
as
an
online
exhibition
site
with
numerous
links
to
a
catalogue
of
temporary
sited
artworks
and
information
along
with
a
list
of
permanent
artworks
and
features
around
the
city.
It
is
my
hope
the
online
site
would
continue
to
expand
and
include
historical
artworks
around
the
city
that
may
benefit
the
concept
of
the
project.
I
have
a
conflict
in
understanding
the
cultural
implications
of
fixed
and
generalized
interpretations
of
place
as
a
whole
and
the
cultural
hybridity
giving
rise
to
new
negotiations
of
meaning
and
representation28;
perhaps
it’s
the
need
to
be
a
localized
individual,
have
present-­‐time
association,
and
to
be
at
odds
with
associations
of
27
Merlin
Coverley.
Psychogeography.
Pocket
Edition.
Oldcastle
Books.
2006.
p.
96
28“The
process
of
cultural
hybridity
gives
rise
to
something
different,
something
new
and
unrecognizable,
a
new
area
of
negotiation
of
meaning
and
representation.”
Rutherford,
Jonathan.
"The
Third
Space.
Interview
with
Homi
Bhabha."
Identity:
Community,
Culture,
Difference.
London:
Lawrence
&
Wishart.
1998.
Print.
p.
211
22

23. Alephs Moved Again
larger
intersections
of
society,
and
the
link
with
place;
not
to
be
exclusively
one
over
the
other.
Our
connections
and
interpretations
of
a
place
are
tied
to
our
knowledge,
our
cultural
understandings
and
histories
of
customs
and
rituals.
But
a
place
is
forever
altering,
adapting,
progressing,
multiple
identities
and
cross-­‐hatchings
of
people
change.
The
culture
develops
around
and
with
it,
and
the
writings
of
Doreen
Massey
speak
volumes,
particularly
in
such
essays
as
Politics
and
Space/Time.29
The
place
adopts
our
traits,
customs
and
cultures,
and
visa
versa.
Place
has
a
backlog
of
interactions,
where
people
and
time
are
facilitating
this
flexibility.
Showing
the
activity
in
Edinburgh
and
the
changing
nature
of
place;
when
interacting
with
the
possible
enhancing
abilities
of
an
artwork
we
can
reference
my
documentation
of
Antony
Gormley’s
artwork
Six
Times
{Figure
5}
via
Alephs
Moved
Again.
The
commissioned
artwork
by
the
Scottish
National
Galleries
is
in
association
with
funding
from
the
Lottery
Fund,
sites
6
casts,
very
typical
of
Gormley
artwork,
on
a
historical
route
of
the
Water
of
Leith
in
Edinburgh.
The
resource
I’ve
created
Alephs
Moved
Again
allows
the
publics
to
use
and
interact
with
the
site
as
an
online
resource,
mapping
each
point
of
the
trail
that
stretches
from
the
National
Galleries
Modern
buildings
to
the
abandoned
pier
in
Leith
Docks.
Since
2010
they
have
been
enveloped
into
the
place
where
they
sit.
For
me
the
real
expression
of
the
pedestrians
and
inhabitants
of
the
city
are
the
interventions
and
reactions
to
the
artwork
from
the
29
Doreen
Massey.
For
Space.
Includes
essay
Politics,
Space/Time.
SAGE
Publications
Ltd.
2005
23

24. Alephs Moved Again
publics,
not
just
the
artwork
itself,
images
of
such
interventions
can
be
seen
on
Alephs
Moved
Again
as
part
of
the
documentation.
Various
bras
and
t-­‐shirts
have
been
placed
on
the
casts,
including
a
parody
performance
by
artist
Pete
Shaw30,
interacting
with
the
work,
which
in
my
opinion
is
a
point
of
substance
in
public
art.
I
don’t
believe
such
reactions
are
solely
in
protest
of
such
artworks
but
in
acceptance
and
engagement.
The
same
principle
lays
with
the
painting
of
Eduardo
Paolozzi’s
giant
bronze
foot
toenails31
at
the
top
of
Leith
Walk:
Elms
Row.
In
his
book
Malcolm
Miles:
Art,
Space
and
the
City:
Public
Art
and
Urban
Futures32
Miles
definition
of
publicly
accessible
artworks
is
a
key
aspect
in
my
exploration
of
place.
He
discusses
the
imbedded
history
and
continuous
expansion
of
culture
in
its
visual
markers
and
invited
interaction.
‘Public
art’
is
a
form
of
street
life,
a
means
to
articulate
the
implicit
values
of
a
city
when
its
users
occupy
the
place
of
determining
what
the
city
is’,
…
suggests
that
it
actively
engages
with
and
intervenes
in
its
audiences.’33
30
Peter
Shaw.
Antony
Gormley
statue
performace.
2012.
meet-­‐the-­‐real-­‐life-­‐gormley-­‐statue-­‐peter-­‐
shaw
31
Eduardo
Paolozzi
bronze
sculptures,
the
giant
bronze
foot
is
one
of
two
sculptures
by
Paolozzi
here,
the
other
being
another
giant
bronze
hand,
which
are
based
on
a
William
Blake
painting
of
Isaac
Newton.
1795
32
Miles,
M
Art.
Space
and
the
City:
Public
Art
and
Urban
Futures.
London.
1997
33
Professor
Doreen
Massey,
BA
(Oxon),
MA
(Phila)
&
Dr
Gillian
Rose,
BA
(Cambs).
Social
Sciences
Faculty.
The
Open
University.
Commissioned
by
Artpoint
on
behalf
of
Milton
Keynes
Council:
Personal
Views:
Public
Art
Research
Project.
2003.
p.
12
24

25. Alephs Moved Again
In
the
spirit
of
the
Situationists
International
such
reactions
to
unwritten
rules
and
regulations
are
physical
interventions,
including
graffiti
and
tagging,
of
such
commercial
and
authoritarian
commissions
by
private
investment
schemes
and
the
city
council.
Edinburgh
council
has
tried
to
regulate
and
perhaps
embrace
artwork
in
the
form
of
murals
and
graffiti
by
giving
residents
two
legal
walls
in
the
city,
but
many
areas
in
Edinburgh
such
as
Rose
Street
and
Meadows
Lane
are
perhaps
a
reaction
to
the
councils
attempt
to
regulate
vandalism
–
graffiti,
and
in
my
opinion
an
honest
expression
by
some
of
Edinburgh’s
inhabitants.
‘The
secrets
of
the
city
are
at
a
certain
level
decipherable,
wrote
Debord,
but
the
personal
meaning
they
have
for
us
is
incommunicable’.34
The
dérive
becomes
a
strategic
device
for
re-­‐contouring
the
city
and
experiencing
these
places.
The
mural,
Industry
of
Leith
{Figure
6},
depicting
Leith's
social
and
trade
history
was
painted
on
the
gable
end
of
a
building
at
North
Junction
Street,
Leith
by
Street
Artworks
in
late
1986.
Tim
Chalk
and
Paul
Grime
produced
the
mural
along
with
members
of
the
Leith
historical
project
through
workshops.35
The
mural
is
representative
of
Leith’s
past
but
I
think
this
differs
from
the
likes
of
Alexander
Stoddart’s
bronze
{Figure
2}
works
because
he
appears
to
produce
a
pastiche
of
classical
bronze
artwork,
he
is
keeping
the
skill
alive
in
the
public
eye,
but
the
mural
in
Leith
is
34
Merlin
Coverley.
Psychogeography.
Pocket
Edition.
Oldcastle
Books.
2006.
p.
101
35
Street
Artworks
was
a
partnership
between
Tim
Chalk
and
Paul
Grime.
They
later
set
up
in
partnership
trading
as
Chalk
&
Grime
25

26. Alephs Moved Again
visually
representative
in
topic
rather
that
style.
It
is
a
contemporary
visual
representation
that
can
be
translated
and
understood
by
people
today.
It
is
a
work
that
is
embedded
into
the
area
and
place-­‐making.
"The
space
thus
produced
also
serves
as
a
tool
of
thought
and
of
action
[...]
in
addition
to
being
a
means
of
production
it
is
also
a
means
of
control,
and
hence
of
domination,
of
power."36
The
artwork
acts
as
a
marker
of
Great
Junction
Street
and
of
people.
In
1986,
such
artworks
were
not
too
uncommon;
in
Glasgow,
1975
Tom
McGRath
(Director
of
the
contemporary
art
gallery,
the
Third
Eye
Gallery)
and
the
Scottish
Arts
Council
(now
Creative
Scotland)
commissioned
the
gable
end
murals
project
in
Glasgow.
Unfortunately
the
murals
were
painted
on
buildings
that
were
at
the
time
scheduled
for
demolition,
and
were
never
foreseen
to
be
permanent
additions.
There
were
four
gable
end
murals
in
total
and
Ian
McColl
was
the
only
artist
to
engage
with
the
people
of
the
area
to
work
in
partnership.
John
Byrne’s
murals
received
allot
of
attention
by
graffiti
artists
and
taggers,
and
as
previously
mentioned,
this
was
almost
inevitable
on
these
murals,
it’s
a
thin
line
between
vandalism
in
protest
and
acceptance
and
intervention.
David
Harding
wrote
of
the
government
policy
of
social
inclusion
and
the
list
of
requirements
that
public
artworks
should
achieve
to
be
deemed
appropriate
to
be
sited
in
the
public
arena.
‘It
was
always
an
ameliorating
'top
down'
policy
with
not
much
ever
percolating
from
the
'bottom
up'
36
Henri
Lefebvre.
The
Production
of
Space.
Blackwell.
1991.
p.
26.
26

27. Alephs Moved Again
and
totally
at
odds
with
the
notion
that
the
socially
excluded
may
have
something
worthwhile
to
express
about
culture’.
37
Fundamentally
Edinburgh’s
cultural
activities
development
guidelines
are
primarily
still
driven
from
the
top
down
by
policies
and
strategies
based
on
cultural
activities
for
all,
whilst
maintaining
and
encouraging
economic
growth.
A
seemingly
self-­‐
contradictory
approach.
Mainly
as
it
assumes
and
lumps
artistic
practices
together
and
Edinburgh
as
a
homogeneous,
bounded
community
in
harmony
–
The
City
of
Edinburgh
Council
is
trying
to
refashion
the
alienated
city.
37
David
Harding.
http://www.davidharding.net/article11/index.php.
Public
Art
Article
of
Craigmillar
Arts
Centre
in
Edinburgh.
2005.
27

28. Alephs Moved Again
RECONSTRUCTING
A
SENSE
OF
PLACE
“The
concept
of
sense
of
place
is
used
colloquially
to
refer
to
an
individual's
ability
to
develop
feelings
of
attachment
to
particular
settings
based
on
a
combination
of
use,
attentiveness,
and
emotion
…
analyses
suggest
that
places
are
more
than
simply
geographic
sites
with
definitive
physical
and
textual
characteristics-­‐-­‐places
are
also
fluid,
changeable,
dynamic
contexts
of
social
interaction
and
memory."38
Early
on
the
development
of
this
project
my
understanding
of
place
was
primarily
as
a
static
concept,
with
an
introverted
obsession
with
‘heritage’;
this
model
always
felt
as
if
it
came
short
for
me,
until
it
was
introduced
to
me
as
a
fluid
notion.
This
is
a
concept
that
embraces
time,
multiple
identities
and
usages
of
space
and
place.
This
developed
into
looking
at
my
city,
Edinburgh,
in
an
alternative
manner;
combining
the
use
of
online
mapping
and
wandering
throughout
this
city
with
the
artworks
that
constantly
surround
me,
and
the
changing
ideologies
that
these
places
can
hold
in
the
context
of
the
artworks.
The
geographer
Edward
Soja
cautions
that,
"How
relations
of
power
and
discipline
are
inscribed
into
the
apparently
innocent
spatiality
of
social
38Patricia
A
Stokowski.
Languages
of
Place
and
Discourses
of
Power:
Constructing
New
Senses
of
Place.
Academic
journal
article
from
Journal
of
Leisure
Research.
Vol.
34.
No.
4:
http://www.questia.com/library/1G1-­‐98607156/languages-­‐of-­‐place-­‐and-­‐discourses-­‐of-­‐power-­‐
constructinghttp://www.questia.com/library/1G1-­‐98607156/languages-­‐of-­‐place-­‐and-­‐discourses-­‐of-­‐
power-­‐constructing
28

29. Alephs Moved Again
life,
how
human
geographies
become
filled
with
politics
and
ideology”39
The
histories
and
consequences
of
a
place
definitely
have
an
impact
on
the
current
state
of
a
place
now,
but
the
history
does
not
define
it,
the
trajectories
of
the
paths
that
intersect
at
that
place
make
it
malleable
and
the
artworks
ideally
help
tell
the
story
and
form
a
visual
representation.
As
I
have
already
discussed
my
approach
to
the
Edinburgh
Aesthetic
and
the
meaning
behind
this
and
my
reaction.
It’s
only
natural
for
me
to
discuss
the
idea
of
place
and
the
notion
of
a
sense
of
place
and
how
this
relates
to
the
public
arena
and
my
project.
I’m
wary
of
referencing
this
term
(sense
of
place)
wholly
as
this
opens
up
a
plethora
of
ideas
and
the
various
social
and
geographical
references
to
identifying
place
in
relation
to
time
and
the
nostalgia
of
the
local.
Other
cities
use
art
to
define
themselves,
not
Edinburgh.
Antony
Gormley’s
Angel
of
the
North
for
example,
has
become
a
marker,
a
signifier
of
place
and
identity.
Anish
Kapoor’s
Cloud
Gate,
aka
The
Bean
in
Chicago
{Figure
7},
and
his
new
addition
in
partnership
with
Cecil
Barmond
{Figure
8}
to
London,
commissioned
for
the
2012
Olympics
–
the
Orbit
Tower,
and
Ian
Ritchie’s
the
Spire
of
Dublin,
Dublin
{Figure
9}.
What
does
Edinburgh
have
really?
We
have
a
wealth
of
monuments.
There
is
nothing
39
Edward
Soja.
Postmodern
Geographies.
The
reassertion
of
space
in
critical
social
theory.
Verso.
1986.
p.
6
29

30. Alephs Moved Again
wrong
with
these
monuments
but
we
are
overshadowed
in
these
tributes
to
past
iconic
people40
but
to
make
room
for
the
new,
and
for
us
to
progress
as
a
city;
we
must
be
open
to
progressive
styles,
mediums
and
subject
in
the
visual
public
arts.
Non-­‐consensual,
authoritarian
commissioned
artwork
that
are
there
to
stimulate
economic
growth
are
not
necessarily
conducive
to
producing
artwork
that
are
engaging
in
expressions
of
contemporary
culture.
And
if
they
fail
at
that,
then
what’s
the
point?
Ultimately
visual
expressions
must
be
encouraged,
through
progressive
engaging
projects
with
the
people
of
Edinburgh,
not
the
safe
classical
style
bronze
artworks
of
Stoddart
{Figure
2}
that
hark
back
to
Victorian
times;
why
should
we
be
preoccupied
by
monument?
Edinburgh’s
sensibility
appears
to
define
itself
by
our
heritage;
architecture,
critical
regionalism;
our
walkways
are
steeped
in
history,
place
has
been
made
but
what
we
need
now
is
to
progress:
“This
is
place
as
practised…does
not
imply
ignoring
the
past
(all
the
different
processes,
practices
and
trajectories
which
have
interwoven
to
make
this
place
what
it
is);
but
it
does
mean
not
romanticising
it
or
holding
it
in
aspic,
nor
allowing
it
to
dominate
the
present.
The
past
of
a
place
is
part
of
its
present
and
future
and
it
is
in
that
guise
that
it
can
best
contribute
to
the
making
of
a
sense
of
40
Influence
here
from
Ray
Mackenzie
in
his
book:
Public
Sculpture
of
Glasgow.
Liverpool
University
Press,
2001.
30

31. Alephs Moved Again
identity.”41
I
started
out
researching
the
static
notion
of
place
with
such
theorists
as
Lucy
Lippard.
Much
of
the
discussions
of
place
that
I
have
come
to
know
have
revolved
around
the
local
and
seeking
a
fixed
identity
of
a
place,
relying
on
the
desire
of
its
community
to
locate
a
sense
of
identity
as
a
factor
in
defining
a
place.
To
look
into
this
question
further
of
fluidity
and
try
and
find
an
answer
in
relation
to
public
art,
I
have
researched
the
idea
of
place
as
being
dynamic
by
using
the
theory
and
practice
of
psychogeography
and
the
viewpoint
of
the
geographer,
referencing
the
likes
of
Edward
Soja
and
Doreen
Massey.
How
these
relate
to
the
movement
and
flux
of
place,
the
production
of
artworks
by
its
globalized
inhabitants,
and
the
writings
of
Edgar
Allan
Poe
and
Jorges
Luis
Borges.
Doreen
Massey
has
been
a
key
player
in
my
development
and
discussion
of
place
and
its
unbounded
dialogue.
Such
that
places
have
multiple
identities,
cultures
and
constantly
in
flux
(that
incorporate
time
and
use).
Place
plays
an
integral
role
in
human
experience
as
explored
by
Edward
Relph42
in
place
attachment
and
the
experiences
of
countless
types
and
identities.
Massey
explains
that
the
reactionary
41Professor
Doreen
Massey,
BA
(Oxon),
MA
(Phila)
&
Dr
Gillian
Rose,
BA
(Cambs).
Social
Sciences
Faculty.
The
Open
University.
Commissioned
by
Artpoint
on
behalf
of
Milton
Keynes
Council;
Personal
Views:
Public
Art
Research
Project.
2003.
p.
4
42
Edward
Relph.
Place
and
Placelessness.
Place
Identity.
Pion
Ltd.
1976
31

32. Alephs Moved Again
sense
of
place
is
problematic,
a
sense
of
which
can
be
“constructed
through
an
inward
looking
history
based
on
delving
into
the
past
for
internalized
origins”43.
This
is
important
in
talking
about
what
appears
to
be
Edinburgh’s
reaction
to
public
places
today
when
commissioning
artwork.
What
we
need
is
an
outward
looking
process
to
aid
production.
Specifically
place
being
site
sensitive
or
the
artwork
produced
being
reactive
to
the
place
itself.
I
think
the
latter
has
more
potential,
as
this
could
be
the
path
to
producing
expressive
artwork,
paying
homage
to
the
history
but
representationally
more
progressive
and
stimulating.
Temporary,
ephemeral
artwork
is
on
the
rise,
even
then
the
council
restricts
it,
so
then
I
discuss
reactionary
work
in
the
form
of
intervention
and
action.
Stability
provides
a
source
of
unproblematic
identity
in
the
unavoidable
flux
and
dynamic
nature
of
real
life.
“To
reaffirm
our
sense
of
self,
reflecting
back
to
us
an
unthreatening
picture
of
a
grounded
identity.”44
I
am
weary
of
using
the
term
‘community’
as
I
think
that
using
this
term
in
this
regard
is
not
quite
correct.
Community
suggests
one
group
all
are
of
the
same
socio-­‐
economic
status
and
nationality
perhaps.
When
discussing
in
this
context
I
want
to
avoid
the
assumption
that
I
am
discussing
a
community.
What
I
am
interpreting
is
the
multi
identity,
multi
community
all
within
Edinburgh
as
a
place
with
only
geographical
boundaries
not
cultural
boundaries.
43
Doreen,
Massey.
A
Global
Sense
of
Place
in
Reading
Human
Geography.
1997.
p.1
44
Miwon
Kwon.
The
wrong
place.
Art
Journal;
Spring
2000.
59.
1.
Research
Library
Core.
p.
10
32

33. Alephs Moved Again
“In
the
middle
of
all
this
flux,
people
desperately
need
a
bit
of
peace
and
quiet
-­‐
and
that
a
strong
sense
of
place,
or
locality,
can
form
one
kind
of
refuge
from
the
hubbub.
So
the
search
after
the
‘real’
meanings
of
places,
the
unearthing
of
heritages
and
so
forth,
is
interpreted
as
being,
in
part,
a
response
to
desire
for
fixity
and
for
security
of
identity
in
the
middle
of
all
the
movement
and
change.”45
Places
have
multiple
identities
and
uses,
and
full
of
internal
conflict.
I
have
the
conflict
between
the
uniqueness
of
place;
and
the
realism
of
a
boundless
sense
of
location
and
culture
and
multiple
identities
of
place,
I’m
looking
for
a
resuscitation
of
a
sense
of
place.
We
can
look
at
Leith
docks,
a
place
steeped
in
history
of
whaling
trade,
and
now
conflicted
with
the
present,
loss
of
trade
and
heritage
in
modern
times
and
the
flux
of
cultures
and
usages.
What
it
could
be
in
the
future
and
is
represented
in
such
as
artwork
as
the
Industry
of
Leith
{Figure
6}
Mural
by
Tim
Chalk
I
discussed
earlier.
Edinburgh
has
earnt
an
informal
reputation
for
being
tougher
to
gain
approval
for
public
artwork
proposals
outside
the
festival
months.
To
see
the
fruition
of
a
public
art
projects
is
at
the
discretion
of
the
arts
development
team
at
the
council
and
private
funding.
These
employees
may
or
may
not
have
an
art
background
in
any
45
Doreen,
Massey.
A
Global
Sense
of
Place
in
Reading
Human
Geography.
1997.
p.
7
33

34. Alephs Moved Again
form.
The
Edinburgh
passive
sensibility
can
be
conservative,
restorative
and
protective
of
its
city
and
that
is
by
no
means
a
bad
thing.
It
is
the
restrain
that
seems
to
be
impeding
experimentation.
This
has
its
benefits.
Unlike
Glasgow,
Edinburgh
has
preserved
its
beauty.
In
its
architecture,
monuments
and
pedestrianized
public
architectural
and
sculptural
artwork
that
has
been
heavily
integrated
into
the
walls
and
walkways
of
the
city.
Massey
reviews
that
new
artwork
has
the
ability
to
change
context
within
the
surrounding
environment,
“None
of
this
denies
place
nor
the
importance
of
the
uniqueness
of
place.
The
specificity
of
place
is
continually
reproduced,
but
it
is
not
a
specificity
which
result
from
some
long,
internalized
history”46
This
is
why
I
am
thankful
to
see
the
project
by
Joe
Caslin,
Our
Nation’s
Sons
street
art
pasting’s
{Figure10}
in
the
streets
of
central
Edinburgh.
For
me
as
a
‘local’
it
signifies
that
Edinburgh
is
again
investing
in
cultivating
the
streets,
as
being
a
stage
for
artists
and
its
residents.
This
isn’t
Caslin’s
first
public
art
based
project,
as
he
has
collaborated
with
French
Artist
JR
on
large
scale
portrait
pastings
on
the
high
walls
of
the
beautiful
McEwan
46
Doreen,
Massey.
A
Global
Sense
of
Place
in
Reading
Human
Geography.
1997.
p.
5
34

35. Alephs Moved Again
Hall
in
2011,
Edinburgh.
Social
networking
and
online
accessibility
has
played
a
large
part
in
exposing
past
and
current
projects
and
has
given
public
art
a
brighter
stage
and
for
such
a
reason
this
is
why
using
an
online
mapping
model
is
ideal
for
the
dissemination
of
my
project
to
the
wider
audience,
not
just
in
Edinburgh
but
further
afield.
The
drawings
of
these
local
young
men
enlisted
to
help
him
achieve
a
change
in
the
representation
of
the
stereotyped
youth
of
our
city
give
a
positive
image
to
the
local
youth
of
Edinburgh.
The
large
scale,
engaging
artworks
seek
to
unmask
the
young
men
that
can
often
be
lumped
into
labeled
groups
and
demonized
through
gender,
age
and
dress,
where
judgment
runs
the
race.
The
street
pastings
will
also
hopefully
bring
new
life
and
spatial
discourse
and
lead
to
the
possibility
and
production
of
new
works
of
Caslin
and
other
artists
being
given
a
stage
in
Edinburgh.
The
young
man
on
the
corner
walkway
wall
of
Guthrie
Street
has
reinforced
his
place
in
the
Cowgate
walkways.
Miwon
Kwon
discusses
the
differences
and
function
of
identity
of
the
artists
of
its
places
in
her
essay
Wrong
Place;
“Moving
beyond
the
inherited
conception
of
site-­‐specific
art
as
a
grounded,
fixed
(even
if
ephemeral),
singular
event,
the
work
of
these
younger
artists
are
seen
to
advance
an
altogether
different
notion
of
a
site
as
predominantly
an
'inter-­‐textually'
coordinated,
multiply-­‐
35

36. Alephs Moved Again
located,
discursive
field
of
operation.”47
Miwon
Kwon
also
discusses
Lucy
Lippard48
assertions
we
have
a
psychological
need
to
belong
somewhere.
Our
city
walls
are
the
foundations
of
our
home;
they
hold
our
experiences
and
histories
and
as
Edward
Soja
implies
in
his
book
Thirdspace49
is
that
its
part
of
our
everyday
life
influenced
in
the
unending
histories,
which
Massey
reiterates
by
saying,
‘People
have
multiple
connections
and
identities,
the
same
can
be
said
for
place’50
By
amalgamating
the
two
forms
of
memories
of
place
and
social
identity
the
artworks
help
us
not
only
solidify
and
accentuate
the
differences
of
its
dwellers
as
well
as
the
affinity
with
a
place
but
also
highlights
the
change
of
attitudes,
multi-­‐identities
and
place
as
being
in
a
constant
state
of
flux.
The
temporal
nature
of
the
artwork
in
contrast
to
the
visual
decay/development
(tagging51)
of
Our
Nations
Sons,
the
images
are
reactionary
to
place
-­‐a
reaction
to
Edinburgh.
The
graffiti
and
the
deterioration
of
the
pastings
are
all
part
of
its
continuing
charm
as
a
visual
dialogue
has
erupted
between
the
artwork
and
its
audience.
47
Miwon
Kwon.
The
Wrong
Place.
Art
Journal;
Spring
2000.
59.
1.
Research
Library
Core.
p.
4
48
Miwon
Kwon.
One
Place
After
Another.
2004.
MIT
Press.
p.
157.
Conclusion.
I
have
taken
reference
from
in
conjunction
with:
Lucy
Lippard;
The
lure
of
the
Local.
p.
157-­‐8
(no
direct
quotes
taken
but
great
influence
from
Lippard
in
achieving
an
understanding
of
localizing
place
and
its
identity).
49
Edward
Soja.
Thirdspace.
Blackwell.
1996.
p.
57
50Doreen,
Massey.
A
Global
Sense
of
Place
in
Reading
Human
Geography.
1997.
p.
6
51
I
have
taken
reference
from:
Style
Wars.
1983.
http://www.stylewars.com/was
a
huge
influence
and
insight
into
why
people
tag
and
create
street
murals
and
art
in
the
early
80’s
New
York.
36