Techniques used in Landscape Interpretations - Term Paper Example

 Techniques used in Landscape Interpretations What techniques could you use to interpret a landscape from an archaeological, geomorphologic and landscape perspective? Critically appraise the key techniques that are currently available. Introduction The interpretation of a landscape can have several dimensions and many different approaches depending on the need, requirements and personal biases of the individual who examines the landscape. An archeologist looking at a landscape with an old castle might look for archeological signs that explain the view, an architect might consider the engineering techniques with which the castle was built, and historians might examine the usefulness of the castle in terms of its location and placement on the path of an invading army. On the other hand, a geologist might not pay that much attention to the castle itself and try to set his/her attention to the way the castle builders included and used natural elements of the land to their advantage. All these different interpretations means that there is no single unified technique to examine a landscape and as there are hundreds of landscapes and thousands of interpretations which can be made of those landscapes a singular technique might be impossible to come by. At the same time, there are various schools of thought which lead a person to apply some basic interpretive methods that further allow them to come up with a singular interpretation for a particular scene. Towards that purpose it is essential for us to understand and appreciate the modern methods of landscape interpretations which are discussed in this paper along. These interpretative techniques have been mentioned by architects, artists and scientists who have utilized these methods to study landscapes around the world. Examining a Landscape Normally, the first step in examining any given landscape is to actually look at the landscape with the naked eye. Of course this may not be possible in certain situations like interpreting the landscapes of other planets or subterranean structures but in most topographical analysis situations it is certainly a clear possibility. Dennis (2003) gives a very interesting approach to this subject by giving four ways to deliberately look at a landscape. Ideological Approach The visual ideology of a landscape is the first element which can be created in the mind of the person who is trying to interpret a landscape. The visual ideology often masks the social conditions which produced the landscape in the first place but by paying close attention to the attention, a person can get to the superficial meaning embedded in the landscape. This signifies the material landscape as the representation of the natural order which is present in the scene and also clarifies any social relations which can be seen from the ideology which created that landscape (Baker, 1992). Gender based Approach Dennis (2003) identifies the act of looking itself to be a masculine act since unless there is some significant action commencing in the landscape i.e. a thunderstorm or torrential rain, it remains a passive participant in the act of interpretation and observance while the observer takes the dominant role of actually examining the view. This gives a post modernistic impression of the interpretation since the viewer takes the role of the aggressive and dominant male while the landscape takes the position of the female. In artistic terms, the situation is compared by Dennis (2003) to the act of a man observing a female nude body on the canvas. The woman in the painting can not react to the act of observance or interpretation just as nature and the landscape can not participate in any significant way (Rose, 1993). This also creates a feminist interpretation of the act itself since it represents the traditional gender roles whereby the man is supposed to be aggressive and the woman is supposed to act in a more passive and docile manner. The Ownership Approach The third aspect of interpreting a landscape is to take the position of ownership or as Dennis (2003) calls it, the imperial look. By traveling to different locations and experiencing different cultures the person who looks at a new landscape for the first time has to experience some of the same imperial feelings which the colonizers first felt upon landing on a new point on the globe. This means that even looking at the landscape of a city, especially ethnically divided inner cityscapes would create the same feelings as looking at a landscape in the most remote places on earth. The Totalitarian Since the idea of observing a landscape comes with the implication that a macro view must be taken rather than a micro view of the surroundings, Dennis (2003) calls it a prospective that much be totalitarian in its approach. This is particularly true when a survey taker has to examine a city as a whole since that demands a view taken from high up rather than images taken in from the level of the ground. By taking a bird’s eye view, the person who experiences the landscape takes in a vision that can be likened to a vision taken by God. While such views may be essential for planners and developers for cities and urban layouts, it is also totalizing and alienating since it does not permit a close experience. The Key Techniques While the sheer pleasure and joy experienced at taking a look at open landscapes can not be denied (Orr, 1992), the key techniques for interpretation for any landscape require stepping back from the viewpoints mentioned above and using a method which is closer to the academic requirements for analysis. There are methodological approaches to understanding landscapes and it can be seen as a particular history of a region especially when the architectural or urban development viewpoints are applied to it. Even the simplest examination of a landscape leads to the discovery that a landscape of a country reveals the cultural biography of the place. Even if the place itself has not been touched by human influence, it certainly explains that humans have kept out of that particular region for a good reason. The unspoiled views of the Sahara desert or the Siberian tundra are unspoiled precisely for the reason that humans have not been able to convert them to acceptable living spaces for themselves. Looking carefully at the highways, historic town districts, downtown areas and shopping centers that are present around our own cities we can certainly find this idea to be perfectly applicable because the landscape has been altered by our cultural requirements (Golley, 1998). The culture itself has been developed and influenced by the technology, religion, governments and the people who have made themselves a part of the larger collective. Whatever artistically inspired movements or engineering related influences that have influenced the architecture of our buildings are clearly reflected the landscapes we see around us. This is particularly true of the inner city environments where different buildings from various eras can be seen together in unison. Ecological Literary This leads to the idea of ecological literacy presented by Orr (1992) which demands a person to be knowledgeable about ecological and environmental issues before they can understand and interpret a landscape. An understanding of the environmental and cultural issues lets a person appreciate the connections between man made systems and those which exist naturally. The natural systems can include anything from cliffs to white sand beaches and the man made systems include everything from pipelines carrying oil to high rise apartment buildings as well as artificially altered natural regions. This is taken as a key requirement for viewing landscapes because everyone can look at a landscape and most people can also gain something of value simply by observing a landscape, but it takes the development of an inner eye as well as the ability to see the landscape as a whole rather than to see individual parts of it (Spirn, 1998). The same idea was expressed by Siciliano (2004), in his extensive study of the gardens in Europe, that an understanding of the environmental and cultural aspects of the landscape is necessary before an educated interpretation can be made of the view. Being Literate The ability to read a landscape like a book requires three abilities that can be acquired with a little bit of effort by anyone. The first step is to observe the materials and the objects that make up the landscape and to understand what is being observed. Is the landscape a geographical formation? A wildlife preserve? Or is it a housing area in the suburbs? What ever it may be, the viewer has to link the landscape with a set of ideas present in the mind of the individual. The central requirement here is to ensure that no detail is missed by the person who is observing and interpreting a landscape even the flora and fauna need to be noted for interpretation. The second step comes from a person’s ability to understand that all aspects of the landscape may not be visible. To say that certain aspects are invisible does not mean that they are protected from view or obscured by other objects in the foreground rather it means the ability to understand that history and human development play a significant role in the creation of modern landscapes. The changes made by man can most easily be seen with the maps which humans have created to understand a landscape in general (Wood, 1992). While natural and geographical changes also effect landscapes, these changes can not be seen in the instant a person views the landscape therefore a landscape interpretation will need the individual to understand how the science of geography affects the area. The third step for landscape interpretation comes from knowing what elements in the landscape have been removed from the area. A destroyed building, cleared forests or displaced people all make up a part of the interpretive reading of a landscape and since these elements are not present when a person views the landscape they have to be seen as lost or deleted elements of the same landscape. For instance, simply by looking at the pyramids, a person can not know the life of the slaves who built the pyramids or the glory of the kings who had them built; such things can only be interpreted. Conclusion Perhaps the only conclusion which can be drawn about landscape interpretation is the fact that interpretations made by individuals will change with time and the cultural influences that affect those individuals. That makes the interpretation of landscapes even more important since the interpretations themselves will become cultural artifacts for future generations. While a city may be seen as a home and a place of dwelling by one individual a person coming from a completely different culture may see it as a jungle of steel and concrete that eats away at the very heart of humanity. The continual adjustment of meaning also coincides with the changing landscapes which we have all around as. However, the change in meaning is an excellent tool for interpretations because it gives a historical background to the landscape and the various interpretations that others have made previously. In our post modern world, the landscape remains one of the few areas where creative and unique interpretations can still be made without prejudice and with respect to the environment as well as the object being studied. Works Cited Baker, A. 1992. On Ideology and Landscape. In Baker & Biger, ed., Ideology and Landscape in Historical Perspective, Cambridge University Press. Dennis, S. 2003. ‘The Landscape Literacy Trap: Guidelines for Interpreting Landscape in a Post-Modern World’, in Proceedings of the 2002 Council of Educators in Landscape Architecture. Council of Educators in Landscape Architecture, pp. 25-31. Golley, F. 1998. A Primer for Environmental Literacy, Yale University Press. Orr, David. 1992. Ecological Literacy: Education and the transition to a Postmodern World, SUNY Press. Rose, G. 1993. Feminism and Geography: The Limits of Geographical Knowledge, University of Minnesota Press. Siciliano, P. 2004, Landscape Interpretations, Thomson Delmar Learning. Spirn, A. 1998. The Language of Landscape, Yale University Press. Wood, D. 1992. The Power of Maps, Guilford Press. Word Count: 2,014 Read More