There are other ways of experiencing the place where you live, by coming across its hidden

geographies and histories and in how its architectural, social, political, environmental spaces affect
you.
Go for a DRIVE (a performative critical drift through the streets):
- Go for a walk without an aim.
- Find the route gradually in relation to what you experience (and not on what you know).
- Look at each thing as if it is the first time.
Then, considering your drive, discuss the practice with the theories explored in the lecture (please
see the lecture pdf on Moodle).
In terms of Psychogeography the Drive is a spontaneous and unplanned journey through an urban
environment, using the notion of subconscious interactions with the aestheticism and architecture
heading towards a revolutionary way of consciously interacting the the environment the
situationist international aimed to convert avant-garde interest in everyday space and mass culture
into revolution.. (Sadler, 1999, p. 11).
I live within a densely populated part of Portsmouth (Southsea), where much of the Architecture
and houses look similar and have no distinctive landmarks or points of great interest (from what I
knew). After putting a lot of time researching the Derive and the artistic qualities of nature and
aesthetics I found that I broadened my vision of what beauty within space could be, as Sheppard
asserts "We are getting out of nature only what we, as beholders, put into it" (1987, p.58) I began
the Drive from my house and immediately turned left, the main reason for this was that I usually
turn right and felt that I wanted to lose myself within the exercise even if it meant getting a little
lost. It divulge myself even further within the exercise I decided to not take my phone with me and
not bring any other musical or communicational devices; this also helped me clear my head of all
thoughts and freely wonder around the urban streets.
As I started to walk down a vast road I recognised the movement my body makes in relation to the
noises of the environment around me as well as the weather. My head dropped down and my body
tensed up as the wind stuck me and I found myself changing course in order to concentrate and
freely move around the space. Upon walking I found a small alleyway in which I didn't know where
it lead to, as there was no indication. I felt that this anonymous path would be an interesting route to
turn down. Walking down the alley the mood/atmosphere instantly changed and I felt myself feeling
uneasy with my surroundings this became even more apparent when I realised that it was a dead
end. I then retraced my step and the atmosphere changed once more; it seemed that once I had knew
where I was heading I could appreciate my surrounding and a feeling of serenity came over me, I
realised that there were beautiful trees surround me and I could hear a playground in the distance.
With this wave of release adapting my emotions I realised that my eyes had opened even further and
I was no longer obstructed by my conflicting thoughts.
The experience made my appreciate all forms of beauty within art and could understand how
irrational emotions can negate works of art, which can come in many forms "in turning to manmade objects we have turned to objects which even though they are not works of art are deliberately
designed to give aesthetic satisfaction" (Sheppard, 1987, p.60).
Bibliography
Sadler, S. (1999). The situationist city. Massachusetts: Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Sheppard, A. (1987). Aesthetics: an introduction to the philosophy of art. Oxford: Oxford
University Press.