Walking Artists2014

In 'Walking and Mapping', Karen O'Rourke explores a series of walking/mapping projects by contemporary artists. Some chart "emotional GPS"; some use GPS for creating "datascapes" while others use their legs to do "speculative mapping." Many work with scientists, designers, and engineers. O'Rourke offers close readings of these works and situates them in relation to landmark works from the past half-century. She shows that the infinitesimal details of each of these projects take on more significance in conjunction with others. Together, they form a new entity, a dynamic whole greater than the sum of its parts. By alternating close study of selected projects with a broader view of their place in a bigger picture, Walking and Mapping itself maps a complex phenomena.