Sorrel Muggridge and Laura Nanni collaborative art projects

2360 Miles Travelled Hand to Heart - Going the DISTANCE in Newcastle

2011-11-30T21:33:00.026Z

"This is the last leg of our journey.

This has been our attempt to feel distance, to know it, to be able to hold on to it and really feel it.

The distance we are working with is equal to 100^th of the way to the moon.

Half way to the centre of the earth.

OR from Newcastle to the North Pole…

Nearly.

And that distance is 3,798km or 2,360 miles.

It’s a pretty specific number and the reason is that it is the distance that links three places:

Riga to London, London to Newcastle and Newcastle back to Riga.

To capture this distance in the room we’re working with this distance on a human scale represented in rope.

So, if you clasp the rope in your hand and make a fist knuckle up,

The amount you have in your hand is equal to 1km.

Now because this distance is large we want to count it using a larger measure so if you place your left hand on your heart and stretch your right arm out, from the tip of your finger to your heart is approximately 1 metre. So for our purposes, from your hand to your heart is equivalent of 10 km."

Walking in Newcastle: We followed directions of the global journey between these three cities, interpreting them on the streets of Newcastle. Each participant wore a pedometer, keeping track of their distance travelled.

The Last Count: We measured the rope, counting hand to heart, and gathered in our arms (with the help of our audience), 380 meters, representing the 2360 or 3798km the distance from Riga and London, London to Newcastle and back to Riga.

Together, we measured hand by hand and cut from this, the 52km collectively travelled by all those who took part in the walks in the three cities.

52 hands.
52 kms travelled.

The journey began in Riga

2011-09-21T16:04:00.023+01:00

Over the course of September-November, we are presenting our latest project: '2360 Miles Travelled Hand to Heart', as part of DISTANCE, a mobile festival featured in three locations this year: Riga, London and Newcastle.

Our ambition is to physicalize the distance between these three locations: 3789km. So in Riga, accompanied by audio of Laura's steps in Toronto, I measured out a scaled-down version of this distance in rope. Each metre (roughly the distance of our hand to our hearts) represented 10km of the global journey from Riga to London and London to Newcastle and Newcastle back to Riga. In Toronto, Laura walked a scaled version of this journey, counting 2 of her steps for every km.

Then began the walking, our attempt to erode this distance by taking walks in each of the locations with audiences, following directions that represent the global journey over Europe and the UK.

We crossed borders, changed time zones...

followed water...

and arriving again at our Riga, our journey's end, we measured how far we had travelled. The distance each person travelled was then cut from the measured rope.

Each step travelled helped erode the distance.

11 participants and several km travelled

and many more to go! London here we come...

Riga see you soon

2011-09-03T17:01:00.007+01:00

I am packing my bags for Riga where our journey officially begins. I wanted to say thank you to all the brilliant people who have generously donated rope for this new artwork.
Thank you to Ivan in Yorkshire for the retired theatre rope. Thank you to Holly from number 83, and Holly's dad who raided his shed. Thank you to Celia and the retired garden swing. Thank you for the donations from Canada and the beautiful coil of practice Knots left on Laura's door step. Finally a huge thank you to Gandrs in Riga who have donated a stunning quantity of climbing rope to help us reach our target amount.
Each of these ropes have individually had many journeys of their own, but together they will now form a new journey. - one taken from Hand to Heart - a journey from Riga to London and London to Newcastle and back again to Riga.

Riga see you soon
sorrel

2360 MILES: Rope Required

2011-08-20T05:16:00.008+01:00

We are currently appealing to organizations and individuals to donate their used and retired rope for a performance we are creating for the Homo Novus (Riga, Latvia), LIFT (London, UK) and Wunderbar Festival (Newcastle, UK), for DISTANCE, this autumn.

Any lengths of rope that have finished their working life, could new have a new life in this artwork, 2360 Miles Traveled Hand to Heart. Central to our project, which is projected to reach thousands of viewers, will be a large rope installation with donations from our host cities (Riga, London, Newcastle). Each length of rope will be tied end to end to form a scaled representation of 2360 miles (the cumulative distance between the three cities where the performance will be showcased). We require 380 meters of rope in total. This is where you come in.

We are hoping to source rope from climbing centres, theaters, and boatyards like your own. The rope will simply be measured out and coiled, therefore we are able to use rope that is no longer suitable for load-bearing or tethering.

photo for '2360 Miles Traveled Hand to Heart' by Daniel Jardine

In order to start building he piece, we will need the rope by August 26th, 2011. If you have any lengths of rope that you can spare for our project please let us know via email: sorrelandlaura@gmail.com, with details of your location and details of the rope (i.e. colour, approximate width and length, etc.) and we will arrange for pick up or drop off at a central location.

For more information on the project, please see below. Feel free to forward to others who may be able to help.

Warm Regards,
Sorrel Muggridge and Laura Nanni
sorrelandlaura@gmail.com

DISTANCE

DISTANCE is a mobile performance festival that brokers connections between festivals, artists,

audiences and ideas across the world. It seeks to create new connections between festival

communities by commissioning performances that are developed and experienced across a

network of festivals. This year, DISTANCE connects Homo Novus, LIFT and Wunderbar, 3

festivals located in Riga (Latvia), London (UK) and Newcastle (UK) over a duration of 3 months.

These festivals share an ambition to bring internationally significant artists to their festivals and

create memorable experiences for, and with, their audiences.

DISTANCE uses the physical, temporal and cultural distance between each festival as a starting

point for exploring new ways for artists to make performances in an international context, and to

consider new ways for audiences to experience international performance.

DISTANCE is led by Joon Lynn Goh and Simone Kenyon. In 2010, DISTANCE was established as

an independent festival through a collaboration between Third Party and Stoke Newington

International Airport. This year, DISTANCE goes mobile, with an ambition of forging regional and

international artistic communities.

www.fromadistance.co.uk

http://www.homonovus.lv/lv/homonovus-2011/

www.liftfestival.com

www.wunderbarfestival.co.uk

Space in Translation: From Here to There in 9 directions and 15,640 steps

2011-06-19T05:57:00.025+01:00

walking process/ mixed media, 2011

Our latest work featured in the Plotting a City exhibition curated by Patrick Macaulay at Harbourfront Centre, Toronto.

We have been collaborating long-distance (usually with an ocean between us) for over four years. Individually, our practices have always responded to our preoccupations with human geography and site specificity. Collaboratively, our works embrace the unusual and inspiring consequences of the distance between us. We create site-specific artworks that articulate the value in wandering and being curious, that discover and communicate a sense of place; investigating how people understand and connect with their surroundings.

With Space in Translation: From Here to There in 9 directions and 15,640 steps, we embarked on a shared process of walking, journey making/taking and mapping while in separate cities. Laura began at the intersection of King and Queen St. west in Toronto and walked to Harbourfront Centre, transcribing directions based on landmarks that stood out to her along the way. These directions were passed to Sorrel, who in turn followed them in Norwich UK, beginning at the spot where King and Queen St. meet in her city. The rules given: trust the directions as you follow them and enjoy the possibilities while interpreting them; ask for help from those around you when need it; and record your number of steps taken. The resulting map is a distillation of our journey. 1 cm = 125 steps.

(click on images to read)

Sorrel Muggridge graduated with her Bachelor of Art degree in Contemporary Arts from Nottingham Trent University in 1998. She has an interdisciplinary art practice, making performance, installations and public art projects, and curating exhibitions. Muggridge has received commissions to make temporary public artworks and performances in London, Nottingham, Brighton, Toronto, Banff and Leicester and has presented performances in Nottingham's Expo, Nott Dance, and Now Festivals. Currently, Muggridge is developing A Curious Meander, which will be featured as part of the Norfolk & Norwich Festival 2011. Sorrel is also member of the Norwich-based arts collective, other/other/other, which is focused on creating and presenting site-responsive and durational work.

Laura Nanni is a Toronto-based interdisciplinary artist and curator. She has presented her work in public spaces and at festivals, galleries and theatres, including 7a*11d International Festival of Performance Art, Nuit Blanche and Toronto Free Gallery, Toronto; Angel Row and Bonington Gallery, Nottingham; and Galapagos Art Space, New York. With frequent collaborator Sorrel Muggridge, she participated in the Walking and Art Residency at the Banff Centre for the Arts, in addition to creating multiple site-specific works across Canada and the UK. Other projects include co-editing CTR 126: site-specific performance and Pick 7, an interactive mapping piece devised with Erika Hennebury for Hub 14. Nanni is currently Festival Director for Buddies in Bad Times' Rhubarb Festival.

The Perfect Place to Meet Anywhere

2010-09-02T14:15:00.009+01:00

This weekend we invite you to find the perfect place to meet; no matter where you are. We've created a set of directions that should help you get there.

1. Start at the train station, by the steps, facing the art centre. Here, turn right and walk to the end of the street.

2. Pass the bush with berries and sign of higher education.

3. Turn left, heading for what might be a library.

4. Pass the bird house and a drawing in rust. (At the junction look back the way you have come).

5. Keep going towards the building with rainbow colours on it. When you reach it, turn right.

6. Continue for approximately 561 steps, or past 14 hazard signs, or until you hit the bench on your left. Here, follow the railing down.

7. Now step on to softer ground and head for the blue; keep straight seeing the sky touch down to meet you.

These directions are written from real observations and places, but meant for open translation and creative interpretation. Have fun, explore and play!

Postcards are available at the Norwich Art Centre's Live Art event. http://norwichartscentre.co.uk/afterlive/
When you reach your final destination, use the blank side to record where you are: the shapes, sounds, objects and textures or features that make up your surroundings.

Where will you arrive? How about your neighbour... or the stranger in another city?

If you are without a postcard, we encourage you to find record your findings in another creative way. Email (sorrelandlaura@gmail.com) or mail them to us (c/o 281 Margueretta St., Toronto ON, M6H 3S4), and we will share them here. If you send us your return address, you will also receive another journey from us.

Where will we meet?

Come back and see.

En Route

2010-08-18T22:00:00.085+01:00

Hello all! Over this past year, Sorrel and I have been in research and develop for both our collaborative and solo work. This will continue until next spring as we develop our latest collaborative project, City of Correspondence. From the city streets of Toronto, the harbour of Halifax, the sidewalks of Norwich and alleyways of Glasgow, we hope you'll follow our journey.

This past month I followed the same directions Sorrel followed to find her way in Norwich (Sunday April 19, 2009 entry). This is where they led me in Halifax, Nova Scotia:

1. Start at the right-hand side of the train station, by the steps, facing the art centre. Here, turn right and walk to the end of the street.

2. Then, pass the bush with berries on it and a sign of higher education.

3. Next, turn to your left follow the street towards the large building that might be a library.

4. Pass the bird house and a drawing in rust. At the junction look back the way you have come.

5. Walk towards the building with rainbow colours on it. When you reach it, turn right.

6. Continue for approximately 561 steps, or past 14 hazard signs, or until you hit the bench on your left. Here, follow the railing down.

7. Now step on to softer ground and head for the blue; keep straight seeing the sky touch down to meet you.

Further Afield (Abersythwyth/ Montreal) June 2009

2009-07-22T17:20:00.070+01:00

"We're going to take a walk with someone else across the ocean in (Abersythwyth/ Montreal). This is your chance, for a while, to be in two places at once..."

"So, north-east of us (point NE)--I know Montreal 'north' is that way (point W), but actual NE :) Sorrel and your co-worker are standing with a building behind them, an arts centre in Abersythwyth... If you peek around the corner, which you can't see from where they're standing, there's a fire escape that goes to the top of the building--two stories high. In front of them is a set of steps made of brick and each brick has three circular holes in it; holes that are just big enough to fit four fingers in. About where the sidewalk ends and the street begins over here, for them is a steep slope leading down to a road...To the left, directly left, is a mass of different grey rectangles that form buildings (at least that's how she tells it)... To the right of the road are thick trees. Actually, if the trees weren't there you'd be able to see the sea. The main stand-out colours are green and urban grey and on a nice day, the sky, which is blue.

Shall we give them a call?"

"Right now, Laura and your co-walker are standing with the road in front of them; the road is two lanes. It's a major road in the city and it's full of construction. The Belgo Contemporary Arts Centre building is behind. They are to the SW of us, that's this way (turn to face SW). There are four glass doors to the front of the building; two in the centre are double doors... The main colours that stood out to Laura were red, every shade of grey possible and orange --bright bright orange, white and shades of beige. Right in front is the sidewalk made of square slabs of concrete - lighter than the road; some are different sizes; it's hotch botch, very pieced together; it looks like its been repaired a lot. In front is a 2 by 2 square with a hole in it big enough for your thumb and that's where she has drawn the X... Across the street is a barber shop, a jewelry store and a strip club. Her building is six stores high. On right is a souvenir shop and a metal container for cigarette butts, so the ground is peppered with lots of ash from the cigarettes. On her immediate left is a cafe."

Journeys taken in dialogue.
Boats exchanged with pine cones.
Watching the clouds whilst we waited for the others to find the sky.
AdLibs on foot.

A synchronous count in English and Dutch.
Beginning with obnoxious pink ending roaming in the dark through trees and a hole in the fence to find the point of "wonder."
An absence of cameras and a dance shared in the grass on two continents, in three locations.
An arc, a corner, a hole.
An invitation in French.

Upside-down cars and clouds.
Gazing skyward at the glow of a bright green-leafed chandelier before taking a bare foot run through the woods.
A forbidden footpath and a late night meeting at the church-like chip shop.

Further Afield was co-presented by Studio 303, Montreal and Living Landscapes/Aberystwyth Arts Centre, June 19-20, 2009. http://www.studio303.ca/events_copresent_e.html

Thank you to all those who joined for the journeys in Montreal and Abersythwyth--it was a pleasure walking, running, dancing, sneaking, climbing and rediscovering these spaces with you.

We would also like to extend a special thanks to everyone at Studio 303, http://www.studio303.ca and Living Landscapes, Abersythwyth http://www.landscape.ac.uk/2009conference.html for all their time and support towards this latest collaboration.

Special thanks must also go to Stuart Malin for his continued support as consultant astrophysicist.

photographs from Wales by C. Brostrom
photographs from Montreal by E. Langlois-Paquette

Almost here!

2009-06-03T17:10:00.010+01:00

Further Afield - presented as part of the Living Landscapes Conference at Aberystwyth University and with Studio 303 Montreal Canada.

An intimate and exclusive performance on foot through the the streets of Montreal and the pathways of Aberystwyth. Experience your surrounding as never before while your landscape intertwines with another over 4,000 km away.

Further Afield is a series of performance-journeys involving negotiation of public space, language, distance and one-to-one exchange. Guided by Sorrel Muggridge (UK) and Laura Nanni (CAN) each adventure is designed for two participants at a time to experience together in separate locations.

The participants, in contact with one another at key points in the journey via phone, are involved as co-authors, interpreters and navigators of the piece.

Further Afield
19th June at 5.30pm 9.30 pm UK
12.30 - 4.30pm Canada

20th June at 5.30pm 7.30pm 9.30 pm UK
12.30 - 2.30 - 4.30pm Canada

http://www.studio303.ca
http://www.landscape.ac.uk/2009conference.html

First Postcards From Norwich

2009-05-08T03:53:00.013+01:00

Last Monday, these arrived in my mailbox (slightly weathered)...

Funny to know that Sorrel was looking up when this was her view (see previous entry)-- it reminds me so much of being in a plane and looking down...

Finding my way

2009-04-19T16:59:00.017+01:00

1. Start at the right-hand side of the train station, by the steps, facing the art centre. Here, turn right and walk to the end of the street.

11am outside Norwich station; instinctively I look to the right-hand side as though I had arrived by train, but all I find here is a a sea of bicycles and a smooth rising path...so I begin this time looking towards the station. On the right this time is a gently sloping set of steps curving to the street below. This is my beginning!

In my view ahead is a huge weeping willow leaning over the river, a sea cadet's ship and, on the far bank, a hotel, a bridge and a pub with union jack bunting.

I ask a girl who passes me which way I would have to go to find an art centre. She replies, " I honestly don't know, but if it's anywhere, it would be that way." Her arm and pointing finger follow the line of the steps towards the bridge, I thank her and as she walks away up the steps I notice her jacket says "ONE" in bold block letters...I turn right and walk.

2. Then, pass the bush with berries on it and a sign of higher education.

At the end of the street, as if shouting at me, is a bush beaming with a bounty of flowers. Given the season I am sure this would have also had lots of berries in autumn.

As I photograph it and turn to look at the map beside it (to see if this could be a sign of higher education), a man enters my gaze. He says, "If you go across the bridge you can walk by the river, by all the boats I think you would really like it, it's a lovely walk." The man is about my age wearing all black with at least seven empty earring holes in his left ear. I thank him for the suggestion and take this to be the sign, since the map itself is lacking.

note: after this point I have several moments of doubt: Was this the sign? What does something need to be, to be higher education? Why on this landmark has my interpretive freedom deserted me? I begin to take three other routes each revealing a possibility but nothing that really answers my questions better than the man with his impromptu and instinctive idea for a walk I would enjoy.

3. Next, turn to your left follow the street towards the large building that might be a library.

A comparatively tall building with rows and rows of glass window catches my eye, I head towards it relieved to have made my move. I cross the street on to a triangular space where the two streets meet. A man sitting on a bench greets me as I pass. Through a "good morning" and smiles we share our pleasure in being out on this beautiful sunny day, his face wears the freckles of many days sat out in the sun. I move onto Rose Lane; my building reveals its self as 61-65 Imperial House, its windows on the ground floor are mirrored. With no view inside I move on.

4. Pass the bird house and a drawing in rust. At the junction look back the way you have come.

My quest for the bird house leads me on up the hill. As doubts creep in, a black bird and a thrush give me a clue. The thrush, complete with worm in its beak, flies into the undergrowth. I stop for a while to watch and listen on what I realize is a small park on the roof of a shopping centre-- 'the bird house.' Opposite the bird house is a curved wall with tall windows along it. Along from this I follow the metal railing expecting to find the drawing in rust. At its end I see "Rusty" has left his mark in bubble writing--my interpretive freedom is all of a sudden satisfied by this moment of synchronicity. I look behind and to see the view across the roundabout below all the way to the train station and the horizon hazy in the distance.

5. Walk towards the building with rainbow colours on it. When you reach it, turn right.

With no buildings that fit in view, I follow the direction suggested by a lady on her lunch break. She says I should try inside the shopping centre where there is a place for kids to paint pottery. I head in that direction, but on the way a rainbow finds me on the roof.

I turn right.

6. Continue for approximately 561 steps, or past 14 hazard signs, or until you hit the bench on your left. Here, follow the railing down.

52 steps +1st hazard sign... 86 steps + 2nd hazard signs... 160 + 3rd and 4th hazard signs... 220 steps +5th and 6th hazard signs

258 + 7th and 8th hazard signs... 341 +9th hazard signs... 370 + 10th hazard sign... 412 steps + 11th, 12th and 13th hazard signs... 435 + 14th hazard sign.

To my left is a bench filled with a family eating fish and chips from the market; polystyrene trays balanced in one hand. the black railing leads down an avenue of cherry trees beside the church, towards the fresh fish stalls of the market below.

7. Now step on to softer ground and head for the blue; keep straight seeing the sky touch down to meet you.

I hoped the softer ground would be the green grass bathed in sunlight beside me, but the patch is surrounded by the railing and the gate is padlocked in a way which feels as though this is a space where I could never feel the softer ground beneath my feet. I let my desire for a picturesque end go, and continue down finding the softer ground at the foot of a tree. At it's base is a metre of what looks like glued together gravel.

Ahead of me is the blue of WHSmiths. I am really having to swallow hard to allow this to be my end point. I head straight and inside, becoming increasingly doubtful of seeing the sky come down to meet me, but as I move further into the store, daylight breaks through the stairwell. I climb four steps into the light, looking up I see a huge glass ceiling which points down onto the stairs in a V.

The sky above is blue with wisps of cloud revealing the crisp spring wind. I stay a while listening to the muffled sounds of the tills beeping and the shuffle of plastic wrapping. One girl struggles to re-shelve purple protractors; eventually giving up as two fall to the floor. Another customer picks them up, whilst collecting supplies for her own daughters pencil case.

One last look to the sky- I have drawn it on a post card that I will send to Laura.

This is where the sky touched down to meet me in Norwich.

Finding my way in a new landscape

2009-04-17T09:02:00.005+01:00

Hi, Sorrel here.

I have recently moved house, finding myself in a part of the country totally new to me. In my many trips across the country, I have somehow not spent time in this area at all. So, as an avid explorer, I am really excited about what this new landscape will inspire. Topped of with the sharper edge, the unknown adds to my anticipation. As my first exploration into this new environment, today I've decided to put our set of directions for blog project #4 into action.

"starting by the steps at the right hand side of the train station ... " I will take a walk...

I will share my journey here upon my return.

Hello Barcelona! Blog Project #4: Journey Taking/ Making

2009-02-24T01:32:00.016Z

Hey guys!
The following is a three part project we'd love for you to try wherever you may be.
For those of you who are joining us from Barcelona this week, you will have already started with Task 1.
Any questions? Let us know. We look forward to all your responses!
Happy wandering and journey taking/ making.
Best,
Sorrel and Laura




Task One:

Walks to be taken in pairs. Starting at 12 o clock, high noon.

At your starting point, make a turn of 360 degrees to find the key colour that jumps out at you, then take a walk following this colour as it reapears in the street on different objects, places and people. (i.e. the pink door, to the pink hat, to the pink rotten peach, to the pink...). Your journey ends after 15 mins. Where you arrive, stand back-to-back from your partner, each facing the opposite direction and describe what you see ahead of you for the other to draw.

This final part of the task is what we call 'translation drawing'; so we enjoy the inaccuracies as much as the connections.

Please send us your drawings by mail to:

Laura Nanni and Sorrel Muggridge
c/o 281 Margueretta Street
Toronto, Ontario
CANADA
M6H 3S4

As you drawings make their long journey across the ocean, we would like you to share three photographs of
'colour markers' from your journey. Send your photographs to sorrelandlaura@gmail.com as jpeg files named and dated, accompanied by your name and place, to be posted and shared on the blog.


Task Two:

This task is meant be done in pairs or small groups and is likely to take between 1 and 2 hrs. Below are a set of directions. This journey has been creating combining key markers and directions from past walking projects we have devised and performed across the UK and Canada (2006-2008).

Follow these directions in the city your are exploring while recording the markers as you find them.
Note: the directions are always written from real observations and places, but left open for translation and creative interpretation.

1. Start at the right-hand side of the train station, by the steps, facing the art centre. Here, turn right and walk to the end of the street.

2. Then, pass the bush with berries on it and a sign of higher education.

3. Next, turn to your left follow the street towards the large building that might be a library.

4. Pass the bird house and a drawing in rust. At the junction look back the way you have come.

5. Walk towards the building with rainbow colours on it. When you reach it, turn right.

6. Continue for approximately 561 steps, or past 14 hazard signs, or until you hit the bench on your left. Here, follow the railing down.

7. Now step on to softer ground and head for the blue; keep straight seeing the sky touch down to meet you.


Task Three:

To be done in groups.
Take a walk from a landmark that reminds you of home to find the perfect place to meet. (i.e. 'The Perfect Place to Meet Barcelona). Record the key markers in your journey as directions.
Once you have found your destination you must condence your directions into seven and post these on the blog in the comments section. We will follow your walks in Nottingham, UK and Toronto, CAN. The results of our journeys will be posted on the blog as soon as we complete them.

Happy Travels.

Works to Date

2009-01-24T16:17:00.008Z

We're currently working on a miniature archive of our works to date. Here is part 1:

Re:::lay
October 2008
Nottingham and Edinburgh, Sheffield and London, Bethesda and Nottingham, UK
performance journeys

A performance series exploring the nature of long-distance relationships, created for participants to experience simultaneously in separate locations: between Nottingham and Edinburgh, London and Sheffield, Nottingham and Bethesda, UK. Each piece was devised specifically for two people; in response to their location and the nature of their long-distance relationship.

Elements of this work, which we continue to develop, involve:

Intertwining Landscapes: Participants will fill in details of an unfinished direction we provide, using landmarks/ physical attributes of what they see/ find in their present landscape. For example 'Keep straight until the _______ is at arm's length'; 'When you see the _______, run past it.' The finished direction is then passed on to the participant in the other location, for them to find/ follow. In addition to asking participants to navigate their surroundings through another's view, this activity can involve much playfulness and debate as participants complete and interpret the directions.
Translation Drawing:Participants are asked to describe their view at a particular spot, or describe the horizon line while facing in a particular direction, while their long-distance 'partner', listening over the phone, attempts to translate the description into a drawing. The finished drawing is mailed to the other participant at the end of the journey.

Poetic Maths: The distance between both participants is translated into a scale that can be experienced physically. For example, "The distance between London, UK and Sheffield, UK at a scale of 50,000 : 1, is the length of your index finger to your heart times two." Measurements like these encourage participants to understand and experience space and distance in relation to their own bodies.

While intimate, the experience of these works was also shared by audiences through this blog and as we journeyed through public spaces. Often traces of the experience—an imprint that we leave on the space with our bodies (i.e. footprints), a direction drawn in chalk or an arrow built from twigs will also catch the attention of someone long after the performance; leaving them to stop, wonder and re-interpret these markers on their own.

Joining the talk and drawing in translation

2008-12-13T17:00:00.010Z

Thursday night, Laura was giving an artist talk in Toronto as I slept in Nottingham, but, as arranged, during her talk she called and I woke to say hello to a room full of people, who kindly returned my greeting.

Then as requested I described for them the view from my window.

I sat in the dark of my studio looking out on to the street. Its a view I often spend hours in front of, but not usually at this time of night. I described so that they could draw what I was seeing. My attention focused on the shapes and structures closest to me at first them moving back into the distance. The detail in this view was still clear as a result of the street lamps and a security light which highlight the shadows in an orange hue.

For the curious here is a photograph of the view I had.

Thank you to the distant audience who shared this moment of night watching with me.

Re:::lay Sheffield : London (Ruth)

2008-11-27T23:16:00.020Z

photography of Ruth and Laura in Sheffield by Julian Hughes.

(please check back soon for excerpts of the performance score)

Blog Project #3: Translation Drawing

2008-11-18T12:16:00.002Z

Ask someone who is far away to turn to face you(North, South, East, West, this can be precise or wherever they imagine that to be). Then ask them to describe for you in words their view. As they talk, draw what they describe (we recommend drawing on hardback envelopes, or postcards). When you have finished ask them to do the same for you. To complete the exchange post your drawings back to one another.

This is long distance drawing is a connecting process of translation and interpretation, that we used during the Re:::lay performance walks.
The outcome being a view/drawing created more from the observations and articulations of the person describing and the interpretations of the person drawing, than simply the landscape itself.

If you want to send us photographs the drawings you create as jpeg's via email: sorrelandlaura@gmail.com we would love to see them and share them here on the blog.

Re:::lay London to Sheffield

2008-11-04T13:44:00.012Z

"The distance between you is from your fingers to your heart and back again then half way, at a scale of 1:100,000"

Our journey recollected:
Re:::lay London to Sheffield began in 2 places at 11am taking 9 moves and 9 exchanges.

A bound uphill, our route defined by leaf fall.
A defiant stride along the center of the road as we move away from the pavements.
A big view offered - a Conker not found - but a tree befriended.
A shadow and an animal exchanged for a small and big road.
A sprint past the rubbish and a baby.
From your fingers to your heart, back again and half way; Martin to Ruth measured out on a yellow brick wall.
A search for old men revealed many who defy the suggestion of their greying hair and lined faces with a confident stride or peddle power.
A building with a poster on it to Martin's local video shop = London to Sheffield at a scale of 1step =1km
A reach - a turn - and a feeling shared.

Re:::lay Nottingham : Bethesda

2008-10-29T11:34:00.015Z

photography of Laura and Jeannie in Nottingham by Julian Hughes

Blog Project #2: The distance between you...

2008-10-27T16:08:00.026Z

Think about someone you miss and describe the distance between you.
(What is it measured by? How do you see it? How do you feel it?)
Send your response as a postcard to the person you are thinking of, or if you rather, post it to us at:

Sorrel and Laura
C/O Thingland Studio
Oldknows Factory
Egerton Street
Nottingham
NG3 4GQ
England

and we'll send you one back.

image: postcards created by Sorrel and Laura as part of To trail is not always to follow behind, 2007

Please add your answers through the comments option below or email us the response as a jpg to: sorrelandlaura@gmail.com

October 27, 2008

'toilet wall love letter'
submitted by Megan
(author unknown)

Coming Soon

2008-10-25T21:45:00.008+01:00

Our second Re:::lay performance, Bethesda : Nottingham, takes place tomorrow at noon. We'll be meeting our participants, Irene and Jeannie at their homes. Check back soon for documentation and a posting of Blog Project 2.

Best,
Sorrel and Laura

Destination Point and Translation Drawing

2008-10-24T17:18:00.039+01:00

When Mik and Mike each reached their destination points, we put them in touch with one another by phone, asking them to describe the view of their surroundings as the other translated their words into a drawing. At the end of the performance-walk, each drawing (made on the outside of the envelope used to mail the transcriptions, numbers, stories, and artifacts collected during the journey) was sent to the other.

"Mike, we've reached our destination. You've found The Linconshire Poacher in Edinburgh."

The directions/ score passed on to Mike to follow were created on a journey from Walker St. in Nottingham to the patio of The Linconshire Poacher (a significant meeting place for Mik and Mike when they both lived in Nottingham). When following them in Edinburgh, they led us to a picnic table outside a place called The Black Bull.

The directions/ score passed on for Mik to follow were based on a walk from Edinburgh's Waverley station (the last place where Mik and Mike saw one another) to Cramond Beach (another place of siginificance for the friends).

Two days following the performance, just before I left Edinburgh, I met with Mike at the train station again. He had just received the package from Mike's performance-walk with Sorrel. We decided to return to the picnic table outside The Black Bull to open it. This is where these last few pictures are taken.

Mik, let us know when you receive yours too.
Thanks to both for sharing your experiences and stories with us.

Part 2: Mike- Walker to the Destination

2008-10-24T10:28:00.019+01:00

"My role will be as your hands, your documentor. Whatever is collected or recorded we will send to Mik, so if you see or think of something you would like to pass on to him, let me know."

(phrases passed on)

"The next set of directions have been devised by Sorrel walking in Nottingham for you to follow here. After we find each landmark I will pass on the next direction."

(documenting security cameras)

"This set of directions will also be sent to Mik at the end of the journey, returning them to Nottingham."

Walk for Mike

"7. At the corner of the street bear left and head towards the autumn leaves."
"8. Cross the road you are on and keep going towards the shops with covered windows."
"9. Pass two signs that tell you how to behave."
"10. Head towards the building with rainbow colours on it; at the building turn right."
"11. Pass the marker of time we are both divided by and bound to."
"12. Now survey your surroundings for the tallest building in view; keep walking til you put it behind you."
"13. Follow the yellow lines uphill."
"14. At the crossroads (a system not designed by pedestrians), cross the road carefully."
"15. Now you want to take the slab stone pavement uphill passing a chicken and an old horses head."
"16. You are almost there-- take the next street left and left again and head for the red and gold sign."
"17. Take the next stairs down to your picnic bench. Here you'll notice birds fly constantly overhead. Sit and drink in your surroundings."

Part 2: Mik- Walker to the Destination

2008-10-24T09:29:00.016+01:00

"The next set of directions have been devised for you by Laura walking in Edinburgh for you to follow here, as you find each landmark I will pass on the next direction. Mike has the same number of directions based on a walk i took in Nottingham, for him to follow in Edinburgh."

"We have left space on the page of the first directions for you to record the instructions I pass on. At the end of this journey we will send these to Mike, returning the route to Edinburgh."

Walk for Mik

"7. Walk to the end of the street leaving the sculptures behind you, where the garden begins turn left."

"8. Head straight past the bush with berries and a sign of higher education."

"9. Once you see three blue doors cross and head down hill (or right)"

"10. At the next driveway (after the rushing water) cross the road and follow the sidewalk left towards the patch of green."

"11. Pass the hall of mirrors and the master of the universe."

"12. Where the road zig zags turn right, looking for animals."

"13. .Keep straight till you hit the circle in the road cross left and head right."

"14. At the candy junction where the penny whistle stands cross right passing the trophy of honor and broken fence."

"15. At the next roundabout head for the houses and past two guards."

"16. Walk to the end of the wall covered in green and then hang right, when the wall opens up to show the sky you know you are close."

"17. Step on to softer ground and head for the blue; keep straight seeing the sky touch down to meet you."

For Mik, "the place where the sky touches down to meet you," was clearly the brow of the hill ahead of us on Mansfield Road. As we reach the brow, the sky itself stepped back to the new horizon beyond, but a church and grave yard took its place, maintaining the points connection with the sky (heavens).

Part 1- The Meeting Point: 3pm, at the right-hand side of the train station, by the steps, facing the art centre

2008-10-23T17:02:00.021+01:00

"Hello. Welcome to Re:::lay Edinburgh : Nottingham. This performance walk has been created with you in mind. These walks are taking place simultaneously. Right now, Sorrel is meeting Mik at the right-hand side of the train station by the steps in Nottingham."

Mike with Laura in Edinburgh

"To get started, we four will be following the same six directions [...] This journey will involve a lot of interpretation which we will discuss, debate and navigate together. Shall we begin? Let's text them to let them know we're ready."

Directions

1. Start by the right-hand side of the train station, by the steps, facing the art centre.
2. Turn right and walk to the end of the street.
3. Where the street end, cross the road, go left, then immediately right.
4. At the next lights cross towards the bank and head left down the street.
5. At the corner with the railings, bear right-- cross the street and head for the trees.
6. Follow the pavement to the next street and then call.

Mik with Sorrel in Nottingham

" Ok now we are here, we will call Mike and Laura. When I put you on, find out where he is and then describe for him your view."

Mik and Mike find themesleves at Walker Street in different cities; the wind intruding on their conversation as they describe their views to one another.

The meeting point; Re:::lay Nottingham : Edinburgh

2008-10-19T11:12:00.012+01:00

Last night we contacted Mike and Mik to arrange our starting point with each of them for the Re:::lay performance-walk today. Here are the instructions we gave them:

We will meet at 3pm. I will be waiting at the right-hand side of the train station, by the steps, facing the arts centre. I will be wearing jeans, a black jacket, a brightly coloured scarf and have a blue umbrella. If you can't see me call. We will not be traveling by train; it's best to wear shoes comfortable for walking. (If it's raining I will have an umbrella for you too.)

From here our journey begins...

to start with a question...

2008-10-18T09:09:00.008+01:00

The first Re:::lay 1:1 performance will take place tomorrow 19/10/08, in Edinburgh and Nottingham with Mike and Mik. The journey and performance has been created specifically for their long distance relationship and the locations they are in (Edinburgh and Nottingham). To help us devise this piece, we started with this set of questions for each of them to respond to:

1. For you, what is a long distance relationship?

2. When did distance become part of this relationship?

3. How do you stay connected?

4. How much distance is there between you?

5. What does distance add?

6. What does distance take away?

7. What keeps it going?

8. Do you have a significant location you associate with your relationship - this might be the place you met or the place where you communicate from now, a place that reminds you of the other, etc. If so, where is it?

9. When was the last time you saw each other and, when you did, what did you do?

Their answers inspired the structure and dynamic for the piece. Check back for more details soon!

Cheers,
Sorrel and Laura

Your View

2008-10-14T15:08:00.011+01:00

With our on-the-ground work for Re:::lay started, we're turning back to the web to open up this project with you! We're inviting you to join us in exploring new and playful ways of experiencing distance and space while connecting with others.

Starting today, in conjunction with Re:::lay, we will regularly be posting questions and activities for all of us to respond to and share (we're calling them 'Blog Projects').

Check back regularly to see the latest postings. We're looking forward to your replies and the correspondence that unfolds.

Happy exploring and best wishes,
Sorrel and Laura

Blog Project #1: Your View

Describe your view of the horizon line from your window. Make note of the time and place where you write this. Then, share your description with someone you know who lives far away (this definition is up to you). Ask them to reply back with their own view.

Share a copy of your response(s) as a comment below.

where do I start?

2008-10-12T12:50:00.017+01:00

Yesterday was the first official day of walking research for Re:::lay, taking us to two different spaces to create a piece for our first participants, Mik and Mike, friends continuing to stay in touch over the last couple of years between Edinburgh and Nottingham. Laura is in Edinburgh and I (Sorrel) am in Nottingham.

Unlike Laura mentioned in her last blog entry, my first challenge was how to lose myself in Nottingham, a city I have lived in for well over a decade!

When I say lose I don't mean get lost so I can't find my way home but more; lose - so that I can absorb the streets afresh, letting go of the distractions of my own association, memories and familiar routes.

With a closer look, I realized my 'knowing eye' had been misnaming streets and dismissing others. Once on foot the distraction of daily jobs was certainly the first hurdle; how to walk through town without being drawn into shops for bits and pieces, that bag I really need or the stamps i meant to get yesterday! I found that it took huge discipline to ignore these pulls, almost denying my eyes their usual landmarks.

Keeping my nose to the ground I focused on the idea of Laura walking in Edinburgh, us both heading for the same location (a corresponding point on both city maps we had chosen to walk towards the day before).

I found my focus in keeping my attention on the present, aware of each step, the unfolding view and weather. This journey did take me to a street I have never walked down before. Its position and accent allowing me a new view of the city.

When I reached the destination, I called Laura to hear where she was, but midway through her description my phone battery died. I continued my walk, willing her to do the same.

The ground and air was damp with a misty rain (reminding me of the rain that we have been warned about by several of our participants). This rain is the type that just makes you soggy and your hair frizz but it also seems to make things shine, and as the daylight fades you see the lights caught by its wet sheen.

As I head through town with the light almost gone, I decided to walk up Queen Street, the very street that was the starting point for our first collaboration in 2006-- with me in Nottingham at the intersection of King and Queen and Laura in Toronto where her King St. West and Queen St. West also meet.

I paused at the bottom of the street behind a lady dressed in a raincoat and clear plastic hood. She was looking and standing where I wanted to stand and look up the street. We stood there for a few minutes. It was really interesting because we were both really looking, being really being present on Queen St. I took a picture and then I walked on. The rest of these pictures I took on that street.

I wonder how many times I have walked up and down this street without really seeing it?

2008-10-11T10:30:00.011+01:00

Nottingham to Edinburgh 08.50

Directions in Nottingham

2008-10-10T18:48:00.007+01:00

Much of the work Sorrel and I will be doing this month involves on-site research in different cities at the same time; navigating unfamiliar places on our own, alone. There is a sense of wonder, curiosity and alertness that comes with being in an unfamiliar place that I revel in: the experience of discovering what is around a corner for the first time and following instinct rather than routine. There is also a sense of vulnerability and disorientation that comes with being in an unfamiliar place that can be rather frightening. The work that Sorrel and I create thrusts us into situations that are unfamiliar-- that challenge is also the inspiration.

This is my first trip out of North America (for someone who loves mapping and walking-- I definitely have a lot of territory to cover).

Over the last two days in Nottingham, Sorrel has helped me test my 'homing instinct' by taking me into the city centre, following different routes, and having me lead us back home at the end of the day. I've accumulated a set of directions I'm going to try to recite here from memory. Many of the references are based on my first impressions of the spaces, others based on people I noticed in certain places. My landmarks and route may change over the course of my stay here. I'll keep you posted.

Best,
L

1. At the building with the clock tower, turn left. You should be heading uphill.
2. Keeping to the left, pass the bag shop.
3. Pass the tightly-packed gravestones.
4. Pass the beech stop.
5. Pass the pub with an animal in its name.
6. After the star bar and before the big store turn left.
7. Head straight along Egypt with the two-toned sidewalk.
8. Pass the spot where the kid yelled 'Moooooom!', then take the next left.
9. Walk to the end of the street, stopping at number 13 (the second-last door on your left). Home.

Re:::lay begins

2008-10-08T19:20:00.013+01:00

With Laura now in the UK, we have begun to build our first Re::lay performances. We will be working with three pairs of individuals in long-distance relationships across the UK (between Nottingham and Edinburgh; London and Sheffield; Bethesda and Nottingham).

We are creating journeys for our participants to experience as a performance, that is uniquely devised for their relationship. To do this we will be getting to know them a bit better, initially through a few conversations via email and phone (the staple tools of any long distancer), then taking time to explore their local areas on foot, and finally writing journeys for them to experience when we meet them in person. Each Re:::lay performance will take place in two separate locations simultaneously. Beginning at the same time, each participant will walk with one of us in their home town. This is a new process for us-- intimate performances that have a direct relationship with their participants.

We are charting our travels and recording our process here over the next month and will also feature performance documentation. We hope this will give readers/viewers/ participants better insight into our work. We welcome you to add comments and pose any questions the work may stir up.

If you will be in the cities and towns we are visiting, and would like to meet with us or see more of our work firsthand please let us know.

Re:::lay

2008-09-22T10:01:00.008+01:00

Developments in communications technology and travel have made us able to meet, move and connect over huge distances, but how has this distance affected our relationships and our sense of place? Is our perception of distance changing?

Re:::lay, is our new art project exploring the nature of long-distance relationships. Over the course of October 2008, developing the first phase of this piece, we will work one-to-one with pairs of individuals to create journeys that are specific to their relationships, location and the distance between them. These journeys will become performance-walks that we will take with the participants in the places they each live. The structure of these journeys will be defined through prior discussions with participants on the nature of their long-distance relationship (how it began, is maintained, modes of communication used, etc.) combined with our own long-distance perspective and artistic process.

The Re:::lay performance-walks in October 2008 will become part of an online archive and form the basis for a large-scale installation, including international versions of the project.

If you are interested in taking part in Re:::lay, please email us sorrelandlaura@gmail.com

We look forward to hearing from you

Sorrel and Laura

For more information on our past work see previous blog entry.

projects to date 2008

2008-02-11T12:48:00.005Z

we are currently developing 2 new projects, whist continuing our climb skyward,

so we thought it would be useful to post a summary of our projects to date.

Current on going collaborative work
The climb in Nottingham and Toronto creating simultaneous performance presentations as we continue our climb to see each other over the horizon. our ambitious next step is to make it to 6.9 km up, a one hundredth of our grand total 699km (1km = 5000 steps climbed)

Encyclopaedic walk Banff in collaboration with Trudi Smith, ongoing text based work, under development to become an online project alongside three further texts for walking.

Exhibitions and Performances
To trail is not always to follow behind Sept-Oct 2007 presented during Walking and Art residency at The Banff Centre, Canada the process is archived online through this blog.

A sculptural map drawn with rope, initially wound around the perimeter of a studio space; the rope’s length representing a scaled version of the combined distances we have travelled to reach Banff. Gradually we unwound the rope from the wall to form peaks in the middle of the space representing our walks towards each other on the Marsh Loop. This height of the peaks was determined by how long it took us to meet, and the width of the base of each peak was determined by the number of steps we each took towards each other. This was our first work made in a singular location created during a Walking and Art themed residency at The Banff Centre, Canada.

The perfect place to meet: Banff Oct 2007 Banff Canada, text prints and performance walk.

From here to there in 19 directions Sept 2007 Walking life exhibition The Gladstone Hotel Toronto, Canada. These texts are directions are written from a walk taken in one location, that can be followed in any other – exploring the act of translating experiences and spatial relationships.

The climb- 3478 miles as the crow flies august 2007 performance walks Sept 2007 part of shifting ground, journeys across Nottingham and Toronto. Angel Row Gallery and Walking life exhibition The Gladstone Hotel Toronto, Canada

our ongoing attempt to climb high enough to see each other over the horizon we walk our cities climbing staircase to accumulate the height needed, 699 km up. during “The Climb” the audience joining us in this walk was asked to rediscover their home towns through our desire to climb stairs, this reframing of the city took us on new routes and to new locations, constructing a new perspective on familiar surroundings. This very physical experience was connected with a journey happening simultaneously across the ocean through telephone conversations, this interjection of their journey with ours created an imagined space but a very real connection. The next part of this work will take place this year. This performance walk and installation will mark our arrival at One Hundredth

The perfect place to meet: Toronto July 2007 a derive, a text and a performance walk. having always work at a distance, this piece was one of two works devised to potentially culminate in our first ever meeting in person. Both starting from Union station at 9.45am, not finding each other we both set out to find the perfect place to meet.

Working in proximity see you soon Toronto July 2007 site specific performance walk. this piece was devised around the street intersection that had first inspired our collaboration, the intersections of King and Queen Street. for this piece starting from opporsite intersections we set out to walk the loop until we met, leaving markers along the way.

3478 miles as the crow flies April 2007 performance installation Thingland studio and across Nottingham and Hub14 and across Toronto the culmination of walks taken for 5 hrs a day for 5 days, as we started our climb to see each other over the horizon.

Mind the map – Sept 2006 walking performance/documentary artist book of instructions shared and journeys taken.
Space in Translation - Intersection 06 July 2006 Installation at Bonington Gallery at Nottingham Trent University

Maps

2007-12-01T12:28:00.000Z

Here is Laura in the print studio on our last day, signing our prints.
These silk screen prints record the maps we drew after each walk, the maps were drawn individually recording the route as we saw it each time. Rather than being geographically precise these maps record our experience of the space, from the perspective of walking though it.
Laura's routes are represented in blue
Sorrel's in red. These five different prints are limited additions of eight.

The Departure

2007-11-03T18:46:00.000Z

the seven weeks is up
I have just seen Laura off, she is traveling back to Toronto by car, with another walking artist. an estimated five day trip.
last night when dismantling the work we worked out how much distance was left wound round our studio, 305 metres so x that by 175,000...
I am about to get to get on a bus to take me to a plane.
We will be working from a distance again but be sure this is not the last entry
we are yet to share the maps we have made and the new project we have stated in collaboration with Trudi Smith so much more to come...
thank you for your support and comments
lots of love
sorrel and Laura

Wolves and Cougars and Bears oh my! Again????

2007-10-30T20:58:00.000Z

Sorrel here, I felt I just needed to tell you a tale from our Marsh walks as the plot just keeps getting thicker... (for pics of final work scroll down)

On October 17th, walk 16, i got to go on what was by then Laura's side (the side which skirts the river edge). I started out slow enjoying the new view, then at the first corner where the path turns almost a right angle to follow the river I scared a duck, who had been happily pottering on the sand, it flapped and splashed out to deeper water quacking as it went. I don't think I jumped on the outside, but this did set me off and a few meters down the path I found myself feeling very jumpy. In my mind I battled with it: "This is ridiculous, the big animals are so rare, this trail is too well traveled." Then my other voice would say "Ahh, but no one is here today, it's very quiet, it's next to the wildlife corridor... you have already seen a coyote and been told about how the wolves like it here out of season." Aaaggghh! I am not sure which of there voices is the rational one or which is romantic; after all, all the post cards here feature the animals, in fact I think close encounters are what draw a lot of visitors.

Anyway, I move on checking behind me periodically just in case there is something there. I also pick up two rocks as advised (by the Canada Park Rangers) and start to bang them together and sing. "I love you yeah yeah yeah I love you yeah yeah yeah..."
Then, I didn't want to sing. I kept looking at the bushes to my left, it felt like something was there; my imagination told me it was a cougar, my logic told me it was nothing.

At the next corner my eyes still scanning the under growth to my left, I saw a sandy round shape amongst the trees, it looked like the belly of a deer, a dead deer laying in the trees about twenty feet from the trail.

Then my heart was pumping and the pages of paranoia building advice chanting in my head.: "Keep walking...do not approach dead animals the killer may be near by...report all dead animal sightings...keep walking..."

I moved on at a quicker pace, hoping Laura (and Elinor who was taking her pictures that day) were close by, but they were not and as I kept going I decide it was probably my imagination, perhaps just a large rock catching the sun as it fell through the trees.

So then we met; they laugh, and we head back to the start; this time Elinor will travel with me.
We toss the coin again and I get heads, I am going right again. I try to perform my usual walk but my attention is on the bend ahead, I thought with Elinor there perhaps I could take a longer look and at least I would know if I was seeing things.

I was not, it was a dead deer; I could see its head and antlers too, which was simultaneously a relief and a horror.

Encouragingly, she suggested perhaps it had just wandered there, after being hit by a car.

After this we had two more walks to complete and with my luck the result of the toss meant I had to pass it twice more. I did, determined to face my fear. The last time round I could see magpies and crows feeding from the carcus, this said to me that what ever had killed it was not nearby; I could relax (but obviously not really because my camera was still shaking).

So, I guess I should explain why I am adding this story now. One of the other artists on this residency, Rebecca Birch, has been doing a work about Sulphur Mountain and interviewing lots of well informed locals and parks workers. On Tuesday, October 18th, she went down to the Marsh Loop and it was closed due to carnivores feeding. Then yesterday she discovered that it was a cougar that had killed the deer and had been feeding on it. I had not told anyone of my suspicions of it being a cougar because out of all the animals this seemed to have the most remote possibility, but as it turns out one lives on Sulphur Mountain (and was probably there watching me as I walked round banging my stones, guess it likes the Beatles).

To Trail Is Not Always To Follow Behind - Open Studio

2007-10-28T02:10:00.000Z

Our landscape of meeting fills the studio or as one of our visitors described it, "a topography of effort."
Alowing ourselves 19.5 hrs the combined amount of time it took for us to travel to Banff (the hours it took us to traverse the distance wrapped around the studio in rope) we walked the marsh loop, sharing this time to walk towards each other, 19.5 hrs alowed us to complete 19 walks, (oh we love it when our numbers repeat!!!!!)
Each walk, quantified through steps and time, is represented by a peak.
Thank you to everyone who visited or sent us their well wishes.

Our last day of walking to meet

2007-10-26T17:26:00.001+01:00

Thank you to Elinor Whidden for joining us to document our journeys (taken during our 16th and 17th walks).

A Peek At The Peaks

2007-10-21T05:06:00.000+01:00

The First Cuts

2007-10-19T17:02:00.000+01:00

As you can see, the first cuts were a little painful as we dismantled and began to transform our piece, but what a knife and a blowtorch can do-- but it became quite satisfying as the hot knife cut through our rope like it was butter. beginning to see our new landscape take shape was exciting too. Peaks/peeks to come...
P.S. Necessary tools for landscape building a la Sorrel and Laura:
-hammer, sticky dots, sharpie, limestone rocks, dollar store knife (with a wooden handle), blowtorch, tape measure, lots of black thread, trolley, Sorrel's keys, key rings, fishing wire, cup hooks, 'the maths', a calculator (or Sorrel's mobile), a long nail, tall ladder, Laura's jean pouch, pen or pencil, scissors, highlighter, office chair and lots of coffee (or chocolate for a treat).

As the walks acumulate the erosion begins...

2007-10-19T16:33:00.000+01:00

here is the last shot before we begin to unwind (or erode) the distance which has framed our work and literally the space until now...

Can you see my apprehension? laura's still laughing at me...

It starts with the toss of a coin, The Marsh Loop as walked by Sorrel

2007-10-16T06:13:00.000+01:00

Standing at the dividing point where our trail begins, Laura throws the penny to decide which way I will take, left or right?... Our journey begins ...We part and head towards each other around the marsh...
If you would like to know the stories behind these pics then let us know and we will be happy to share our tales.

The Marsh Loop: Laura's Side of the Story

2007-10-16T05:30:00.000+01:00

Every second time Sorrel throws for me.
Heads is right, Tails is left. 19 walks around the loop and this was the outcome for me:
Left, Left, Right, Right, Right, Right, Left, Right, Right, Right, Right, Right, Right, Left, Right, Left, Left, Left, Left... obviously Sorrel's was the opposite.

The Maths

2007-10-11T04:16:00.000+01:00

Examples from our notebooks/ sketchbooks of what we *lovingly* refer to as 'the maths'-- a must before we build.

reboot

2007-10-09T16:36:00.000+01:00

The second phase of our project involves us taking walks towards each other beginning at the same point on the Marsh Loop and walking in opposite directions, collecting the number of steps we each take and the time it takes to meet. After five walks we took this information back to the studio to transform the rope into a series of peaks, creating a new landscape built through our walks on the trail (the time denoting the height and the steps denoting the width). After 5 rotations, steps counted, times recorded, eager to build...
we trip and stumble and after a small bump on the head we come up with a fresh perspective and a new plan - we must start again!!!!!

aaaaaaaggggggggghhhhhhhhh

Scale 1: 175,000 Metres

2007-10-03T01:14:00.000+01:00

A pinch, a rest, a landscape of meeting...

2007-10-01T22:41:00.000+01:00

Rigging the rope almost became a reenactment of the distance we traveled to get here--taking us almost 16 hours.

Number of metres we have collectively traveled to meet in Banff: 9,726,020
Number of metres of rope used to represent this distance traveled using a 1:175,000 metre scale: 555.8
Number of hours Sorrel spent traveling to Banff: 13 and a 1/4
Number of hours Laura spent traveling to Banff: 6 and a 1/4
Number of hours spent in our studio reconstructing our distance traveled in rope: 16
Number of visits to the hardware store for materials: 3
Number of nails the rope is resting on: 505
Number of individual ropes used to accumulate the distance: 27
Number knots used to tie the ropes from Nottingham, Toronto and Banff together: 27
Number of climb centres we collected used rope from: 3
Number of metres in the longest rope: 61.38
Number of metres in the shortest rope: 2.68
Number of bent nails we were unable to use: 2
Number of circuts around the room: 18

A Cartography Of Distance

2007-10-01T19:08:00.000+01:00

A map of the combined distance traveled by us, in order to meet in Banff. A distance experienced through duration and relocation, quantified through its cartographic reconstruction in rope.

Wolves and Cougars and Bears oh my!

2007-10-01T18:10:00.000+01:00

well at least that's what my imagination was seeing amongst the trees, in fact I have only really had close encounters with deer, squirrels and yellow throats(sparrow-like small yellow bird).
this doesn't seem to have made any difference to my fear of walking alone.
each creak of the trees, or turn in the path my heart pumps in anticipation of the encounter ahead. all the logic, advice and statistics of the slim chance of ever meeting one of these animals doesn't seem capable of over powering the mysterious movements and sounds of the landscape, or maybe its just all those fairy tales set in the woods.
Laura doesn't have the same sense of anxiety although the accumulating stories of cougars seem to have touched the odd hair on her neck!
so which trail will we journey?
trail 2 the Marsh Loop has won our attention, it is just 2km and travels round a marsh in the Banff Valley, the marsh is fed by the hot streams running from Sulphur Mountain the path roams round its edge, along the Bow River and through the trees to the edge of the wildlife corridor and the cave and basin hot springs. this will be our loop.
we will set off in opposite directions and walk until we meet; recording the time it takes and the step we have each taken to reach each other.
more to come ... sorrel

Testing the trails

2007-09-25T05:54:00.000+01:00

We will begin at opposite ends of a trail and walk towards each other-- recording the time, distance traveled and number of steps taken by each of us before we meet; repeating this walk towards each other and using the measurements recorded (time, distance, steps) to formulate the dimensions of our rope installation. On Saturday we decided to test out three possible looped trails: Loop 1- Part of the 'Hoodoo Trail' combined with a stretch of Tunnel Mountain Drive to circle the base of Tunnel Mountain; Loop 2: 'The Marsh Loop'; Loop 3: 'Fenland Trail.' Each provided us with very different and inspiring terrain and viewpoints.

to trail is not always to follow behind - beginning

2007-09-24T18:28:00.000+01:00

We arrived ladden with rope filled bags from our home town.
Laura: It was lunch time. I was hungry and glad to put my bags down. I arrived first.
Sorrel: I arrived second. The sun was out the ground scorched and the mountains bare dry black-grey rock reaching up around me.

Our aim is to see the combined distance we have traveled to get here.

Laura: 2810.60 km
Sorrel: 6915.34 km
Total: 9726.02 km

We will represent this distance with climbing rope. We collected the rope from Nottingham, Toronto and Banff. Next, we discovered how much rope we had gathered.

Our total length of rope: 778 meters and 8 centimeters (plus some small bits we chose not to count).

another view of our journey up: Toronto

2007-09-17T10:26:00.001+01:00

the view as we climbed: Nottingham

2007-09-17T10:09:00.001+01:00

legs aching ... we climbed

2007-09-12T09:24:00.000+01:00

We started this climb from the height we had made it to in April.
Laura had already climbed 16054 steps which makes 3.2 km so in Canada they will start from a height of 3210m up which is the equivalent of 6 CN Towers up.
I climbed 9369 steps, which is 1.873 km, or 1873 m this is the equivalent of 26 Vic centre flats (the highest bit) or 3.4 CN towers.

Sorrel's Nottingham climb
Day one begins 9369 steps up or 1873 metres up Saturday 1st September
64 steps to the sound of a piano, 493 in the echoing empty concert hall, then front stairs, back stairs, a detour to the best view point in town from the top of the NCP car park on Talbot street, wonky stairs, stone stairs, scary stairs, hidden stairs, forbidden stairs.
In Toronto they scaled an eccentrics castle, a wooded park and a flea market.

Day two begins 10,033 steps up Sunday 2nd September
Our starting point today finds us lost amongst the grey drizzle stratocumulus clouds. We climb each of the colour coded Victoria flats staircases (the highest building in the city 72-75 metres high), a whopping 857 steps without a view.
On the 13th floor the view from Dave’s flat looks west across the roofs towards Canada but the clouds are so low we can barely see across town.
We listened as Laura alone climbed her final staircase, a fire escape in an eerily secluded area of town.

Day three begins 10,890 steps up Monday 3rd September
Our climb will begin above the fluffy cumulus clouds and into the blue, at 10,890 steps. Our climb is muffled in the council house, wet and observed in Market Square, in blackout at the Playhouse, hurried in the Park.
We debated with Dylan in Canada the validity of curbs and curly ladders.

Day four 11,276 steps up
Notts county football ground, home of the Magpies. Hot sun, no clouds, and four stands to climb we start methodically moving anti clockwise, in Canada Laura has forgotten her camera and finding herself at the top of Toronto Hospital with a panorama worth keeping, Ellen Helen and Lisa try to draw what she describes, a brief toilet stop in the third stands confuses our count and cob webs bar the way. At 6pm we have only finished three stands 1438 steps

Day five our climb begins at 12,714 steps up
Still comfortably in the troposphere, where 80% of our atmosphere resides, along with all the weather, we have made it above the cumulus clouds our sights are now set on the cirrus wisps, which appear 5000 metres up. We start where we left off the day before at Notts County Ground, Derek Pavis Stand the highest looking north towards the city.
Our final high point, sat at the top of a fire escape in the Jurys Inn with an unchallenged view to the south, our eyes pass the edge of the city skirt over a hill topped with trees to a horizon dark with distance…14,019 steps up or 2803.8 metres or 2.8km or 37 Victoria Flats or 5 CN Towers up… we listen as Laura make it to her final high point breathless in the Royal York Hotel. Laura is now 3.92 km or 19,601 steps up (7 CN Towers)

Thank you to all the Nottingham and Toronto climbers who shared this journey with us
Ellen, Helen, Dave, Simone, Glyn, Lisa, Celia, Nick, Emma, Jo, Kamal, Chris, Shannon, Isabelle, Dylan and Tasha
And all the people who we met during our climb, at the locations that have helped us get this far.
you can see documentation from these climbs at the Gladstone Hotel Toronto as part of Walking Life and at Angel Row Gallery Nottingham on 22nd of September to conclude the shifting ground exhibition.

The next step in the journey...

2007-08-29T19:05:00.000+01:00

'The Climb'
by Sorrel Muggridge and Laura Nanni
11am-1pm, September 1st-5th
Presented by Angel Row Gallery (Nottingham UK)
In conjunction with 'Walking Life' exhibition at the Gladstone Hotel (Toronto ON)
http://www.nottinghamcity.gov.uk/ar_exhibitions-next

Laura and Sorrel invite you to join them on an ongoing quest to climb 699km high in order to see each other over the horizon. This vast height has been quantified through a series of walks and climbs in their respective cities (front steps, churches, fire escapes and car parks) which will accumulate to this grand total.

The next phase of the journey will be guided by their search for new stairs to climb; unexpected viewpoints and long forgotten pathways will be revealed in the process, giving us all a new perspective of our city. The Climb will take place simultaneously in Nottingham and Toronto.

A series of daily climbs will start on 1st September 2007 (until 5th September) at 4pm. All climbs will start outside Angel Row Gallery Nottingham and the gates of Trinity Bellwoods Park Toronto This event is free but places are limited.
Documentation collected by the artists and participants from this latest phase of the project will be featured as part of the 'Walking Life' exhibit at the Gladstone Hotel, September 9th- October 5th, Toronto.

Sorrel and Laura are constantly on the look out for new stairs to climb and are keen to hear your suggestions. Do you live at the top of a block of flats or know of any good vantage points from which we can view our two great cities? If so, we would love to hear from you and see you at the event.