🗺️Psychogeography and Art Unit 6 – Psychogeography and Film

What is Psychogeography?

• Explores the psychological effects of urban environments on individuals and groups
• Originated from the Situationist International, a revolutionary group of artists and theorists in the 1950s and 1960s
• Combines elements of geography, psychology, and art to understand the emotional impact of places
• Focuses on the subjective experience of the city, rather than objective or rational understanding
• Encourages individuals to break free from routine and explore urban spaces in new, creative ways
  • Derives (dérives) involve wandering through the city without a predetermined destination
  • Seeks to uncover the hidden, overlooked, or forgotten aspects of urban life
• Critiques the alienating effects of modern urban planning and architecture
• Aims to reclaim the city as a space for play, creativity, and social interaction

Key Concepts in Psychogeography

• Dérive (drift) is an unplanned journey through an urban landscape, guided by the feelings and attractions of the terrain
• Détournement (rerouting or hijacking) involves the subversion of existing elements (images, texts, maps) to create new meanings
• Unitary Urbanism is the critique of urban planning that separates and isolates different aspects of life (work, leisure, housing)
• Psychogeographic mapping creates alternative, subjective maps of the city based on emotions, memories, and experiences
• The Theory of Moments emphasizes the importance of creating intense, transformative experiences in everyday life
• The Spectacle refers to the dominance of media, advertising, and consumerism in modern society, which alienates individuals from authentic experiences
• Situationist International, a group of artists, writers, and theorists who developed psychogeography as a means of critiquing and transforming everyday life

The Intersection of Psychogeography and Film

• Films can capture the subjective experience of urban environments, revealing hidden layers of meaning and emotion
• Psychogeographic films often employ non-linear narratives, fragmented editing, and unconventional cinematography to convey the psychological impact of places
• Filmmakers use the medium to critique the alienating effects of modern urban life and the dominance of the spectacle
• Films can serve as a form of détournement, subverting traditional cinematic conventions and creating new meanings
• Psychogeographic films encourage viewers to engage with urban spaces in new, creative ways and to question their everyday experiences
• The intersection of psychogeography and film allows for a deeper understanding of the relationship between individuals, cities, and society
• Films can document psychogeographic practices (dérives, mapping) and inspire viewers to undertake their own explorations

Influential Filmmakers and Works

• Guy Debord, a founding member of the Situationist International, created films that critiqued the spectacle and explored the psychogeography of Paris
  • "On the Passage of a Few Persons Through a Rather Brief Unity of Time" (1959)
  • "Critique of Separation" (1961)
  • "The Society of the Spectacle" (1973)
• Patrick Keiller's "London" (1994) and "Robinson in Space" (1997) use a fictional narrator to explore the psychogeography of England
• Chris Marker's "Sans Soleil" (1983) is a meditation on memory, time, and the subjective experience of place
• Agnès Varda's "Cléo from 5 to 7" (1962) follows a young woman's dérive through Paris as she awaits the results of a medical test
• Chantal Akerman's "News from Home" (1977) juxtaposes images of New York City with the filmmaker's mother's letters, exploring themes of displacement and alienation
• Terence Davies' "Of Time and the City" (2008) is a personal, poetic documentary about the director's relationship with his hometown of Liverpool
• Michel Gondry's "The Science of Sleep" (2006) blurs the boundaries between dream and reality, reflecting the protagonist's psychological experience of his environment

Techniques in Psychogeographic Filmmaking

• Non-linear narratives and fragmented editing to convey the subjective experience of urban environments
• Long takes and slow pacing to encourage contemplation and immersion in the psychogeography of a place
• Unconventional cinematography (hand-held cameras, unusual angles, extreme close-ups) to create a sense of disorientation or alienation
• Use of voiceover narration to provide a subjective, personal perspective on the urban landscape
• Incorporation of archival footage, photographs, and maps to layer historical and cultural meanings onto the psychogeography of a place
• Juxtaposition of contrasting images, sounds, or narratives to create a sense of détournement and critique the spectacle
• Emphasis on the sensory experience of the city (sounds, textures, smells) to evoke emotional responses and memories
• Collaboration with artists, writers, and theorists to develop a deeper understanding of the psychogeography of a place

Analysis of Notable Psychogeographic Films

• "London" (1994) by Patrick Keiller
  • Uses a fictional narrator (Robinson) to explore the psychogeography of London and critique the effects of Thatcherism on the city
  • Employs long, static shots of the urban landscape, juxtaposed with a wry, intellectual voiceover
  • Reveals the hidden histories and meanings embedded in the city's architecture and public spaces
• "Sans Soleil" (1983) by Chris Marker
  • A meditation on memory, time, and the subjective experience of place, spanning locations from Iceland to Japan
  • Uses a complex, non-linear structure and a poetic voiceover to explore the relationship between personal and collective memory
  • Incorporates a wide range of visual materials (film footage, photographs, computer graphics) to create a layered, associative psychogeography
• "News from Home" (1977) by Chantal Akerman
  • Juxtaposes long, static shots of New York City with the filmmaker's mother's letters, read in voiceover
  • Explores themes of displacement, alienation, and the search for home in the urban environment
  • Uses the formal qualities of the film (duration, framing, sound) to convey the psychological impact of the city on the filmmaker
• "Of Time and the City" (2008) by Terence Davies
  • A personal, poetic documentary about the director's relationship with his hometown of Liverpool
  • Uses archival footage, music, and voiceover to evoke the memories, emotions, and experiences associated with the city
  • Critiques the effects of modernization and urban renewal on the psychogeography of Liverpool, while celebrating the resilience and creativity of its inhabitants

Practical Applications and Exercises

• Conduct a dérive in your own city, allowing yourself to be guided by the attractions and repulsions of the urban environment
• Create a psychogeographic map of a familiar place, using colors, symbols, and annotations to represent your subjective experiences and emotions
• Engage in an act of détournement, subverting an existing image, text, or map to create a new meaning or critique
• Document your everyday experiences in the city through photography, video, or writing, focusing on the sensory and emotional aspects of the environment
• Collaborate with others to explore the psychogeography of a specific place, sharing your observations, insights, and creative responses
• Analyze a film from a psychogeographic perspective, considering how it represents the subjective experience of urban environments and critiques the spectacle
• Develop a proposal for a psychogeographic film project, outlining the key themes, locations, and techniques you would employ
• Participate in or organize a psychogeography-inspired event, such as a group dérive, mapping workshop, or screening and discussion of relevant films

Impact on Contemporary Art and Cinema

• Psychogeography has influenced a wide range of contemporary artists, filmmakers, and cultural practitioners
• Artists such as Iain Sinclair, Will Self, and Stewart Home have explored the psychogeography of London through writing, walking, and performance
• The Situationist concept of détournement has been adopted by street artists, culture jammers, and activist groups to critique consumerism and the spectacle
• Psychogeographic mapping has inspired new forms of cartography, such as the "Emotional Cartography" project by Christian Nold, which uses biometric data to create maps of subjective experience
• The use of urban space as a site for artistic intervention and social engagement has become a key concern in contemporary art practice
• In cinema, the influence of psychogeography can be seen in the work of filmmakers such as Andrea Arnold, Ben Rivers, and Andrew Kötting, who explore the relationship between place, memory, and identity
• The essay film, which often combines personal reflection with an exploration of urban environments, has become an important mode of psychogeographic filmmaking
• The increasing availability of mobile and locative media technologies has enabled new forms of psychogeographic practice, such as GPS-based storytelling and augmented reality experiences