For the Methods of Investigation brief, I chose to conduct an in-depth study of the diverse bird species in St. James’s Park, focusing on their movements and interactions within a shared territory. I selected a specific location for my observation: a bench situated on the northern side of the park’s central lake (Google Plus Code: 51.5030904, -0.1333031).
I spent several hours observing the site from my chosen spot, recording the scene with a GoPro camera. This observational approach parallels the method of investigation used in “The Street,” a chapter from Species of Spaces and Other Pieces by Georges Perec. In this chapter, Perec offers a unique perspective on streets as spaces with both practical and emotional significance. He closely examines the street as a social entity—alive with movement, routines, and the details of daily life—describing the sounds, people, and interactions that unfold within it.
Perec explains his process of observation, encouraging readers to settle into a location and “Apply yourself. Take your time” (Perec, 1997, p. 50), which mirrors my own approach to collecting visual information at the park. In particular, Perec (1997, p. 51) describes a moment when he detects the rhythm of passing cars, a method that resonates with how I aimed to visually depict the movements of the birds in the park. Like Perec’s observations of streets, I sought to capture the patterns and flow of life in the birds’ habitat.
Ultimately, The Street reflects Perec’s fascination with everyday spaces and how they can be both ordinary and profoundly significant when observed closely. I strongly relate to this viewpoint. Initially, I was amazed by the constant movement of the diverse bird species around the lake and how they formed a shared habitat. However, after sitting in the same spot for an extended period, I began to see the chaotic order of their movements differently. It reminded me of Perec’s realization that, from nature’s perspective, “Nothing is happening, in fact” (Perec, 1997, p. 52).
Another reading that relates to my investigation is Wendy Hui Kyong Chun’s On Patterns and Proxies. In this article, Chun explores the relationship between architecture, technology, and culture, examining how digital tools shape our understanding of space and representation. She discusses the concept of “patterns” as both aesthetic and functional elements in design, while “proxies” refer to digital representations that mediate our experience of the physical world (Chun, 2018).
In my investigation, I visually represented my observations (video recordings) by color-coding different bird species and tracking each bird’s movement across the lake. Using a color legend, I unintentionally created a visual outcome resembling a pattern in digital form. This aligns with Chun’s idea, as the result not only functionally conveys information from the physical world but also generates an aesthetic outcome. The diagrams and maps in Chun’s article display similar visual qualities to the series of graphical outcomes I produced from my observations.
Bibliography
Chun, W.H.K. (2018) ‘On Patterns and Proxies ’, e-flux Architecture [Preprint]. Available at: https://www.e-flux.com/architecture/accumulation/212275/on-patterns-and-proxies/ (Accessed: October 2024).
Perec, G. (1997) ‘The Street’, in Species of Spaces and Other Pieces. London: Penguin Books Ltd, pp. 46–56.