October 18th 2024
Location of Investigation: Regents Park > Queen Mary’s Rose Garden > Double Seated Bench (Mol & Bern’s (as indicated by placard))
In relation to: Georges Perec, ‘The Street’ from Species of Spaces and Other Places, 1974
In my initial observation of the bench, I began my approach through noting rhythm – an aspect of observation (and feeling) mentioned in Georges Perec’s ‘The Street’’ (1974, p.51). Perec writes “Force yourself to see more flatly. Detect a rhythm: the passing of cars. The cars arrive in clumps because they’ve been stopped by a red light further up or down the street.” (Perec, 1974, p.51). From here Perec explains the process of dissecting this rhythm and its ‘raison d’etre’, peeling back layer by layer.
While I first focused on the bench itself, I quickly realised the many people, things, conversations, and feelings that interact with both the bench itself and my vantage point of the bench. I began to notice the flow of people passing on the pathway cutting between the bench in question and the bench from which I was sitting. What creates these ebbs and flows? I started to understand that the open-air theatre performances beginning and ending, lunch hour, sun direction, weather, an increase in runners as mid-day turned to afternoon and other aspects I have likely yet to notice are all contributors. In tandem with this flow is the interaction with the bench by passersby whether that be for a quick rest, a long read, or a temporary break to check directions on one’s phone. Or in one case to have a speaker phone conversation at maximum volume, prompting the reader on the other side to leave. Does this rhythm play into a consistent pattern of interaction with/on the bench? Though can we ever truly predict whether or not a passersby will interact with Mol & Berns bench? Perhaps as far as we can go is likelihood.
In relation to: Shannon Mattern, ‘Infrastructural Tourism’, Places Journal, 2013
During my time observing, I came to realise the impact feeling and non-visual sense have on a place such as a park bench. This theme of sense and its effect on experience relates to Shannon Matterns ‘Sensing Infrastructure’ where she investigates “the kind of “direct corporeal experience” that the Rangers encourage often escapes, or exceeds, our sense of sight.” (Mattern, 2013, p.5). Here Mattern refers to an expression from the Los Angeles Urban Rangers on the method of bringing people to field sites for analysis of an environment to pick up on what is un-readable and un-seeable (2013, p.5).
When I first chose the spot I was particularly enamoured by the make-up and design of the bench itself. An artfully crafted teak bench in a public park is an anomaly for a New Yorker such as myself where benches are a cold metal configuration of rudimentary bench design. Sitting on one of these teak benches instantly felt relaxing and homely with the slight build of lichen and feel of weathered wood. Perhaps this is a personal perspective but it initiated reflection on how the park was designed and the decisions made before construction. Was it a choice not only for the visual cohesivity of the rose garden but the feeling one experiences while utilizing the space?
Inherently, a bench – a park bench specifically – tends to invoke a sense of reflection and observation of the space around you. Built to accommodate the viewing of surroundings and encourage lasting interaction. How does the build of the bench enhance this notion, I wonder?
Emily Howard
Leave a Reply