You remember me going on, some while back, about “desire lines” - also
sometimes known as “bootleg trails” (a term which I like a lot) – informal
paths created by walkers as an alternative and sometimes as a downright
challenge to the formal paths by and planners and landscapers. Well, once you start looking, these things are everywhere of course,
and as I roam around I see them all the time.
This one here is in Salt Lake City (and actually leads to a labyrinth):
And I found this rather less developed one in Ely, Nevada (birthplace
of Patricia Nixon) which runs around the side of the public library and didn’t
seem actually to be very useful but somebody must think it is otherwise it
wouldn’t be there (you can’t argue with desire):
As a matter of fact Ely also
has a labyrinth. There may be something
going on here, right?
Meanwhile at CalArts where I am a very occasional adjunct professor
(yep, I have been known to get emails addressed to Professor Nicholson which
really is unutterably cool), the landscapers (or maybe just gardeners) have
been working to destroy, or at least erase, a desire line I wrote about in that
previous blog post.
First there was, and is, a formal paved, in fact
cobbled, path leading from the dorms and the lower parking lot up to the main
buildings, and as can you see there was then a desire line somewhat further
along the bank.
Well, the cobbled path is still there of course but
the desire line has gone. That area has
been mulched. I’m not sure why. It was just a bit of grass that didn’t seem
in need of mulching – but maybe it was too hard to cut the grass there.
Anyway, it’s clearly quite hard to walk on mulch but I
think the irresistible forces of desire are already at work and, to my eyes
anyway, a new desire line appears to be forming. We shall see.
And I’ll keep you informed.
*
That other post is here:
http://hollywoodwalker.blogspot.com/2015/03/walking-with-desire.html
*
That other post is here:
http://hollywoodwalker.blogspot.com/2015/03/walking-with-desire.html
