9_c_15_PN_Davis_TI2018Template.pdf (2.05 MB)
Experiencing Porcelain as a Landscape
journal contribution
posted on 2018-04-18, 22:58 authored by Transdisciplinary image ConferenceTransdisciplinary image Conference, Peter Quinn DavisIn the late eighteenth century, the Plymouth
Porcelain Factory produced sets of figures designed
to represent what were then known as the four
Continents: Asia, Africa, Europe and the Americas.
As objects of middle-class consumption, they were
designed not only to represent current ideas about
the qualities of these continents, but also to allow
consumers to have a relationship with places of
which they had no first-hand knowledge, creating a
geographical experience. Taking the historical nature
of these figurines into consideration, this research
considers whether it is possible to co-opt such
artefacts into a twenty-first century geographical
experience. Using a multi-modal, experiential
approach to design research that includes not only
looking at the original context of objects, but also
displaying the artefacts through the lens of twentyfirst
century technologies such as 3-D scanning and
asking individuals to respond creatively to the
figurines, this paper explores how an interaction
with past experiences of geography might help us to
understand our current perceptions of the world,
while keying into a new digital heritage.