Traces

By Ben Murphy

We wander but we follow.

We follow lines,

markings,

indents,

traces of prior movement.

We trace trails, remnants of hooves, footpaths, lines, markings

And topographic grooves, all created by the humble foot.

Where did they come from, how did they begin?

Was the ground too boggy, did a rogue dash across the grass create a new trace-line? Are we following the original follower, or a scent, a sound or a stride?

Where do they begin?

Where do they end?

Regulated by cartography. What constitutes a footpath? What gives a path an official designation. The width, depth, fold, usage or potential?

Or

Prominence.

Over grassy hills, parklands, heather clad moors, rocky mountains, muddy mounds and football fields.

We trace traces. Historical but contemporarily reworked.

A static inscription on the landscape yet they move, flow and undulate. A line often created out of a barrier to movement, enabling more movement.

Created by imagination and an urge to explore but now a symbol of safety and reassurance.

Traces

Ben is currently completing a MSc by Research in Human Geography at the University of Edinburgh. You can read about his research and more of his writing here.