Most of my artwork is made in response to a specific site or location, the outcome may be installation/s, sculpture or performance; the choice of materials, construction methods and form relating to the history, location and function of the place.
Whereas much of my work is a result of residencies or commissions, this project stems from a personal passion to know more about the invention and adoption of a line as convention. For years I have grappled with the puzzle that is the rendering flat a three-dimensional object or scene onto paper. Although I can draw perspective, distance, landscapes even; I do not enjoy it and now wonder if my preoccupation with contour lines – a simple system for rendering terrain on paper – stems from an aversion to doing the flattening myself. For more information on my arts practice, please visit my website.
With AHRC funding, I was able to further pursue research into contour lines as a PhD at Queen’s University Belfast. For my academic articles on contours, and the PhD, please click on the links below:
Karen Rann (2020) The Appearance of Contour Lines on British and Irish Maps, 1778–1870, Imago Mundi, 72:2,220-221, https://www.tandfonline.com/eprint/4SIZEK4TYQPZRXFCM9M5/full?target=10.1080/03085694.2020.1748935 (1st 50 free)
K. Rann & R. S. Johnson (2019) Chasing the line: Hutton’s contribution to the invention of contours, Journal of Maps, 15:3, 48-56, DOI:10.1080/17445647.2019.1582439 (open access)
The Great Lines 