Abstract

Walking With explores the pedagogical potential of walking as a form of artistic inquiry and expression. Walking is relational and politically imbued; we are inspirited by a constellation of encounters with people, places and things that inform who we become. As we leave our trace, our presence also shapes where we walk. Through feminist research-creation, including in-depth interviews with twelve artists, these guiding questions were considered: What insights can artists offer about the pedagogical force of walking – the affective and resonant ways that we become ourselves in relation to place? How might these insights inform walking-based pedagogy in art education? Furthermore, given that the contributing artists are women, how might the nuance of their experiences complexify the international discourse on walking art practices? As a localized study of contemporary artists who work with various media in the region of Tiohtiá:ke–Mooniyang–Montréal, a range of motivations and ruminations are revealed. Audio recordings and digital photographs were gathered during the interviews and audio-visual portraits were then created as interpretations of the artist’s insights. The portraits are presented online – www.walkingwith.ca – as an invitation to others to join in reflection about the significance of walking. A series of questions, titled “Reflections to walk with”, accompany each portrait as a point of departure for further consideration and discussion. The thesis project is complimented by an autoethnographic text that describes three epiphanies that compelled the researcher to focus on this topic and offers a summary of the research-creation process that brought it to fruition.

The contributing artists: Cam, Sylvie Cotton, Natalie Doonan, Ette, Dominique Ferraton, Sylvie Laplante, Andra McCartney, Émilie Monnet, Taien Ng-Chan, karen elaine spencer, Victoria Stanton and Kathleen Vaughan.