My work starts with my own explorations of urban areas on foot.  My primary goal for these explorations is to experience my surroundings in a more intimate way.  After moving to Los Angeles County, I realized that I was spending all of my time driving.  I became intrigued by this auto-centric landscape and began navigating the Los Alamitos Roundabout on foot.  Delving further into Google Earth, I began noticing interesting patterns in the landscape.  These patterns started leading my walks, most notably along the old Pacific Electric Railway line running diagonally across Long Beach.  My attempt to keep my path as close to that diagonal as possible led to several discoveries, including sections of original track which were never removed.

In a GPS-driven re-imagining of British artist Richard Long’s walks, I track my wanderings using a smartphone and filter the resulting data and imagery through mechanical methods of production such as laser cutting and screen-printing.  I then incorporate this imagery into larger installations which lead viewers through a scale model of my walk, via a detailed path on the wall, photograph-based wall panels, and illuminated light boxes on the floor.  The entirety of my photographic documentation is contained in bound volumes which viewers are encouraged to examine. 

This leads to my secondary goal which is to encourage viewers to take walks of their own.  I distribute prints containing both maps of one of my many walks and links to both the corresponding GPS track and to my website, where viewers are invited to participate by taking their own walks and uploading photographs they have taken.  The eventual goal is to have viewers track their own walks and share the data, making my solitary art practice a collaborative one.

All images copyright Lance Morris. All rights reserved.