rockit.

Death by Landscape

Something about the title had freaked me out the first time I heard it. This short story written by Margaret Atwood voiced what I had been trying to subdue for the longest time.

I've always thought of the nature, woods and outdoors as beautiful, vast and wild. Every experience I've had outdoors was amazing; I've seen and heard things I'd seen on TV and more; it was like being in the TV and pictures instead of watching it. I soaked up every aspect of the wilderness I encountered: how so much of the paths we took and the scenes we'd seen were already tampered with, how tourist-like much of it was and how it was all set up... but what did I expect?

Always, always would I look beyond. Beyond the mountains, beyond the treetops and at the horizon... and it just never ends. Yes, going outdoors and experiencing the nature is great, but have you ever thought of how freaky it is? You're up somewhere that will take 3 days to get back to civilization from... and what if you get lost?

Of course, that's always the main issue of all trips; getting hurt or lost. But if you truly truly think of it, nature really doesn't care. Nature is scary; it doesn't care about us.

I wanted to refer to classical Canadian landscape paintings. The ones by the Group of 7 and the like. You usually see them on postcards or paintings on cheap hotel walls - I used to think they're ugly. After having read "Death by Landscape", I think I've discovered what the artists were trying to depict from those paintings.

Never will you see animals or humans in the paintings. They're vague, ambiguous, and to me - grotesque. There's never a focus point, it's like the image was a frozen moment of movement, though they're always of landscapes. Of inhabitable areas, where landscape overcomes everything. And if you think of Canadian wilderness in that sense, that really is how it is. I've finally discovered why I always feel overwhelmed when outside surrounded by the wilderness; Its vastness might just take me over. It's scary.

In Toronto last year there was a girl that went camping with her friends up north. They decided to go jogging one morning, she for some reason stayed behind a bit... and disappeared. This was in a very isolated, desolate area... where you just might be surrendered to the ruthlessness of Mother Nature... that girl was never found... no traces of anything...

posted by Irene @ 2:07:00 AM