This time, I had a talk with Jimmy Kosolosky, an animation film director from Brussels, whom I met during my studies in animation film in France. We spent some wandering-drawing sessions together in Valence, France, where I somehow overcame my fear of drawing, and understood how expression is more important than technical expertise.
Apart from his artistic practice, Kosolosky also uses drawing in everyday life in order to think spatially. His contribution was very illuminating in regard to the use of technology today… As he states »I mostly use a drawing to find my way if I need to go to a place. Nowadays everybody uses google maps, looking on their smartphones while walking in the street. Myself, I find it very helpful to draw a little map on a piece of paper before I leave the house (mostly a quick sketch based on google maps ;) ).«
Funny enough, I also do these sketches: as many times I still manage to get lost even with google maps. Besides, it’s also true that if I don’t draw a map of the place beforehand, it seems that I am not able to memorize it – the space is not integrated in the brain, if you just look at it. Drawing it is somehow engraving it…
Jimmy Kosolosky explains it further:
»Through this way I already have a clear idea of the geographical area. [For example I know] how many streets before I have to take a turn, how long will the road be, does it have curves or does it goes straight, is there a river or any other object that makes it easy to navigate.«
‘Once I drew this little map (only I can read it), I already have a very good notice of how to go. So the moment I leave the house, or I arrive in a city, I immediately can orientate myself. This is a very nice feeling, because you can blend in with the people around you, keep up a paste and especially you are able to look around you (instead of watching googlemaps).’
It happens rarely, that I still need to take a lot of looks on the sheet of paper (I visualise the map in my head). So I have a certain feeling of comfort and every time it sharpens your sense of orientation.’
Something I found interesting on the drawing-thinking approach as opposed to the representational one is that the process is seen through the work. That is to say that we can really understand the way someone thinks through their drawings, as they are not in a pressure to come up with the right picture. This is also clear on the following drawing of Jimmy Kosolosky.