Branding the Land

Intentional or not? Forget crop circles! I came across this photo series in the English 'Telegraph':

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/howaboutthat/5756528/Aerial-photographs-showcase-A-to-Z-of-the-British-Isles.html

As we begin to zoom out, away from the perspectival experiences of our daily lives, we begin to make greater sense (or not) of the world and the connections that abound around us. As Corbusier's spatial vision was profoundly influenced by modern aviation, today's designers are becoming immersed and, arguably obsessed with the expanded perceptual possibilities of technological advancement from the comfort of our offices and homes. The bird's eye view is no longer a proprietary quality of winged species, or airplanes. No, the limits of humanist perspective are being transcended to achieve a new legibility that is more associated with the cosmic, or other-worldly.

As our cities densify and space becomes evermore finite and valued, the ability to reconcile and address the spatial potential of what Corbusier called the "fifth facade" becomes critical. Our modern awareness and consciousness are constantly evolving. With the ease and ability to view and design from above, I posit that a new understanding of modernist space has has emerged - the aerial perspective.

This fourth dimension was explored by James Corner in 'Taking Measures across the American Landscape". Given that our modes of design are a reflection of our consciousness at the time, how are we adapting to the ever present experience of the fourth dimension? And how does this experience differ from that of 2-D and 3-D.

Are these brands on the land merely attempts at finding ones own version of Jesus Christ on a piece of cheese toast? Or, does the way we experience the world around (and below) us unconsciously move us to imbue it with such sarcastically familiar arrangements? Like the mysteries of the crop circles themselves I honestly don't know what to believe. However, the more advanced and 'modern' we become, the differentiation between subject and object will move ever closer to reveal a continued and renewed awareness of itself.