Reflections on the geohumanities - or how the arts influence my geographical practice

‘As an undergraduate, my decision to combine art history and theory and geography was often met with quizzical looks, but my choice to work in the geohumanities is one I have never regretted. In this Forum, I want to share some of the ways in which the geohumanities has informed and enriched my work. In particular, I want to show how photography, film, painting, and performance have informed my work. My intention is to share a story about how I came to write about the geographies of the life-course, and I will do that by reference to Lennart Nilsson’s images of fetuses for Life Magazine; William McTaggart’s large oil paintings of children at the shore; Nic Low’s installations about island children at Junction Arts festival; Lottie Child’s UK films of youth at play and Andy Day’s photographs of London’s traceurs practicing parkour; John Brack’s genius summation of adult commuter life in Collins Street 5pm; promotional images of Ernestine Shepherd, a septuagenarian body sculptor; and Pharmacopeia, an installation by Susie Freeman, David Critchley, and Dr Liz Lee subtitled Cradle to Grave. My aims are to show how the arts have enriched my spatial thinking; to suggest that geographical modes of conceiving and perceiving the world can powerfully contribute to artistic endeavour; and to hint at the benefits to be gained by the disciplines from more collaborative conversations and projects—particularly those that support people to flourish.’