This project unfolded as I walked 130 miles around London in Spring 2024.
I was already thinking about bricks and my only plan was to wander and take in the city, but the connections and frameworks of the situationists (through the Dérive, and psychogeography) emerged through this project as I kept stumbling upon situationist references.
It feels important to note that for 16 hours of my walking I listened to First Time Ever: A Memoir by my great (and charming) aunt Peggy Seeger. Her words, story, and songs, gave my wanderings a backdrop of international and familial histories, interpersonal relationships and political entanglements, and wonderful storytelling, that influenced this project (and me) greatly.
For many more hours I listened to the sounds of the city, overheard fragments of other people's life, talked to some strangers, and made a couple of friends. Gratitude to everyone that I met along the way, particularly M. for kindly joining me on a brick walk.
Much appreciation to everyone that has listened to my ramblings about buildings, E. L. and A. for notes on earlier stages of the project in this form, and my father for introducing me to the world of brick bonding patterns.
“Your actions are mightier than any architect's intentions” is a line borrowed from Carmen Maria Machado, In the Dream House, that I have not been able to stop thinking about for many years. All of my adoration to her for that absolutely perfect set of words.