Geographical landscape: further beyond our field of vision

Although understanding Geographical Landscape as “everything that reaches our sight” is largely accepted, this conception cast some doubt on particular methodological matters. Consequently, geographical analysis on the landscape remains narrowed by the conception aforementioned. In order to illustra...

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Main Author: Luis Antonio Bittar Venturi
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Confins 2018-12-01
Series:Confins
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Online Access:https://journals.openedition.org/confins/16321
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author Luis Antonio Bittar Venturi
author_facet Luis Antonio Bittar Venturi
author_sort Luis Antonio Bittar Venturi
collection DOAJ
description Although understanding Geographical Landscape as “everything that reaches our sight” is largely accepted, this conception cast some doubt on particular methodological matters. Consequently, geographical analysis on the landscape remains narrowed by the conception aforementioned. In order to illustrate these limitations, four counter-arguments to this restricted concept have been raised in this current paper, by showing how each methodological matter can impoverish its understanding. Firstly, the conception of something must target the object itself. Focusing “our sight or field of vision”, the observer is set as the reference point rather than the object to be defined: the landscape itself. Secondly, this traditional definition generates an important issue of scale, which is vital to geographers: if a simple plant or the whole sky reach our sight range, should they be considered landscapes? In other words, what is the landscape size? Is it defined merely by our field of vision? Thirdly, framing the landscape in a field of vision arbitrarily excludes everything that is out of this pictorial perspective. However, many aspects within the frame may be derived from aspects or objects that are out of the frame. Finally, going a little further, many unseen aspects can be inferred by some visible objects. The climate, for instance, which, in turn, can be implied by vegetation, landforms, types of house construction etc. Inferences are possible when we consider landscape as result of a dynamic process, rather than a picture framed by our field of vision. All of these counter-arguments are illustrated along with examples and figures in order to provide better comprehension. Thus, we have featured a conception of landscape that we consider wider, more complete and free from those methodological restrictions formerly shown.
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spelling doaj-art-ef2c030005194af4b77b3e02aff843d92025-01-13T15:56:16ZengConfinsConfins1958-92122018-12-013810.4000/confins.16321Geographical landscape: further beyond our field of visionLuis Antonio Bittar VenturiAlthough understanding Geographical Landscape as “everything that reaches our sight” is largely accepted, this conception cast some doubt on particular methodological matters. Consequently, geographical analysis on the landscape remains narrowed by the conception aforementioned. In order to illustrate these limitations, four counter-arguments to this restricted concept have been raised in this current paper, by showing how each methodological matter can impoverish its understanding. Firstly, the conception of something must target the object itself. Focusing “our sight or field of vision”, the observer is set as the reference point rather than the object to be defined: the landscape itself. Secondly, this traditional definition generates an important issue of scale, which is vital to geographers: if a simple plant or the whole sky reach our sight range, should they be considered landscapes? In other words, what is the landscape size? Is it defined merely by our field of vision? Thirdly, framing the landscape in a field of vision arbitrarily excludes everything that is out of this pictorial perspective. However, many aspects within the frame may be derived from aspects or objects that are out of the frame. Finally, going a little further, many unseen aspects can be inferred by some visible objects. The climate, for instance, which, in turn, can be implied by vegetation, landforms, types of house construction etc. Inferences are possible when we consider landscape as result of a dynamic process, rather than a picture framed by our field of vision. All of these counter-arguments are illustrated along with examples and figures in order to provide better comprehension. Thus, we have featured a conception of landscape that we consider wider, more complete and free from those methodological restrictions formerly shown.https://journals.openedition.org/confins/16321landscapegeographyfield of visioninferences.
spellingShingle Luis Antonio Bittar Venturi
Geographical landscape: further beyond our field of vision
Confins
landscape
geography
field of vision
inferences.
title Geographical landscape: further beyond our field of vision
title_full Geographical landscape: further beyond our field of vision
title_fullStr Geographical landscape: further beyond our field of vision
title_full_unstemmed Geographical landscape: further beyond our field of vision
title_short Geographical landscape: further beyond our field of vision
title_sort geographical landscape further beyond our field of vision
topic landscape
geography
field of vision
inferences.
url https://journals.openedition.org/confins/16321
work_keys_str_mv AT luisantoniobittarventuri geographicallandscapefurtherbeyondourfieldofvision