copyright: Timothy Atherton. Prince Albert, Saskatchewan. On Site 19:streets, 2008 

rural urbanism

Is rural urbanism conceived of, enacted and understood in a profoundly different way from metropolitan urbanism?  or is it just a smaller version.

Considering that architecture and urbanism are discussed almost always in visual terms, and that rural settlements have often been characterised through literature, we wish to outline the terms of reference, the vocabulary and the syntax of a rural urbanism.  The form the terms of reference take will be visual: photographic and drawn – a visual, non-fiction essay.  These photo-essays will provide the working manifesto and template for an exhibition examples of rural urbanism that will parallel On Site 27: rural urbanism, Spring 2012.

We will not be looking at Calgary or Regina, but rather towns the size of Prince Albert, Fort MacMurray, Timmins, Dauphin, Ladysmith, Nelson, Sydney, Whitehorse.  Each small town has a history – the first map, the master plan and the reality.  The built reality is what will be noted, and then mapped on the original ambitions for each settlement.

If one looks at a small town through a metropolitan lens, it is inevitably found to be crude, or under-developed, or misleadingly nostalgic.  The metropolitan gaze tries to recognise its own reality in small towns which developed with a completely different set of ambitions.   We want to develop a rural lens, through which we can view rural settlements. 

So, this is a call for submissions to Rural Urbanism, the exhibition. 

5-10 black and white photographs that describe the particular urban condition of a small town with which you are familiar.   How small is small?  Near, or under 50,000.  How rural is rural?  Not attached as a suburb or bedroom community to a city. 

500 words of text, either as extended captions to the images, or as a separate statement in which you define what might be particular about rural urbanism.

deadline:  1 January 2012