Seeing it through? Visual markings as earth writing

Abstract

Cultural marks in the environment imply how the symbolic and real, and the absent and present are linked in our readings of the environment. The relations between these can also be expressed while writing places: while making them present with some mode of showing or telling. Although verbally written places are often considered to be primary, visual marks write places as well. In the interpretation of images, there has been the illusion of truthfulness and transparency. This insight has, however, been challenged while paying attention to the intertextual relations and differing contexts which are needed for texts to signify. This article deals with textual interpretation of the environment, and the current issues of visual culture in cultural geography.