Studio Tonne has designed an intriguing, infographic-object; its near antiquated operational logic, while easy to grasp, cleverly connects its user to five cultural walking trails around Kingston-upon-Thames, a riverside suburb of west London. Just as pocket calculators displaced slide rules, handheld GPS-enabled gadgets have relegated maps and their more interactive cousin, the wheel-based, wayfinding device known as a Volvelle, to the status of novelty, as objects of ancient wonder. Playing against type for this project, Paul Farrington chose to ditch the digital in favour of the immediacy of this album-sized, analogue device. Incorporating graphic symbols and archive photographs, the Kingston Navigation Wheel is informed by the history of the Surrey Walking Club, Victorian photographer Eadweard Muybridge, Orienteering and interviews with local residents. No batteries or reboots required.
Commissioned by Stanley Picker Gallery (Kingston University) and supported by Arts Council England.