On Looking: Eleven Walks with Expert Eyes

"She lives in New York and walks around her city block with her dog every day, just like millions of people do. But yes, she realized that she was missing most of what she saw. So what she did was to walk around her block 11 times with 11 different experts. They point out to her the things that she has been missing. This really fascinated me. When I was doing my map of the stuff I found interesting, if I’d had different companions with me, they would have found totally different things fascinating. So she goes with an artist, a geologist, a doctor. But also, really interestingly, with a kid and with her dog. You know how if you go for a walk with a toddler, it’s so frustrating because they’re just so slow, they’re down on their knees looking at things? That frustration is actually the curiosity and enthusiasm and willingness to learn that’s at the heart of all of these projects."