Grounding the Aerial: The Observer’s View in Digital Visualisation for Built Heritage

The ways in which heritage sites are commonly represented – plans, aerial photographs and computer models – have been criticised for their tendency to elevate the viewer to a disembodied perspective that is removed from lived experience. This paper explores the disparity between the totalising tendency of visualisation techniques on one hand, and the need to consider the importance of human experience within built heritage on the other. Following on from existing work along the boundaries of art and archaeology, it is considered that creative practice – with its ability to incorporate emotional and experiential content into visual outcomes – can make a valuable contribution to this area.