An aerial view of the rail – My son brought a drone to the walk, and suddenly the 12 or so meters of my scroll found its context. From the air, the rail is a scar that the Swartland has tried to heal with wheat. It’s a reminder that while I am recording the ‘Missing Pieces’ on the ground, the landscape itself is a living record of our changes. The drone offers a Cartesian map, but my own walk offers a phenomenological map—it is the difference between seeing a line and feeling the vibration of the ballast through the soles of your boots. ( uploaded this onto YouTube on 18/04/2026)
I enjoyed seeing how the fields on Knolfontein farm bow to the railway. The plough lines and farm roads curve to follow the embankment, creating a rhythmic “interference pattern” between the industry and the agriculture.
I am so aware of the current walking practices of labourers and poorer people in our area –