Material counter-cartographies: (Un)mapping (in)justice, spatial wounding, and abstract reticulations

Abstract

This article takes an arts-based approach to unmasking the (wounded) naming histories of public schools within a 20-miles radius of a university in central Florida. It applies an artistic methodology that was inspired by the abstract artwork of Mark Bradford. Through the application of this methodology (e.g. research, layer, excavate), the authors created two maps—counter-cartographies—to accentuate the problematic undertow of schooling through names couched in coloniality. Notwithstanding our findings into material articulations (i.e. counter-cartographies), this research suggests that (teacher) educators could benefit from reimagining the potentiality of mapping practices and how cartographies can be used to (spatially) express masked history/ies within the context of place-based naming practices.

Keywords:

• Arts-based
• place-naming
• experimental materialism
• cartography
• spatial justice

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Bretton A. Varga

Dr. Bretton A. Varga is an Assistant Professor of History-Social Science at California State University, Chico. His research works with(in) critical theories of art, materiality, and temporality to explore how visual methods and artistic mediums can be used to unveil historically marginalized perspectives and layers (upon layers) of history that haunt the world around us.

Vonzell Agosto

Dr. Vonzell Agosto is an Associate Professor of Curriculum Studies in the Educational Leadership and Policy Studies Program at the University of South Florida. Her primary line of inquiry asks how educational contexts can be (more or less) oppressive especially with regard to culture, race, gender, and dis/ability.

Julian Maguregui

Julian E. Maguregui, Jr. is a doctoral student of social science education at the University of South Florida as well as a high school teacher for Hillsborough County Public Schools. His research focuses include the usage of the feminist pedagogy within the secondary social studies classroom to be more inclusive of historically underrepresented groups.