AQUA LOCI: Peter Burke

In ‘Sdrawkcab Gniklaw’, I explore the physical act of walking backwards in my local environment. The idea for ‘Sdrawkcab Gniklaw’ evolved during the COVID-19 lockdowns in Naarm, Melbourne in 2020-21. When I began walking backwards while exercising it somehow seemed liberating. It felt as though I was moving against time and evading restraint.

When I first tried this kind of walking, I found it created a shift in my physical movement and my mental state. My proprioception was redefined. Stepping backwards drew me out of my comfort zone; it put me on shaky ground. By letting go of the confidence I had in knowing where I was headed, I took a risk and walked with my back to my destination. 

When I began walking backwards in water my disorientation increased. Whether I was walking through flood waters, against an ocean tide, or across a stagnant swamp, I could not see where my feet were landing. I lost my sense of above/below. I had to press against the pressure of the water to move backwards and find my balance. It made me ponder the relationship between the human body and the water body, and how moving through water the other way can alter our perception of the world around us.

By walking backwards, the reference points for navigation play out in reverse; you see what you are walking away from, not what you are moving towards. Beginning/ending, forward/reverse, first/last, meeting/parting are all disorientated. Can life be navigated by moving in reverse? Is there an advantage in not being able to see your destination? What about dancing or hopping backwards in water?

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