On-location Drawing, Urban Sketching and Phenomenology of Perception

The paper examines the assumptions and the implications of “urban sketching”, framing this phenomenon in a broader scenario of the "rediscovery" of the drawing from life. Starting from the analysis of some key actions related to these practices, it aims to deepen those themes and aspects which, starting from the field of representation, intrude in other areas of knowledge and other disciplines: from the Phenomenology to the Psychology of Perception, from Anthropology to Cognitive Neuroscience. These practices of the drawing can become important instruments for observation and understanding of the place, at varius levels, thanks to their collective and participatory character, developing a shared interpretation, both individual and public, of urban spaces and architecture, finding alternative ways to represent and describe the reality that surrounds us.