A Crawl through Cave Art - QUESTIONNAIRE - I need your feedback for my MA!

[domee]

Hi, I’m doing my MA in illustration at the Manchester Metropolitan University and I need your help!

Some of you might already know me or seen me around – I’m usually sketching stuff at the TSG Chapel in Castleton and in various caves, mostly around the area of Derbyshire.

My project is all about caves and most importantly – people in those caves. I am interested in capturing different ways, in which people interact with caves in the modern day, e.g.: caving trips, seminars, cave digs and repairs, etc.

It all started with one of my earliest childhood memories, which is a memory from inside a cave in the Tatra Mountains. Weirdly, this memory has been resurfacing throughout my life and I pondered on it often. I used to go caving with my mum when I was a kid, and ever since caves have been an object of great fascination to me.

This got me thinking about why certain people are so drawn to caves - a question that's not that easy to answer. But I can only ask myself and people around X number of times until they all get annoyed! So, I’ve come up with a set of questions to post here - this way hopefully they can reach a wider range of cavers.

By the end of my MA, I’m hoping to produce an image-heavy book that tells a visual story about the vibrant world of caving. I want this to be a kind of celebration of the caving community that could be enjoyed both by cavers and non-cavers.

If you do decide to answer these questions, then I’ll assume it’s fine for me to quote you unless you state otherwise. Names, age, etc. are just for reference and won’t be shared unless you want to. Still, it’s fine if you don’t want to fill those in at all.

Anyway, any participation will be much appreciated! Also, my suggestion is – please be open with your answers and be as literal or as abstract as you want.

Alternatively, if you don’t want to post your answers here, you can email them to me on: domeeart@gmail.com

P.S. If you’re interested in seeing what it is that I do, here’s a link: https://www.domeeart.com/mind-in-a-cave

NOW, ONTO THE QUESTIONNAIRE

FIRST NAME/NICKNAME:         
AGE:         
PLACE:       
PROFESSION:

1. When did you start caving?
2. Describe your first ever caving trip.
3. What’s your most memorable cave related adventure?
4. Were you interested in caves before you started caving?
5. What’s your earliest cave related memory/encounter?
6. What do you think first drew you to caves?
7. Why do you cave?
8. Do you ever go into caves on your own? If so - why? How differently do you respond to a cave when you’re in it alone?
9. What is a cave?
10. What’s the weirdest thing you’ve ever found underground?
11. If you are a digger, explain the appeal of it.
12. If you are a diver, explain the appeal of it.

THE END.

Thanks again!

Dominika

[JasonC]

I may (or may not) get round to the questionnaire, but I like the art, especially the monochrome stuff (eg your avatar).  Is it linocut, or digital?   

[mrodoc]

Email sent.

[domee]

I may (or may not) get round to the questionnaire, but I like the art, especially the monochrome stuff (eg your avatar).  Is it linocut, or digital?   

Thanks a lot! It is linocut indeed I'm trying to follow the idea of anything that's underground to be represented in b&w lino, then the above ground painted in colour. I do like the labour of linocutting and the fact that as you take away from the lino, you in effect take away from the darkness. I must say though that linocutting is a stressful act - a mistake can rarely be undone, so if made, it will remain forever 

[domee]

Email sent.

First one! Thanks a lot mrodoc!

[CavefestUK]

hi there dominika.
i will forward you an email answering your questions tomorrow,  good luck with your project.
Neil

[hell little caver]

Hi dominika

In 2008 (now i feel old) i wrote my dissertation on ' is the underground a suitable place to wilderness learning and spiritual experiences'  i did questionairs and interviews and a fair amout of resurch if you like a copy pm me and i will try and drag it out.

Hopfull i do you questionair today

Cheers
Hellie

[JoshW]

Feel free to ask any further questions I've stuck this together quickly.

FIRST NAME/NICKNAME: Josh
AGE: 25
PLACE: Horsham, West Sussex/ Phong Nha, Vietnam
PROFESSION: Caving safety advisor

1. When did you start caving?

I first started caving through the scouts as a youngster, and the first time I went I absolutely hated it. After a 4 year break after my first caving trip, I tried again, and a fella called Paul Dold spotted me and took me under his wing, spotting my willingness to lay in damp streamyway getting the flash angle right for 'just one more shot'.

2. Describe your first ever caving trip.

First trip, that I disliked, was Goatchurch - I was small, weak, frankly afraid of everything. I put up with it. The next day we went to Swildons and not liking the look of the entrance, plus in a fair amount of pain from the squeezebox the night before, I duly cried my eyes out until someone took me back to the van.

3. What’s your most memorable cave related adventure?

Getting stuck in bar pot - full trip report here: https://ukcaving.com/board/index.php?topic=19201.msg246897#msg246897

4. Were you interested in caves before you started caving?

absolutely not.

5. What’s your earliest cave related memory/encounter?

crying my eyes out to avoid going in swildons.

6. What do you think first drew you to caves?

the chance of adventure, the opportunity to do something bit different.

7. Why do you cave?

One of the main reasons is the work out, using muscles that you don't use for anything other than caving. I'm a scout cave leader and I cave in order to introduce young people to a sport that has enabled me to start working the other side of the globe doing my favourite hobby. Caving offers me a place to retreat from the troubles of the world, and it just becomes about tackling each obstacle in turn with good friends.

8. Do you ever go into caves on your own? If so - why? How differently do you respond to a cave when you’re in it alone?

Yes, because nobody likes me. I have time to cave when others have work, and therefore I will go for caving trips solo. I'll be slightly less ambitious/more cautious if i'm on my own, knowing that my generous call out times would mean a long wait on my own, whereas with someone else there is the possibility to limp out with assistance.

9. What is a cave?

What is a cave to me or what is the Geological definition of a cave? The latter is a hollow within or between beds of rock, usually limestone. If the former, caves are a retreat, caves are my little slice of paradise.

10. What’s the weirdest thing you’ve ever found underground?

Whilst caving in vietnam I found a long piece of white thread in the water but it was moving about like a sort of worm type thing. I picked it up to examine it closer and it was definitely moving about. On discussions with my colleagues turns out it was a sort of tape worm for bats.

11. If you are a digger, explain the appeal of it.

started digging this window, with a lovely bunch of chums, and the main draw is the camaraderie, the feeling of all being in the sh*t together. Second to this is the potential for glory and making a big connection somewhere. Digging again is a good workout, and an opportunity to move my fat ass.

12. If you are a diver, explain the appeal of it.

Starting to get into diving. I have done a reasonable amount of open water diving, and love the feeling of solitude. I love the idea of combining two of my favourite hobbies into one. Cave diving to me is the pinnacle of adventure, reaching somewhere that needs a combination of highly specialised skills narrows down the number of people that could ever get there, and that excites me. A key part of it will be the challenge.

[yrammy]

Emailed you :-)
Mary

[domee]

I first started caving through the scouts as a youngster, and the first time I went I absolutely hated it. After a 4 year break after my first caving trip, I tried again, and a fella called Paul Dold spotted me and took me under his wing, spotting my willingness to lay in damp streamyway getting the flash angle right for 'just one more shot'.

Thanks for this! Haha, it's interesting that you hated it at first so much and yet still decided to do it again to convince yourself to it. Our weird masochistic human nature 

[mrodoc]

Caving I have always enjoyed but hang gliding, well, that was definitely a case of conquering one's fears. On day one I flew into a thornbush on takeoff and spent lunch time removing a large thorn from my finger under local anaesthetic (self administered in the pub). Then another pupil was knocked out and broke her pelvis necessitating an ambulance call out. My instructors were quite surprised when I said I would have another go. This time I flew but flared out early and dropped brick like to the ground fortunately uninjured. I did eventually graduate to soaring sea cliffs and inland sites but I never lost the adrenaline surge. Caving, even cave diving, has rarely made my adrenaline flow like that (except when I have been in a tight squeeze).

[JoshW]

I first started caving through the scouts as a youngster, and the first time I went I absolutely hated it. After a 4 year break after my first caving trip, I tried again, and a fella called Paul Dold spotted me and took me under his wing, spotting my willingness to lay in damp streamyway getting the flash angle right for 'just one more shot'.

Thanks for this! Haha, it's interesting that you hated it at first so much and yet still decided to do it again to convince yourself to it. Our weird masochistic human nature 

I think there is a lot of things about caving that a normal person would struggle to see the enjoyment in and would think we're all a touch masochistic, it's why cavers aren't normal!

[Les W]

I think there is a lot of things about caving that a normal person would struggle to see the enjoyment in and would think we're all a touch masochistic, it's why cavers aren't normal!

Type 2 fun... 

[Tripod]

A cave diver I knew told me that he felt relaxed when he was diving, which raises the question of what were his normal levels of arousal if that was how he felt calm?

[PeteHall]

A cave diver I knew told me that he felt relaxed when he was diving, which raises the question of what were his normal levels of arousal if that was how he felt calm?

Diving is very relaxing compared to lugging diving kit through a cave out of the water!

[domee]

I think there is a lot of things about caving that a normal person would struggle to see the enjoyment in and would think we're all a touch masochistic, it's why cavers aren't normal!

Ha, you're right - it's the caver gene !

[Pitlamp]

A cave diver I knew told me that he felt relaxed when he was diving, which raises the question of what were his normal levels of arousal if that was how he felt calm?

I think the point there is that, if the operation is properly planned and prepared (and well matched with the diver's experience level), the wet bit should go like clockwork and not be at all stressful.

Cave diving is not an "adrenaline sport", of the kind briefly enjoyed by the stereotypical credit card adventurer, before moving on to the next "challenge". I mention this because it may be tempting for the OP to go along with such perceptions, mistakenly held by many non participants.

[Kenilworth]

1. When did you start caving?
In utero
2. Describe your first ever caving trip.
n/a
3. What’s your most memorable cave related adventure?
I don't believe in superlatives. I have lots of memories
4. Were you interested in caves before you started caving?
n/a
5. What’s your earliest cave related memory/encounter?
Watching my dad disappear into a tiny crack and be gone for a long time. I was scared.
6. What do you think first drew you to caves?
n/a
7. Why do you cave?
Briefly and partly, because it's a way to see and understand the least ruined places available to me.
8. Do you ever go into caves on your own? If so - why? How differently do you respond to a cave when you’re in it alone?
Often. Why not? Do you ever eat lunch on your own? I move more slowly with only my own time to worry about.
9. What is a cave?
It's a hole in the ground. There isn't a romantic philosophy for everything.
10. What’s the weirdest thing you’ve ever found underground?
 A restroom,  gift shop, and concession stand.
11. If you are a digger, explain the appeal of it.
I enjoy work. I value the gift of seeing and responsibility of taking care of untouched places.
12. If you are a diver, explain the appeal of it.
n/a

[beardedboy]

Email sent.