Stephen Walter, 'The Island'.
One my favourite exhibitions of the last year was Magnificent Maps at the Birtish Library. The exhibition was a reflection of how people have recorded land and space differently over time. Showing how the purpose of maps reached much further than just navigation. What interests me most about maps is the combination of art and science, especially within ancient maps, representing both the geography and social aspects of the period.
I wanted to include Stephen Walter's 'The Island' because its an example of a map that exceeds the purpose thats been associated with modern maps. The scale of this map is mind-blowing. To see the detail in the exhibition it had to be magnified a small section at a time. But the scale is only a part of why this piece is unique. The map shows the characteristics of each area in greater London, using the format to represent the social aspects. Which reminded me of older maps that were often very subjective. But now they are mostly seen as a functional object. Maps are great.
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