Friday, September 21, 2012

Grandaddy


Here it is! The original Map panel in all its faded, rumpled, tattered glory. It was mounted maybe forty years ago on recycled cardboard and then polyurethaned. The Prestype "Wybourne" is still intact.

The original four blocks are there, almost at the center, almost square. That was my starting point for creating a city which was, for me, a conflation of what I imagined London to be and what I had experienced in Washington. There are representations of Westminster Abbey, the British Museum, as well as The U.S. Capitol and The White House. A couple of railway stations were thrown in, too, because part of the romance of London was, for me, the notion that it had several train stations with exotic names.

6 comments:

  1. Hey jerry,
    Are you still thinking of selling digital scans of the map online? I would love to be able to buy a few contiguous panels!

    Regards
    Antoine

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    1. Thanks, Antoine!

      There are prints currently available on eBay, and I will be adding more today. If you contact me through eBay I can tell you more about custom contiguous prints.

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  2. Hi Jerry,

    This is so weird! I never thought I would find another person with this interest/obsession. I make maps, too, but haven't made a lot, since I'm fairly young. I just recently finished a map. My maps are a bit different, since none of it is chosen by chance and I depict people on the map. But, it's not far off. I thought I was the only one in the world. Here's a picture of it, if you're interested: http://iholdtheline.wordpress.com/2012/10/09/the-ashur-depiction/

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    1. I went to wordpress and looked at your map and comments. I loved it, and I hope that you will continue! Please stay in touch.

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  3. This is, without a doubt, the greatest work of art I've stumbled on lately. I really envy you your creativity. This is very similar to what I used to do, though I used to create imaginary cities on single sheets, and didn't usually extend them beyond two or three sheets because I had an end visualized for them. These days, who knows what I'd do with it.

    The way you use game-like rules to expand and evolve the map is amazing to me. They remind me of the rules to collectible card games. Your custom deck is gorgeous and entrancing to look at. It seems to make the artist co-equal creators; thorough you, the map edits itself while you edit the map and evolve the rules.

    More than any other artist I've learned about, you are part of the work.

    I admire you and am in awe of your production.

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    1. Thanks so much for all that adulation, Samuel! I have to be careful not to let it go to my head!

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