The Old

I have stareted to look at ancient maps...finding a lot from this website, Ancient Maps, offering maps from various regions. Research has shown some of the oldest known maps to represent constellations and not geographic regions. However, I am more interested in the visual qualities of primitive representations in a time where people were just beginning to discover their surroundings and where there was not a great exchange of ideas, design methods and artmaking. Therefore, many of these early methods are completely unique to themselves and are very interesting to look at.

The above map is a 12-13th century copy of a Roman map dating back to the 4th century. It has unique divisions of information which make it appear somehwhat abstract.

 

 This map dates to the 1500, made by Sebastian Munster, one of the first cartographers to explore multiple continents. It is a woodcut, with interesting use of pattern, and imagry and scale.

While I enjoy looking at historical examples, for this project I want to explore mapping in a modern light, exploring the use of concepts, imagry, ideas....areas beyond just geography.