#3. Artistic Mapping
Conduct research on a topic of personal interest and present it in the form of a map. Mapping is a convenient way to represent space, information, and/or concepts into a condensed document. While it is generally considered the domain of cartographers and scientific researchers, there are many artists who consider their artmaking process to be closely related to the process of mapping. As an artist, your choices of "what to map" are unrestricted. You may choose to map an idea, yourself, a political or historical issue, a material, a space, or even a fictional topic of your own devices. Consider such possibilities as mapping every scar on your body (as was done by one student-artist) and then consider interesting ways to organize your map so that it will function as an artistic conveyance of information to others. Remember, the purpose is to create art.
Check out the Creative Mapping Blog and the Information Aesthetics Blog for examples of "creative information visualization" and this Visual Complexity site for interesting maps of complex systems, such as the internet, social networks, language and transportation. Also explore The CommonCensus Map Project - redrawing the map of the United States based on internet voting, to show how the country is organized culturally, as opposed to traditional political boundaries.
Related Artist links:
- Jason Salavon - visualization artworks mapping popular culture. Using muliple yearbook images, playboy centerfolds images and movie frames to make singular images.
- Paula Levine's Baghdad/San Francisco - remapping bombs dropped on Baghdad onto a map of San Francisco to see it from a different perspective
- Komar and Melamid's Most Wanted Paintings Homepage - paintings become the maps or "final reports" of a research project.
- Kenneth Snelson's Portrait of an Atom - artistically and scientifically visualizing the invisible
- Brian Goggin's SubStrada project - physically, textually mapping a history of a place
- Benjamin Edwards - Starbucks, Seattle Compression and Conglomerate project
- Josh On & Futurefarmers Project "They Rule" - maps of corporate connections
- Nina Katchadourian's - artist maps
- Clemens Kogler's Le Grand Content, using graphing symbols to make moving image artwork
- Antipode - collaborative exchange project that geographically and culturally mapped Baltimore, MD and the German town of Schwabish Hall.
- Ingo Günther's WorldProcessor - mapping world data onto physical globes
- Andrew Kuo - banal data from rock concerts turned into serious-looking graphics
Related student work:
• IMPORTANT INFORMATION about turning in each art assignment in this class •
Before the start of class on the date of each critique, you must upload 3 separate, high-quality jpeg images that are each at least 2000 pixels in either the width or height. Label each of your final image files with the project number, followed by your last name, then version # (for example: 1Smith_v1, 1Smith_v2 and 1Smith_v3). These images are to be uploaded to the appropriate assignment dropbox folder in Carmen. In case of file error problems you are also required to bring a backup of your files to class on a CD or USB drive.If you used any source image files that are not your own, you must also upload a text file that explains where each came from and includes image permissions for images that are not explicitly copyright free. This is to ensure that you are not violating copyright law by misusing images that do not belong to you.
ASSIGNMENTS WILL BE EVALUATED BASED ON THE FOLLOWING CRITERIA:
• CONCEPT - idea, intention and meaning.
Does the artwork clearly communicate something to other viewers? 25%
• CREATIVITY - originality of thought and expression.
Does the artwork show innovation and uniqueness? Did the artist solve the given assignment problem in an expected or unexpected way? 25%• COMPOSITION - arrangement and organization of elements.Has the artist carefully considered elements such as balance, proportion, texture, color, shape, and positive/negative space? 25%
• CRAFTSMANSHIP - attention to detail.
Does the artist skillfully manipulate the images? Are all details carefully finished and/or intentional-looking? 25%