These works were made by an activist with an opinion she needed to express. Historical maps, too, can become a definitive understanding of a contemporary landscape (and culture) regardless of whether they tell the entire truth. Together they make a strong statement about how maps created by a dominant force can be a powerful show of ownership. All the maps were originally created by colonisers of some kind and Latino stereotypes from Hispanic style tiles to Carmen Miranda quotes pattern the wide-bordered neatlines. It shows layers of maps of the Caribbean, Cuba, Mexico and the Andes from historical sources. ‘The Spanish Were Here’ ( 1995) is brightly coloured and collage-like. Please click on the link to see the map in the collection. The mid 20th century onwards was a time of change, of questioning the status quo and facing up to the restrictions of the Establishment both socially and politically – her work reflects that. Meet Joyce Kozloff, born in the US in 1942. They mapped, as a collective, from their own 13th century, cloistered experience. ![]() Centred on Jerusalem and with the East at the top, the map straddles pagan and biblical history and philosophy alongside an earthy world full of robust animals. The nuns were famed for their fine craftsmanship and the map is beautifully illustrated on 30 goat skins sewn together to create a single image measuring 3.6×3.6 metres. Meet the nuns of Ebstorf who it is said, created the largest known map of the world in 1234 in Germany. In this post, I write about a few of my favourites… I’ve found it a deeply interesting adventure, like opening doors into different rooms and meeting a series of fascinating people. Sometimes it’s unconscious, sometimes it’s from a politically engaged position with a message to shout. She states that women, historically a less socially powerful group, have always documented their landscape from a particular viewpoint, peculiarly different from that of the more powerful male group in societies across time. The curator, Kiara M Firpi Carrion, has compiled the collection from a feminist standpoint. It was a pleasure then, to discover and be included on the Other Cartographies website – an online document of female map creators across the world and through history. ![]() Female mapmakers have appeared throughout history but if you were to do a little research for famous cartographers on Wikipedia, very few names of prominent mapmaking women have been remembered. Of course, the history of mapmaking has always been a fascination but the hidden army of female mapmakers, both from contemporary and past times is a fresh subject for me. In this slow, strange time, I’ve had the head space to sit and read, learn and explore subjects that interest me online.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Details
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |