Of Maps and Cartographies

Last week’s class was full of striking examples and comforting revelations of maps and cartographies. I am so happy that there is the possibility of situating another template, or façade onto the URT’s standardized map view (not that I thought it was really horrible to begin with). I think that a striking visual difference will help to separate our maps, while the ideas and processes will unify and connect them. The Stamen designs were absolutely stunning in their accessibility – each design presents a different transformation of the map in a legible and visually advanced way. Adding this to the techniques of Edward Tufte was important to me; Tufte’s maps are complex visual arguments, often weaving text and image into something like a graphically notated score. I feel that I engage with text as much as I engage with the image in his work and striking a balance between the two (in my map) will be absolutely vital.
While I like Stamen’s watercolor map for its liquefied lines and elastic edges, I want the docks/wharfs/piers/ports to be readily visible, legible, and accurate. For that reason, the Toner map would be my preferred option, however the docks are not as perfectly “edged” as I would like – they don’t seem entirely fit for labeling and are outlined in a slightly rounded comic-book style.

Stamen’s Toner map would display text more fittingly than the URT’s display setting and if I have a text-based explanation of data, the Toner map would be ideal. The black and white scheme of the Toner map would also act as a nice support for images (both color and b&w) – the high- contrast map, while striking a firm delineation between water and land, would not be the focal point (for the viewer), rather paths and images would be dominant and the navigational purpose obvious. The URT map is set and ready to go with all of its features programmed for plotting to commence; this is certainly a plus… I think that my final decision will rest on the degree of visual prominence of the map itself, thus making the Toner map a strong contender. I hope it is possible to overlay!

One comment

  1. It’s fantastic to see that you’re thinking about how to use your base map rhetorically.
    As an interesting tangent, you might like to compare/contrast Stamen’s Toner map and the similar-looking Nolli map from the mid-18th c.

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