The Tangible Map Exhibit

Matt Dooley, University of Wisconsin–River Falls | mathew.dooley@uwrf.edu

Jake Coolidge, Colorado State University | jakecoolidge@gmail.com

Caroline Rose, University of Wisconsin–Madison | cmr.rose@gmail.com

A person kneeling on top of a large map covering the floor. The person is silhouetted in white.

The Tangible Map Exhibit highlighted the importance of tangible, physical works in modern cartography and celebrated visually stunning, artistic maps created by contemporary makers. The exhibit was a part of Map Gallery at the 2015 NACIS Annual Meeting in Minneapolis, Minnesota, which was open to the public for the first time ever. It featured over fifteen works created by more than a dozen cartographers across North America and beyond.

Tangible, physical maps continue to play an important role in contemporary cartography. They provide a platform for investigation, an outlet for creative expression, and help break down barriers to access. Tangible works also provide a means to inform digital design in ways that honor deeply rooted traditions in cartography. They complement, rather than counter, digital cartography, as many of these pieces were made leveraging digital tools by makers who are proficient using current technologies.

Tangible interactions between maker, place, and medium enhance our understanding of the environment and can facilitate a reverence for the places being represented. Through a process of slowing, stopping, observing, experiencing, and contemplating, a maker can engage in a thoughtful and intentional mapping practice that is sensitive to interconnectedness and strives for a non-objectified relationship with place. Working in a physical medium also provides an outlet for creative expression. By making in a new, unfamiliar medium, we can create judgment-free spaces that allow for experimentation, risk-taking, and the unexpected.

Likewise, physical media encourage tangible interactions between users and maps. This allows mapmakers to engage with a larger audience, and in some cases, help create open public platforms where multiple voices can be heard. Similarly, physical works might offer an invitation to play, explore, or to expose our current relationship with natural systems. By introducing ambiguity through omission, manipulation, or by re-imagining spatial relationships, we offer room for multiple interpretations and create environments where different explanations and perceived meanings are seen as legitimate.

Perhaps most importantly, digital products continue to be inaccessible to significant portions of the population. Tangible maps, such as tactile maps for the blind, provide access for people without digital toolsets and challenge a visual bias in cartographic design. Other formats, such as kiosk maps, put relevant information in direct public view, therefore functioning as a political agent.

While varied in content, approach, and media, these works attest to the dedication, tenacity, and thoughtfulness of NACIS members and others who create tangible work that speaks to the continued relevance of physical media in contemporary cartographic practice.

For full maker statements, as well as additional media, visit tangiblemapexhibit.blogspot.com.

THE WESTERN SHORE OF LAKE MICHIGAN AND ENVIRONS

Jake Coolidge. 2015. Ink and graphite on paper. 15″×60″.

A large, black-and-white map entitled The Western Shore of Lake Michigan. The map is far wider than it is tall, and shows a view of the Lake Michigan from an oblique perspective floating above Wisconsin. Indiana and Michigan can be seen along the edges of the map.

“I create maps by hand that invite viewers to consider the expressive capabilities of maps and the hand of the cartographer in shaping their visual outcomes. All maps, however produced, are human creations and should be engaged with and interrogated accordingly.”

A conference attendee looking at a black-and-white map entitled The Western Shore of Lake Michigan. The map, several feet wide, is sitting on a stand that is atop a table. Photo by Dylan Moriarty.

Photo by Dylan Moriarty

A detail image of The Western Shore of Lake Michigan, showing the map's title box and legend. Different types of terrain, such as forests and croplands, are represented by different styles of drawing. Photo by Charles P. Rader.

Photo by Charles P. Rader

BAD RIVER-WETLAND MEDICINE RIVER: INTERACTIVE FLOOR MAP

Jessie Conaway with the Bad River Band of Lake Superior Ojibwe. 2015. Printed vinyl. 20′×30′.

A close-in photograph of part of a map. Upon the map is written, in black marker, 'Raspberry Bay: a pristine natural area away from the buzz of technology & home to the annual Red Cliff Ojibwe Language Camp. Mishkobineshii taught me how to make moccasins at this camp when I was about 5; it has been a pleasure to return each year to see her and experience the true beauty of nature.' Photo by Charles P. Rader.

Photo by Charles P. Rader

“… the floor map is an open public platform. Map contributors hold water features and indigenous voices front and center. We represent water vibrantly. Storymapping honors Ojibwe traditions of the educational and cultural values of storytelling. Participatory mapping assuring that many voices are represented.”

Several people seated on top of or next to a large map on the floor. The map is the size of a small billboard and glossy. It depicts lands and waters in northern Wisconsin. Photo by Matt Dooley.

Photo by Matt Dooley

Two people kneeling on top of the large map. One is pointing to the map, appearing to bring it to the attention of the other person. Photo by Matt Dooley.

Photo by Matt Dooley

TRACES I

Jeannine Kitzhaber. 2015. Mixed media on canvas. 48″×72″×3″.

Photo by Charles P. Rader

“While commuting for my job, I began a tangible journal of my travels as a way to make sense of my busy workday and to chronicle the ever-changing landscape.”

Two people standing in front of the brown map. They appear engaged in conversation. The map is mostly square and several feet wide. Photo by Dylan Moriarty.

Photo by Dylan Moriarty

Photo by Charles P. Rader

TACTILE MAP SYMBOLS ACROSS THREE MEDIA

Megen Brittell, Amy Lobben, Megan Lawrence, and Manny Garcia. 2015. 3D printing, microcapsule paper, embossed paper. Multiple sizes.

A small, off-white block with raised relief. The relief is shaped to show various cartographic line patterns, triangles, and dashes. Photo by Charles P. Rader.

Photo by Charles P. Rader

“A visual bias in cartographic design has rendered many maps and the information they contain inaccessible to people with visual disabilities. Tactile maps provide one mechanism by which to address the need to make maps and geospatial data more accessible.”

A person standing in front of a table. On the table is a large piece of black board, on which are several sheets of white paper. The person is looking down at the table and examining small objects positioned just in front of the black board. Photo by Dylan Moriarty.

Photo by Dylan Moriarty

A close-in detail image of a raised-relief map. Black lines, enclosing areas with varying densities of small black dots, are shown. The black dots and lines are raised slightly above the surface of the map. Photo by Charles P. Rader.

Photo by Charles P. Rader

COMING TOGETHER I & II

Steven R. Holloway. 2015. A suite of two artist-editioned lithographs. Ea. 40″×30″, ed. of 7.

A map that appears hand drawn. Orange-red and green-yellow lines are drawn in the form of a dendritic network, such as a series of streams. Near the bottom, the background contains black lines that, on the outer edge of each side, grow so dense as to become a solid black fill. In the center-bottom, there is a gap in the black lines through which passes the network of orange-red and green-yellow lines. Photo by Charles P. Rader.

Photo by Charles P. Rader

Another handmade map that depicts what appears to be a stream network. The streams are each made of multiple overlapping black lines painted on top of a brownish background that varies in color organically. The bottom sixth of the piece is mostly black, with a space for the stream network to pass through in the center-bottom. Photo by Charles P. Rader.

Photo by Charles P. Rader

“I stop, and observe and experience the place, the other. Stopping is, it turns out, difficult and takes a great deal of patience and practice. How do you stop? There are many ways but they all involve effort and practice. And really good stopping means making many many efforts, repeated over and over until you have entered into and experienced the place itself. And felt and enjoyed and got wet and dirty and cold and sun cloud water exposed. Then make a response.”

Two people looking at the pair of maps. The maps are on display stands atop a table. One person points to a detail on one of the maps. Photo by Dylan Moriarty.

Photo by Dylan Moriarty

BATHYMETRIC BOOK

Caroline Rose. 2012–Present. 1st Edition: inkjet printing and blue paint on paper, Japanese stab binding. 2nd and 3rd prototypes: laser-cut paper in a Coptic binding, magnet closure. 8.5″×5.5″×0.5″.

A small book, opened. On the left-hand page, there is a block of text and a map of the depth contours of a lake. On the right, the block of pages have each had holes cut in them to form a three dimensional sculpture of the lake. The sculpture of the lake is painted blue. Photo by Charles P. Rader.

Photo by Charles P. Rader

“I hope that the reader will be prompted to ‘look below the surface,’ thinking about the processes that form a physical landscape, contemplating how unseen dimensions of the lake are revealed by scientific study, and feeling inspired to visit fascinating places like Crater Lake.”

A close-in view of another sculpture of Crater Lake, formed from stacked sheets of paper which have each had holes cut in them. The edges of each cut area appear brown and singed. The pages are not painted, but remain the natural color of the paper. Photo by Charles P. Rader

Photo by Charles P. Rader

Photo by Dylan Moriarty

BALANCEPLANET

Hans van der Maarel and Mac Reijers. 2015. Printed spandex, rubber, air. 30″×30″.

A large political globe, with blue water and countries in various colors. Each country is labeled, as are many cities. The globe is sitting on a small stand atop a table. Photo by Charles P. Rader.

Photo by Charles P. Rader

“You can’t help but play with the BalancePlanet! It’s meant to be used, to be touched, to be spun around. Thanks to its bright colors both young and old are attracted to it and can use it to learn about geography.”

A smiling person sitting on top of the large globe, which is on the floor. It compresses slightly under this person's weight. It is as wide as a chair. Photo by Dylan Moriarty.

Photo by Dylan Moriarty

Photo by Charles P. Rader

TERRESTRIAL

Matt Dooley. 2014. Ceramic. 50″×60″.

A series of 35 similar-looking tiles sitting in an arrangement 5 tiles wide and 7 tiles tall. They are sitting on a white cloth placed on a carpet. Each tile is textured. The texture appears to form a stream network. The tiles are a mottled brown color. Photo by Charles P. Rader.

Photo by Charles P. Rader

“Working at a slower iterative pace has challenged my mapping practice in several ways. It provides time for contemplation about the act of mapping itself, as well as the places being represented.”

Photo by Charles P. Rader

Photo by Matt Dooley

MOHAWK WATERSHED / UPPER HUDSON WATERSHED

Lauren Rosenthal. 2011. Hand-cut watercolor paper, wood, steel, paint. Top: Mohawk Watershed, 14.5″×21″. Bottom: Upper Hudson Watershed, 13″×15″.

A white sculpture showing the streams of a watershed. The sculpture is shaped like a watershed boundary. Most of the sculpture is flat, but its boundary is raised. There are many cuts in the sculpture, though which a grey wall can be seen. The cuts form the shape of a stream network. Photo by Charles P. Rader.

Photo by Charles P. Rader

“By giving priority to rivers, not as resources to be exploited, but as an integral part of social/biological systems, I hope to provoke dialog and stimulate change around how we understand ourselves in relationship to the hydrological world.”

Photo by Charles P. Rader

PUBLIC GREEN/AREAS VERDES PÚBLICAS

Lize Mogel. 2001. Silkscreen on Opallene. 48″×70″.

Photo by Charles P. Rader

“For me, ‘tangibility’ and ‘interaction’ is about access—not just to information or ways of thinking about a place, but to the means to change the nature of place. In 2001, specialized cartographic knowledge about the city was inaccessible to most people.”

A person, seen from behind, looking at a tall poster standing vertically on a floor. The poster shows a map of green spaces and red roads. Photo by Matt Dooley.

Photo by Matt Dooley

PORTLAND BRIDGES AND PORTLAND BRIDGES II

Nick Martinelli with Christopher Adams. 2014–2015. Screen print and letterpress on paper. Ea. 18″×12″.

Photo by Dylan Moriarty

“The Portland Bridge Map is based on the simple idea that most street maps do not convey the personality of bridges…. In the end, we achieved our goal of producing fine quality hand printed maps and rejuvenating a century-old letterpress machine.”

A look at one of the maps on the table. A wide blue line shows a river. Along its length, there are small gaps in the river. Each gap is labeled with a name and drawing of a bridge, in black. The map is titled 'Bridges: Portlands Willamette River.' Photo by Charles P. Rader.

Photo by Charles P. Rader

A more detailed image of the map. A blue ink line has several small linear interruptions running across it. Each is labeled with in black with the name of a bridge, along with icons of vehicles, people, and cyclists. Photo by Charles P. Rader.

Photo by Charles P. Rader

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

We would like to extend our appreciation to Susan Peschel, Amy Griffin, Martha Bostwick and the NACIS Board of Directors, who helped make this exhibit possible. Thanks to Dylan Moriarty and Charlie Rader for their amazing camera work. A special thanks goes out to Kryssy Pease and Tom Crann from Minnesota Public Radio, who covered the exhibit in a thoughtful radio piece that stirred interest in the local Minneapolis community and beyond.

A sign labeled 'Please Touch! With clean hands' The paper is white, as is the text, which is on a grey background. Below the text is a large icon of a hand, in black. Photo by Charles P. Rader

“Please touch!” Photo by Charles P. Rader

Visual Fields focuses on the appreciation of cartographic aesthetics and design, featuring examples of inspirational, beautiful, and intriguing work. Suggestions of works that will help enhance the appreciation and understanding of the cartographic arts are welcomed, and should be directed to the new incoming section editor, Matt Dooley: mathew.dooley@uwrf.edu.