Tuesday, April 14, 2015

Possible Paper Topics

The thought of a paper has thrown me off. 

Not that I can't think of something to write, I always can. 

I am troubled by the idea of trying to explore cartography in this way. I am, at times, still struggling to blaze my path into some of the more conceptual pieces we have looked at. Occasionally, this is too far out of my comfort zone. I find myself asking the question "is this REALLY art?". 

But then again, I find myself asking that question on the regular. I have a friend who works exclusively in piano. I can't say I truly understand this and while it's interesting to look at, does that really make it art? 


Truth be told, I don't know. 

Is art the process or the product? Is it the invisible statement or the written statement that often accompanies it. 

But mapping, it's a part of our life. Every day. Even when you don't think about it. Your calendar is a map to your day. Your contacts list is a map to your connections. Your grocery list is a map tied to your kitchen. 

Possible topics... 

Historical origins of map iconography - Maps were often beautifully illustrated with sometimes fantastical creatures. Where did those come from? When did elements of maps become "standard"? 

What happens to cartography when everyone becomes a cartographer. I ask myself this question about a lot of topics with the advances of technology. Photography used to be a specialized thing, but seriously, I can snap better quality photos on my phone than the camera I bought even 5 years ago AND edit the photos on my phone. What effect, if any, does this phenomena have on mapping? 

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