Mapscapes: Applying Anachronic Techniques in Contemporary Maps as a Design Strategy for New Ways of Seeing

ABSTRACT

This research upholds the designer's mediatory role in the representation of places and hand drawing as a privileged tool. Given the current technological capacity for an automatic representation of the territory and landscape, one can question if the hand that draws the map is now anachronistic. The hypothesis of hybridism between the landscape observational drawing and the cartographic code is proposed, supported by the historical analysis of maps from the sixteenth century. The resultant anachronistic techniques are systematized as a design strategy, available for use by other authors, elsewhere. The techniques were tested by drawing landscapes and producing maps of places. It is concluded that the transference of anachronistic techniques is relevant in contemporary maps intended for touristic, cultural and commercial contexts, when wayfinding skills are not essential. As an open source, other authors may use the same strategy, applying different anachronistic techniques, based on their own subjectivity.

KEYWORDS:

• Landscape drawing
• map design
• design strategies
• anachronistic techniques
• hand drawing

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes on the contributor

José Miguel Carvalho Cardoso is passionate about food and wine and also obsessed with drawing. He is a designer and researcher at ID +, institute of design, media and culture. His main areas of interest are research through art and design. He creates and designs maps regularly, which are tailor-made to the body of places, combining the drawing of vistas with the cartographic code. He often takes part in drawing exhibitions.

Notes

1 Leonardo da Vinci (1502) A map of Imola. https://www.rct.uk/collection/912284/anbspmap-of-imola

2 Planisfério Cantino, 1502, autor anónimo, Biblioteca Estense, Modena. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Cantino_planisphere_(1502).jpg

3 Jacopo de’ Barbari (1500) View of Venice. Minneapolis Institute of Art. https://collections.artsmia.org/art/111219/view-of-venice-jacopo-de-barbari

4 Livro de Francisco Rodrigues, (1511–1515), Fólio 58. Porto: Editora da Universidade do Porto.

5 Melchior Lorich (1559) Panorama de Constantinopla. Folha 11. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Prospect_of_Constantinople,_Sheet_11,_Melchior_Lorck,_1559.jpg

6 Braun e Hogenberg (1588) Civitates orbis Terrarum: Urbium praecipuarum totius mundi Liber tertius. Parte 3 Cidade Livro Braun & Hogenberg. Jewish National and University Library. https://www.datnarrenschip.nl/product/6296

7 To read more about this idea, see Gombrich (1975).

8 To learn more about these ideas, see Gibson (1968).

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia [grant number PD/BD/135278/2017].