VCT - Maps

The aim of the lecture is to observe the lecturers research method. Ian advised us to look at the
- Books glossaries for more references.
- Contents to gather an idea about what the book is about.
- Summaries written about books online.

Map Aims:
Explore ideas about the way the world we live in is represented in maps & how these ideas are represented visually, spatially, theoretically.
It will examine the representation of the world in the past & consider some of its potential futures.



Questions:
- What are maps?
- Maps use different language how might you categorize them? (i.e accurate / less accurate / political / particular focus / grids/ colours)
- Where and when would maps be used?
- What is info graphics?
- If you use icons in a map does it make it universal?

Lesson Notes:

Decision to do Grids - Making a map that has a specific focus - Deciding detail rather than objective view.


Focus - Lots of mapmaking started in the netherlands - Dutch wanted focus

Orientation - Hob Dyer: (Mckinoner - Look up. (See huge amount of sea other places look small, Australia is more centered)
Orientation takes a big part in how you read them



Accurate: Goode Homolosine: Digital 3D Map: Tried to be accurate of the relative land sizes.
Buckminster Fuller - Epcop center Disney World - Map made of Equilateral Triangles.



Normand Foster - “Lets not use grids instead...” Dymaxi on Projections. This map really flattens out the countries. North pole in in the middle. Its legible
Shifted way of looking at countries.
Most of it is above equator
Idea of air travel (Don’t file across, go over the north pole instead).


A NEW WAY OF LOOKING AT WORLD

Pertinger Table
Rome is the beginning & everything is mapped from there. Places radiate from.
Map was l:23m w:2.5 carved in stone.
Non proportional , No Scale - The scale is not a visual language
The idea is how far a place might be, given to you in numerals.




Jospeh Perkins: Claimed you only need 4 colours on a map to make it distinguishable?
How might info graphics relate?



United Nations 2002 - Example of how more information is needed to identify regions. the you are able to ask questions such as, why is the region poor? (Consider the maps context)
Distilling small bits of info from large amount - Info Graphics



“MAPS REVEAL BELIEFS” IAN HORTEN

Thank you to Ian Horten for the great sources and images to look at.