Maps have captured imaginations for centuries. Far more than an aid for navigation, these diagrammatic representations of land and sea are a powerful tool for understanding the world and our place within it, allowing us to lend order to complex environments, express our curious nature and feel a sense of wonderment.
From our earliest illustrations of the world, filled with religious symbolism and fearsome beasts, to charts by European explorers piecing together observations and local lore, maps have long been a means of storytelling. But behind every story is a narrator, creative yet flawed; if you think you can trust a map, think again. Maps are political and cultural documents, distorted representations riddled with errors, propaganda and mischief. Some depict Greenland as larger than Africa, others include made-up streets or playful…
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The Simple Things (Digital) - 1 Issue, July 2024