MAPPING OUT THE PAST
I have been meaning to do this one for a while, but life always seems to get in the way, more on that one tomorrow.
But earlier this year a friend, neighbour and founding member of the Ninjas up sticks and went.
It wasn't a huge surprise.
We had all known about it for ages.
But it came if not exactly hot, then definatly warmly on the heels of another friend and her daughter leaving for ever and going so far away if they were any further away they would be on the way bak.
So we were all feeling a little raw round the edges about people leaving.
But this friend wasn't going quite so far away and she will be coming back from time to time.
In the course of her packing up the last 20 something odd years of her life I had so many calls of the "do you want X Y Z?" nature they kind of became part of the daily routine.
I don't think I said "No" once. But I may be wrong.
Amongst some of the treasure that came my way was a collection of maps.
Jane had spent much of her childhood in Germany and so there were some wonderful old maps from her family's camping trips all over central Europe.
I am sure they will all find their way in to my work at one point or another, my current obsession with maps shows no sign of abating.
This map though it really caught my eye.
A Panoramic Guide of the Rhine form Mayence to Cologne.
It was love at first sight.
Unfurled it easily stretches for 5'.
I am in heavy negotiation with the hippy over the building of a frame for it.
Well, I mentioned it once, he agreed, I remembered, he has forgotten.
But it is there now filed away in my brain patiently waiting.
Apparently the enigmatic black numbers next to some of the towns correspond with the kilometre stones along the river and make it possible at any moment to fix one's position.
That I do feel is a very Germanic approach to what is basically an artistic tourist curio.
I really am so so in love!
And when (if) it is ever framed I can look upon it and remember not glorious Technicolor evenings upon the Rhine, but our dearest Ninja 3 and all her fantastic disguises.
Love Nora xxx
I adore those kinds of maps and can spend forever looking at the details and wondering about the lives of the villagers etc. In Taipei they had a magnificent display of old Chinese maps done in pen and ink with amazing detail, at the National Museum of History.
ReplyDeleteGood gravy what a beautiful post! Let's make maps!
ReplyDeleteI could easily get lost in a map like this. So many details to browse and enjoy. Framing it is a great idea.
ReplyDeleteooh, I was just thinking about strip maps last night - we've got John Ogilvy strip maps similarly awaiting framing, but I was thinking about drawing memory strip maps - psychogeographically accurate rather than literal.
ReplyDeleteWhat a gorgeous map, how lucky are you. Really looking forward to seeing it framed.
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