As outlined in the last post, for the last few weeks I’ve been working on a large (5′6″ x 8′6″) map of the continental United States, fitting figures into each state’s outline. It’s finished! Complete with pictures! Those you can find below. The states are off-white acrylic (which I think worked much better against a masonite background than white gesso would have), and the figures are oil. I didn’t use any models for this project, as many of the poses are awkward, uncomfortable, and just a little too sexy.

For more map-related artwork, or for fun, check out:

• Strange Maps — Updated pretty regularly, this site collects maps, real and fictional, and provides tons of research and background information for each post. This post in particular is related to my project, and I think I was probably unconsciously inspired by the artist, Frank Chimero, who did a series of prints in which the shapes of states become objects (I think Illinois and California are particularly fun).
• Radical Cartography — Run by cartographer and illustrator Bill Rankin, this site is slightly more geared toward the academics (he’s done some cool geographic and historical infographics for Wikipedia), but there’s also a lot of creative work. I’m especially a fan of The Errant Isle of Manhattan, which places Manhattan in various places around the U.S.

And here’s my finished map, hopefully the first of many (check out below for details):

• Pacific Northwest
• Upper Midwest
• Great Plains
• New England
• Mid-Atlantic
• The South
• Gulf Coast
• West Coast