Simon Ferdinand. University of Nebraska Press, 2019.
At a previous job, I oversaw both that university’s map library and the archives and special collections unit, which included a collection of artist books. Both of these experiences helped inform this review of Mapping Beyond Measure: Art, Cartography, and the Space of Global Modernity. Clearly, the maps are pertinent to Ferdinand’s work; however, the artist books are closer to what this book discusses. You can think of the materials that the book is about as being “artist maps” (what Ferdinand refers to as “map art”), although he also includes more common types of art, such as paintings, that include a map.
For those unfamiliar with artist books, they are when an artist takes a book and transforms it into art or makes art that takes the form of a book. A well-known example is A Humument; you can see a few of its pages here. Consequently, one can think of map art as when an artist takes a map and transforms it into art or makes art that takes the form of a map.
As Ferdinand states, “This book is devoted to artistic experiments with cartography” and that the premise of the book is “that map art is especially well placed to explore themes of global modernity.” Although much of the art he considers is two-dimensional, that is not solely the case. For example, the last chapter is about a film and elsewhere he considers collages and walking performances. Ferdinand, who is a lecturer in literary and cultural analysis at the University of Amsterdam, also discusses the changes that have taken place over time in the field of cartography, from the handmade maps of decades ago to the current use of GIS software.
One of the strengths of this book is its scope: the author covers artists from around the world and art works spanning many decades. The book also features a lengthy bibliography, numerous footnotes, and an ample index.
Considering that colorful maps/artwork is what this book is all about, it is most disappointing that the illustrations are relatively small and in grayscale. It would be very valuable for the readers to be able to judge for themselves what Ferdinand is writing about. Although one cannot expect the format of the book to allow for full-sized illustrations of the works being discussed, it would have been nice if the publisher would have used a format larger than 6” x 9”. Likewise, although having the images next to the text that is discussing them is optimal, having all of the images in one gathering would allow for color versions of the maps without significantly increasing the cost of the book.
Some will certainly like this theoretical book, although I prefer looking at the more traditional maps that I use to decorate the walls of two of the rooms of my home. As the old saying states, “to each his own.”
Mott Linn, CA
Los Alamos National Laboratory