Surveying the Terrain

Google Street View of Surveying the Terrain courtesy of PIX4BIZ

Curator’s Statement

Throughout history, artists have painted, drawn and illustrated maps. They have used globes, images and pieces of maps, surveying technologies and map metaphors to create art works. More recently, a number of artists are actively using mapping applications, satellite images and other technologies to create new and challenging works of art.

Surveying the Terrain explores how ten contemporary artists are using maps, mapping technologies, cartography, surveying, science and politics to create artworks. The exhibition focuses on the how the artists’ relationships to the Earth, the art they create, and our relationships to each other are condensed, extended, distorted and interpreted by beauty, politics, environmental degradation, poverty, surveillance, privacy and censorship. The determining factor in selecting the artists and artworks was aesthetic value. Art works chosen are intended to create a counter-environment making visible and beautiful what is normally invisible in our society.

-Dan Solomon