Though maps began as utility-minded reference tools, they’ve always had artistic elements. From elaborate compass roses and sea monsters that lurk near remote coastlines to carefully selected color palettes, the aesthetics of maps sometimes even trump accuracy. We’ve been following Future Mapping Company since the East London outfit’s early days and are continually impressed by their ability to pack information beautifully into an expertly executed …
“Perhaps all I pursue is astonishment and so I try to awaken only astonishment in my viewers. Sometimes ‘beauty’ is a nasty business.” — M. C. Escher Too often relegated to dorm room walls and Tumblr archives, the work of M. C. Escher deserves a level of attention rarely afforded to visual artists. The publication of “The Magic of M. C. Escher” by Thames & …
The 19th-century biologist Ernst Haeckel is credited with categorizing thousands of species, creating a genealogical tree that unites all life and coining the world “ecology.” But his prominence in the scientific community is matched by his cultural legacy: Haeckel’s lithographs of rare creatures have become emblematic of the Victorian era. More than a hundred years later, Haeckel is enjoying a second heydey as the inspiration …
