Hand Drawn Map of Emily Dickinson's Proper Possibilites

[BrendanLorber]

Hello! This map of Emily Dickinson’s work is the first I’ve ever posted here. It’s part of an ongoing series of hand-drawn maps that depict the known poetic and musical universe, a series that so far includes explorations of David Bowie, Gwendolyn Brooks, Gertrude Stein, John Ashbery, Prince, Frank O’Hara and Edgar Allan Poe. Each is hand drawn in pen and ink, and then letterpressed in a small edition on 9” x 11.5” archival paper. The maps invite you to get lost within their wild topographies, each named for a trailblazing writer or musician, and to discover yourself in new worlds perhaps better than this one. The geographic portrayal of the realms would be impossible without visual worldbuilding practices made available through Tolkein’s Lord of the Rings, Gygax’s Dungeons & Dragons, and Juster’s The Phantom Tollbooth. But they owe an equal debt to the earthbound cartographers of the Age of Exploration. Master mapmakers like Al Idrisi, Fra Mauro, and Gerardus Mercator.

I began the series last year and was delighted that the Museum of Modern Art acquired my Frank O'Hara map. In addition to MoMA, the maps have found homes at The Free Black Women’s Library, Opus 40 Gallery, Artists Space, The Free Library of Philadelphia, The Woodland Pattern Center, and private collections.

I’ve been so inspired by the maps I’ve seen here since joining a few months ago, and it’s an honor to be among such talented cartographers.

Brendan

[Mimine]

Such a nice an poetic map! Love the idea!

[eepjr24]

Lovely execution and idea.

- E

[BrendanLorber]

Thanks so much eepjr24 and mimine! I really appreciate it!