Map Making - Art Or Science?
Mankind has been into the complex art of map making for thousands of years now. The Babylonians made maps into tablets around 2300 B.C. Some of the older paintings are classic examples of maps, even though archaeologists and anthropologists are not sure whether the artists of those eras really wanted to make a map or paint a picture. Still, one cannot refute that maps have been in existence for a very long time.
In the earlier times, map makers were mainly involved in drawing and painting basic maps by hand. It eventually took skilled mathematicians and artists to make accurate and precise maps. Across the globe, sailors and navigators heavily relied on consistent accuracy. So map making is an art and to understand how crucial the task of a cartographer is, you must first have a quick look at what exactly a map is and what is involved in making a useful map. A map is a visual representation of an area. It is a symbolic depiction that shows relationships between the various elements of space, such as objects, regions, besides themes. Too many maps are static two-dimensional, geometrically precise representations of three-dimensional space, even though others are dynamic or interactive, sometimes, even three-dimensional. Even if usually used to show geography, maps may show any space, real or imagined, without regard to context or scale. Brain mapping, DNA mapping, besides extra-terrestrial mapping, come in this category. Making a good map is an art. When making a map, a cartographer has to carefully take into consideration several points, for instance, the purpose of the map. Yes, this is important as until and unless one knows the main purpose of a map, he cannot hope to do justice to his job. A cartographer's job is to make a good and useful map. Defining the purpose will also prove quite helpful in deciding which data the cartographer needs to collect for map making. It will also eventually affect what the map appears like. For instance, a large-scale map for, say, purpose of hanging on a school wall will and should have more details than a small-scale map that will be part of a geography book. There are many other factors as well that a map maker must carefully and thoughtfully look into before initiating the process of making a map. Only a thoughtful mind that looks into all the factors can hope to make a map that really works for the readers and fulfills the goals of the map. Map making is certainly an art and a map maker must realize this fact if he hopes to excel in his field. |