Geoscience Reference
In-Depth Information
theless, early maps (especially medieval ones) clearly contain
symbolism
(for example, maps do not show what the town is like, but rather what it is
like to live in it). However, maps are inspired by art even nowadays -
shading serves as an example (ibid.).
This is how K. Kuchař (1974) finishes his paper: “The art in cartography is
the art of balance, keeping to the right limits (…), the art of balance of the
content and graphics, as well as the art of simple and clear expression, in
the case of some representation of some objects and phenomena, it is also
the art of transferring natural aspects into simplified groups of images.“
Since K. Kuchař delivered his lecture a number of experts have dealt with
the issue of cartography as a form of art vs. science (e.g. R. Rees,
J. S. Keates, J. B. Krygier, D. Endelman, E. Spiess, W. Cartwright, and
others). Especially J. B. Krygier (1995) offered an interesting polemic
when he contemplated an e-mail discussion on this topic. The discussion
led to the following conclusions:
1.
cartography is considered either (only) art or (only) science,
2.
cartography is considered a mixture of art and science,
3.
art and science are considered an insufficient basis to understand
cartography.
Krygier is inclined to the third possibility; he criticises the desire of theore-
ticians to use various dualisms to explain any topic. He provides evidence
that the functions of art and science are more similar than different, art and
science provide various means to reach the same goals. Hence, he adds, the
insistence on the assumed dualism art/science poses many problems when
trying to understand cartography. This can be substantiated by the fact that
sometimes it is very difficult to place products resulting from human activ-
ity on the artistic work - scientific work scale (see discussions of the
controversial work called Entropa which was presented by the Czech
Presidency of the EU in 2009). The author proposes an alternative: dis-
regard the dualism and deal with concrete possibilities and cases of the
closeness of art and science, i.e. re-evaluate the role of aesthetics, design
and visual expression in cartography (Krygier 1995).
W. Cartwright (the current ICA president) was in 2008 at the birth of the
ICA Art and Cartography working group and participated in the prepara-
tions for the expert symposium dedicated to the interconnection of art and
cartography in Vienna in February 2008, where artist and cartographers
met. This can serve as an example that the issue of the relationship
between art and cartography is still alive.
