In “Escaping Flatland,” Edward Tufte describes the challenge faced by people who work in the field of visualizing complex information. These designers invent ingenious ways of portraying multi-dimensional data on the “flatlands of paper and video screens.”
My challenge in the first triptych of Playground of the Autocrats was the same, with a twist. I needed to find a way of depicting 3,500 miles of flat land within the dimensions of my 24″ x 48″ triptych.
Painting a single, particular view of the Russian steppes would not have been so problematic. Many artists have done it magnificently. But what I wanted to convey was that there are 3,500 miles of steppes, and that nowhere else on earth does such a vast open landscape exist. It was a lot of information to visualize in one relatively small artwork!
Maps, of course are one excellent way of conveying information about large areas of terrain. As you may have gathered from my last post, I love relief maps! I included a relief “globe” in my character design for Ivan the Terrible (one of Stalin’s fairy godfathers in Playground of the Autocrats). Ivan is on top of the world, dancing on his playground.
Detail of triptych THE MOST EXPOSED TERRAIN ON EARTH: Ivan the Terrible on top of the world
I superimposed the caption “The Nomad Express: 3,500 open miles” across Russia. And I added arrows that marked the Mongol invasions across the vast open land.
Playground of the Autocrat's globe (Detail of THE MOST EXPOSED TERRAIN ON EARTH)
In addition, I wanted to layer in a more evocative portrayal of the vastness of Russia’s territory. Along with the map’s analytic information, I wanted to give the viewer a feeling of what it was to live in that wide-open, vulnerable landscape.
My animation script of Playground of the Autocrats had included a sequence of the Russian land as a reclining Mother Russia. As the lascivious godfather Ivan the Terrible conceived it, she was a peasant woman exposed to “rape by barbarian tribes.” Someday, when an animated version of Playground is realized, I think this will be a terrific sequence, as the terrain morphs into a 3,500-mile-long woman in Ivan’s imagination. But when I tried to create the image in a still form, it became too complex. Maybe I’ll tackle that route in another triptych.
Meanwhile, I had thought of another way of visualizing the endless Russian steppes. I drew on another centuries-old technique: many icons’ main images are surrounded by a frame of smaller images that convey additional information. Icons and religious art in general were the way Bible stories were communicated to illiterate populations. Hence, they are a wonderful model for how we can visualize information today. (The famous art historian Meyer Schapiro wrote a revered book about illustration of religious texts, called Words, Script, and Pictures: Semiotics of Visual Language.)
Icons with borders of additional images
Russian folktale illustration, most notably perhaps the renowned Ivan Bilibin, followed in this tradition. Bilibin loaded up his borders with wonderful supplementary images that enhance the feeling of the central drawing, if not adding to the story. In the example on the right, the main illustration has a full-color border, while the surrounding text has a sepia-toned border with yet more fantastic, complex drawings.
Ivan Bilibin illustrations with borders of additional images
In my next post, I’ll describe how I utilized the borders of “The Most Exposed Terrain on Earth” in this tradition. You can read that post here.
mail order pharmacy top erectile dysfunction pills
levaquin 500mg price levofloxacin 250mg brand
I really enjoy the blog post.Thanks Again. Cool.
It’s in point of fact a nice and useful piece of information. I am glad that you shared this helpful information with us. Please stay us up to date like this. Thanks for sharing.
https://zithromaxpills.store/# zithromax for sale online
Heya i am for the first time here. I came across this board and I to find Itreally useful & it helped me out much. I’m hoping to provide one thing back and aid others like you aided me.
Instagram gerçek Türk takipçi almanızın en önemli sebebi, hesabınıza gelecek hem beğeni hem de yorumlar hareketlilik sağlayacak, sizi öne çıkaracaktır.
hydroxychloroquine treats aralen phosphate chloroquine phosphate when was hydroxychloroquine first used
Im obliged for the blog article.Really looking forward to read more. Cool.
Really informative article.Really looking forward to read more. Fantastic.
This is a topic which is near to my heart… Take care! Exactly where can I find the contact details for questions?
This is a very good tip particularly to those fresh to the blogosphere. Simple but very precise information Thanks for sharing this one. A must read article!
Im grateful for the blog post.Really looking forward to read more. Awesome.
My brother suggested I might like this blog. Hewas totally right. This post truly made my day. You can not imagine justhow much time I had spent for this info! Thanks!
Thanks for the post.Really thank you! Awesome.
You made some good points there. I did a search on the matter and found the majority of folks will go along with with your blog.
Good post. I will be going through some of these issuesas well..
Major thankies for the article post. Awesome.
I value the article.Really thank you! Cool.
Thank you a lot for sharing this with all folks you actually
Thanks so much for the article.Much thanks again. Cool.
crosstimbers apartments emerald creek apartments tempe apartments for rent
Thanks a lot for the blog post.Thanks Again. Really Great.
Really informative blog post.Much thanks again. Awesome.
You could definitely see your skills in the work you write. The world hopes for more passionate writers like you who are not afraid to say how they believe. Always go after your heart.
I enjoy what you guys are usually up too. Such clever work and coverage! Keep up the very good works guys I’ve incorporated you guys to our blogroll.
I value the blog article.Really thank you! Will read on…
Very neat article post.Much thanks again. Great.
Very good article post.Much thanks again. Really Cool.
how to write an opinion essaypersonal essay examplesessay header
Awesome blog.Really thank you! Fantastic.
hemp cbd what does cbd do cbd oil effects cbd pain cream
I really like and appreciate your article.Much thanks again. Awesome.
Very good article post.Much thanks again. Keep writing.
There’s certainly a lot to learn about this topic. I like all of the points you have made.
There’s definately a lot to learn about this subject. I like all the points you made.
https://metformin.pro/# metformin 500 mg tablets
zithromax coupon order zithromax without prescription
I’ll immediately grab your rss feed as I can’t find your e-mail subscription link or newsletter service. Do you’ve any? Please let me know in order that I could subscribe. Thanks.
Hey There. I found your blog using msn. This is a very smartly written article.I will make sure to bookmark it and return to read extra of your useful info.Thank you for the post. I will definitely return.
Good info. Lucky me I found your blog by chance (stumbleupon).I’ve book-marked it for later!
I do consider all the ideas you’ve offeredin your post. They are very convincing and will certainly work.Still, the posts are too quick for starters.May just you please lengthen them a little from subsequent time?Thank you for the post.
Major thankies for the article. Great.
Thanks so much for the blog post.Really thank you! Much obliged.
You should try it. You feel like you are in another world when there. It really is very zen-inspired.
An intriguing discussion is definitely worth comment. I do think that you ought to write more about this topic, it might not be a taboo subject but typically people do not discuss such issues. To the next! Cheers!
https://valtrex.pro/# valtrex 500 mg daily
WOW just what I was looking for. Came here by searching for an
It’s really a nice and useful piece of information. I am satisfied that you just shared this useful info with us. Please stay us informed like this. Thanks for sharing.
Hi, everything is going fine here and ofcourse every one is sharing facts,that’s actually good, keep up writing.