I first discovered Stephen Walter’s complex series of
drawings ‘The Island’ through its repeated use on the covers of Ben
Aaronvitch’s ‘Rivers of London’ novels, and was immediately fascinated by how
much detail was put into portraying every little part of the City in such a
striking way. I wanted to know more about this piece, and discovered upon
research that Walter’s drawings were not commissioned specifically for the book
covers but in fact had been created a few years before, between the years of
2006 and 2008.
‘The Island’ is made up of 34 Archival Inkjet Prints
consisting of the main picture of London as a whole, and its 33 separate
boroughs. It was created using graphite on paper, and the full drawing is as
long as 101x153cm. Stephen Walter – who lives and works in London – designed
this map as a parody of historical ones from the past, aiming to look at the
City’s secrets, undercurrents and vastness whilst also challenging the
spectator’s initial views. According to his official website, ‘The Island’ “purposely
innocent and acidic, trivial and serious… as much about the personality of its
viewer than it is about of my own… it acts as a mirror.”
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