The Essential Geography was featured in the 2024 Atlas of Design, published by the North American Cartographic Information Society, NACIS. The text below accompanied my cartography.
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The Essential Geography of The United States of America, Edition 2, Version 4.4
Dave Imus, Imus Geographics
Geography is a primary means to appreciate our planet and its people, yet it remains on the margins of human collective consciousness.
This work offers a possible solution to this problem by introducing an art-centered form of cartography that disambiguates basic geography. It does this by making the patterns of land, water and humanity, including nomenclature, immediately distinguishable and therefore simultaneously observable. This allows the viewer to see geographic relationships hidden by the visual discord of traditional wall maps.
Three years in development, a new terrain image reflects early-evening light, emphasizes form, and completes The Essential Geography of the USA, first published in 2010 as Edition 1.
The new terrain image draws inspiration from Canadian wildlife painter, Robert Bateman, whose work directs the eye to form and space, in part by prioritizing broad strokes over small details. The resulting absence of small details in the terrain quiets visual chatter, which makes the overprinting lines and type far more accessible to the eye.
While scientifically faithful, this work arises from the art of illustration, rather than from the science of map making. As such, it orchestrates graphic elements by employing a broad range of graphic principles, including minimalism, contrast, balance, visual layers, range of light, color theory, spacing, grouping, movement, continuity, unity, transparency, form, aerial perspective, realism and reflectivity. Critical to syntax, each line is rendered, and each type label is placed, entirely by eye.
Rigorous design and production in this illustration make geographic patterns and relationships observable, and basic geography intelligible.
Looking ahead, if cartography like this were incorporated into broader mapping systems, geography would move closer to the center of human collective consciousness, and humanity’s appreciation of our planet and its people would grow.