Travel Lovers Will Enjoy These Sculptures Made From Recycled Maps

by N/A, 8 years ago | 3 min read

Photographer and sculptor Ji Zhou has turned a bevy of recycled maps into an artistic recreation that seems fitting for what maps are representative of; the landscapes in which they help travelers navigate. Zhou's works has been provided by the Klein Sun Gallery, and are a picturesque reimagining of what it's like to see mountains from afar. What's rendered is an installation he's aptly titled: 'Civilized Landscape.'

Arts artist Sculpting Recycle Non-Premium

Born in 1970 in Beijing, China, Zhou has a Masters in Visual Arts from the University Paris 1 Panteon-Sorbonne, Paris. It goes without saying, that his studies have been put to good use with works such as this.

His works are described as exploring "fragmented and whole images, comprised of images of objects and installations that are not what they always appear to be."

"He explores illusory landscapes created by mankind: using maps and books, he sculpts mountains and skyscrapers in carefully placed installations before photographing the compositions."

Here, an island, with the help of the perspective of the resulting photograph, appears to be seen from a distance at an angle a helicopter might find itself facing.

The gallery notes the concept behind this installation to be: "What is civilization—a constructed illusion created by man or an inevitable product of evolution? What is the truly ‘civilized landscape'?"

So, what do you think? What's your answer to the question behind Zhou's installation? What is civilization? Is it something that looks like this, seen below, or is it something more than that?

The installation is currently being held at the Klein Sun Gallery in New York City, and you can read more about it by visiting their website, and more specifically, Ji Zhou's artist page.