Meet the Artist
Ian Petersen
Digital Art
Map What Matters is the principle which guides Ian Petersen’s art: to include only what is essential to a place, creating maps that feel like poetry rather than long prose. Each map is based on technical elevation data to accentuate topography and delineate boundaries that encapsulate a place, merging ridges, waterways and contours with digital hand-drawing. The results possess an abstract quality, yet are accurate, detailed maps. Ian calls this blend of scientific tools and artistic perspective cARTography.
Ian’s lifelong love of maps and the outdoors began the first time toddling along on a family backpacking trip. His passion for the outdoors and science grew and led him to pursue ecology, fascinated by the connection and isolation of landscapes. With the same tools Ian was using for scientific research, he began creating his own more artistic maps. Initially, these maps were created as gifts to friends, but it quickly grew. Eventually, he left academia and has pursued cartography full time for the past 5 years.
Ian’s maps of real places are created digitally. He blends mapping tools and digital drawing to delineate borders, contours and shading. Ian’s work is not derived from existing maps. His art includes printed limited editions on canvas and paper.