They're out of this world! Artist creates series of incredible portraits out of maps
- Ed Fairburn uses intricate details of maps to outline various human features
- He spends months crosshatching faces hidden within topographical features
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An artist has created a series of out-of-this-world portraits out of maps.
Ed Fairburn uses everything from the roads of Cambridge to the hills of Wales to outline various human features.
Mr Fairburn, 23, originally from Norwich but now living in Cardiff, outlines the curve of an eyelash with a single street while a motorway can spread across large-scale maps creating the outline of the cheek or lips.
Intricate: Ed Fairburn creates portraits out of maps. The patchwork details provided by each map are blended together to form delicate facial features
The beauty of geography: Mr Fairburn spends months painstakingly crosshatching the faces hidden within the topographical features
He sometimes spends months painstakingly crosshatching the faces hidden within the topographical features.
Mr Fairburn said: ‘I started on the map portraits in August last year following some previous work using wood to create the pattern of skin.
‘I enjoy working on different surfaces and playing with the context within my work while looking at different places and situations so a simple map was the result of that.
‘I have different rules for different maps. Simple things like road maps I use the roads as boundaries of tones. Most maps I won't draw over water as it's featureless but they add something else to it.
An eye for detail: Mr Fairburn works on one portrait. A single street can outline the curve of an eyelash and each motorway can create the outline of the cheek or lips
Patchwork: Mr Fairburn started on the map portraits in August last year following some previous work using wood to create the pattern of skin
Downcast: This woman looks like she's got the weight of the world on her shoulders
‘When I need a map I go shopping in charity shops and old book shops and pick up all sorts from there. I unfold them in shop to see the whole thing but always have problems getting them back together.
‘The shape of each map is the most important thing. A strong landscape format is no good they need to be in portrait orientation which there aren't many of.
‘In front of me I can visualise framework and if I can work with it I buy it. I have so many and only end up using about 10 per cent of them so my studio is full.’
Mr Fairburn will usually spend a few weeks carefully constructing his portraits but sometimes works through the night to complete each piece within a few days.
Flexible: Sometimes Mr Fairburn sees a posture in the map but he says he can plot any figure on any map
Rules: Mr Fairburn says he uses roads as boundaries of tones. And mostly, he won't draw over water as it's featureless
Worlds apart: This piece features the same woman drawn on two maps with a different expression
He added: ‘Sometimes I see a particular figure or posture in the map and work around that but it's flexible - I can pretty much plot any figure on any map.
‘If I look at a map for long enough I will find a place to place the portrait. One of the things which appeals to me is how patterned they are - there is a huge network and is always a formula there.
‘I was working on a piece from a French map and it brought back memories of a charity hitchhike across Europe a few years ago many of which I had forgotten about.
Memories: Mr Fairburn worked on a piece from a French map which reminded him of a charity hitchhike across Europe he did a few years ago
‘You also get to discover a lot of weird place names - Germany certainly has a few.
‘All the originals I am retaining ahead of an exhibition so at the moment I'm selling the prints which are really popular.
‘I have loads of other ideas of what I want to do moving forwards but I'm pretty sure I will stick to the maps as well as I find it so enjoyable.’
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