My MTA Mental Map
I was inspired to make my own mental map of the city's subway system – that is, a visual representation of the places that are important to me and how I conceptualize space and distance – when I saw this map made for a child to navigate the subway. The mental map's first incarnation was as last year's Halloween costume, but since the pipe cleaners and stitching did not survive very long, I decided to turn it into a paper map. I made this not long after moving to New York, so these days there are a few more stations that I frequent, but it's still a pretty good picture of how I move around the city. The photo of me is not entirely flattering, but it adds more dimension than is usually found in a simple, stylized transit map.
In October 2010, this map was included in a New York Times feature about reader-submitted re-imaginings of the subway map. The map appeared in the print edition, fittingly, on October 31, and you can still see it online here. Congratulations to all the other artists who had their submissions accepted.
In October 2010, this map was included in a New York Times feature about reader-submitted re-imaginings of the subway map. The map appeared in the print edition, fittingly, on October 31, and you can still see it online here. Congratulations to all the other artists who had their submissions accepted.
