Artist Ed Fairburn has come to be recognized for his unique portraits, not only for his choice of subjects but also for his source material. Using paper maps, he paints or draws his portraits upon the maps themselves, making gradual changes to the contours, roads, and other patterns found in cartography. He calls this altogether unique process “topopointillism”, a combination of topography and pointillism.
“I love the ephemeral nature of maps, the range of paper types, weights, textures—even the smell,” gushed Fairburn in an interview with My Modern Met. Fairburn adds that with maps, no two surfaces are ever the same.
“Sometimes that’s too bad because occasionally I’ll find a paper type I really like, only to never find it in any other map ever again,” he notes. But it also makes for a more exciting process.
According to Fairburn, instead of working against the map, he lets the material guide him, aiming to preserve the functionality of each map. “I love the way in which maps age and show their use over time,” he says.
“In that respect, old maps are a very forgiving medium, unlike a crisp white canvas. It’s somehow welcoming, like a pair of shoes that have been worn in. You can’t really go wrong with the marks you make—at least not at the very start of a drawing, which is often the most daunting part for any artist.”
But understanding his source material takes time and patience, and Fairburn explains that part of his process includes studying the maps for hours on end, understanding the terrain before he begins manipulating it to his liking.
“I’ll always start by studying the map against the figure, mentally sketching any possible outcomes,” he further explained. “Ultimately, my process is about harmonizing two structures in one physical space.”
Take a look at some of the finished results in the gallery below and follow his social media pages for more.
