Ed Fairburn Transforms Paper Maps Into Portraits

Ed Fairburn describes his art as a direct combination of cartography and portraiture. Using traditional materials such as ink and pencil, he intervenes with a range of original maps, making gradual changes to contours, roads and other patterns. These changes allow him to tease out the human form, resulting in a comfortable coexistence of figure and landscape.

The results are striking portraits that blend into the paper maps upon which they were illustrated. According to Fairburn, his aim with these works is to preserve the functionality of each map by feeding the composition instead of fighting it. To accomplish this, he often spends hours studying each map before beginning any physical processes.

“I like a map that’s easy to fold away, but I don’t let that influence my choice,” he added in an interview with yatzer in which he described his preferred materials. “I’ll either source my maps from charity shops or old book shops – we have lots of both here in the UK,” he explained. “If I’m working on a specific commission I’ll usually source a map on the internet to make the most suitable choice, in terms of the location. When considering a map to work on, I look at the patterns, orientation, and other characteristics – I usually find that the more ‘cluttered’ maps offer the most scope.”

Using the found paper maps as his canvas, Fairburn is interested in the subtlety of each synchronization, and the way in which each completed map behaves more like a portrait when viewed from further away. Take a closer look: