Where You Are by Geoff Dyer

by Will Gompertz, Geoff Dyer

Every day we map. We map how we get from a to b. We map when we’re somewhere new, and somewhere we’ve been many times before. We map ourselves, our days, our thoughts, memories, what we want to mark, save and share. Today it seems, that most of the time, despite all this mapping, we actually don't have a clear sense of where we are.

Where You Are, a collection of new work, explores the shift from our classic understanding of map as geography to a more personal, human map. This collection of new writings, photographs, drawings, thinking looks to explode the map as we know it. A book of maps that puts people, not destinations at the centre, hoping to leave readers feeling completely lost.

A collection of work, edited by Visual Editions, made with help by our friends at Google Creative Lab, published as a book and on the screen.

Genres: Nonfiction, Art, Design, Maps, Art Design, Cartography, Self Help

Unknown Binding

First published January 1, 2013

Reviews

[Drew · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fantastic collection, although worth taking in over several days. Tackle one or two maps at a time then take a break. Read them out of order. Think about them. If one doesn’t strike you, move on – you’ll find yourself wherever you are no matter how you tackle this box. Some say that last year was a big year for the “book-as-object” – but those ladies at Visual Editions have known from the start that the object is nothing unless there’s something worthwhile inside. Where You Are just proves that they’re still on top of the game.
(It’s also worth adding that, in this increasingly digital world, they’re not afraid to get their hands dirty. The Composition No. 1 app was pretty cool but www.where-you-are.com is even cooler. Go give it a trial run, see what you think. Then print out a map to the nearest bookstore that stocks Where You Are.)

More at RB: http://ragingbiblioholism.com/2014/01...

[Bobby · Rating 3 out of 5]

5 stars for the concept: a box with sixteen booklets/maps, all dealing with the central concept of map and how it can be revisualized in our modern age of GPS. The artists/authors are all quite talented and come up with some very creative approaches. Unfortunately, I found them hit-or-miss. Some of their existentialist meanderings totally drew me, especially those involving personal narratives which had some universality in them, e.g., nostalgia about one's childhood as an adult. But others just felt like narcissistic exercises and didn't draw me in; I kept on wondering why as I reader I should find them interesting or care to read them. I do hope more projects like this are done in the future and the focus is a bit less on art for art's sake and more on making it more pertinent to the average reader.

[Alexander Zambrano · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pensando el mapa como una nueva forma de expresión literaria. Un libro cuidadoso en detalles y contenido. Apuesta ganadora.

[B Guttt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Visual Editions VE5

[Ali · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very cool concept.