octopus map
Fred Rose
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Hand Printed Lithograph made by Artichoke Print Workshop
for BBC 4’s The Beauty of Maps Series:
Part 4 Cartoon Maps - Politics and Satire
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1877 - A ground-breaking satirical map of Europe. Fred W. Rose is synonymous with this type of political cartoon map. Its style, however, is part of a long tradition of anthropomorphic maps (drawn to resemble generic national types) and zoomorphic maps (drawn to resemble real or mythical animals). This cartoon-map gives a satirical take on the events of 1877 - a volatile year in Europe. The Serio-Comic War Map, 1877 is part of The British Library collection. |
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WATCH Artichoke make the Fred Rose Serio-comic Octopus Map for BBC 4’s series The Beauty of Maps Cartoon Maps - Politics and Satire 4/4.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ivXbbMMyNM
REVIEWS
April 21, 2010
BBC4 Map Show Charts Steady Course
Documentary attracts nearly 450,000 viewers
The ratings success of BBC4 series The Beauty of Maps provides an antidote to those who complain that there's nothing on multi-channel except repeats, reality TV and US imports.
Last night, Tuesday 20 April, BBC4's second episode of The Beauty of Maps, looking at the history of London over three centuries from three different maps, attracted 445,000 viewers and a 1.9% share in the half hour from 8.30pm.
This delivered a 54% uplift to BBC4's average share in the slot over the past three months, the fifth best performance in multi-channel yesterday by this comparison. Monday's first episode drew 453,000 viewers (also a 1.9% share) in the same slot. The Beauty of Maps was the 11th most-watched multi-channel show yesterday.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2010/apr/21/beauty-of-maps-bbc4
April 26, 2010
Comics and cartoons, Conventions and events, Film, TV and radio
The BBC has been running a fascinating series, The Beauty of Maps, over the last week, ahead of the Magnificent Maps exhibition at the British Library in London (which runs from the 30th of April to 19th September). As well as being an interesting series on the history and emerging science and culture of cartography a couple of the episodes also have explicit links to the world of cartooning. In fact one episode is actually entitled Cartoon Maps – Politics and Satire.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00s64hx
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1699030/
April 24, 2010
The Beauty of Maps Series 4
BBC4's The Beauty of Maps ended on a high last Thursday night, with part 4 focusing upon political cartoon maps of the 19th century and since. Everyone will be familiar with political illustrations that incorporate maps, but it was good to be able to chart their beginnings through the octopus maps of Fred Rose, through to that horrifying yet utterly mesmerising Churchill-like octopus map of 1944.
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size: W 48.8 cm x H 35.6 cm
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Printmaking c.1830 - 1880
In Britain from c 1830-1880 established printmaking skills flowered as never before or since.
It was a remarkable period. As early as 1822 Pigot's London and Provincial Directory listed 16 lithographic printers. By 1884 Kelly's Post Office Directory listed 250 lithographers.
Copperplate engraving, letterpress, and lithographic printing flourished.
During this time copper-faced electro zinco blocks for printing were coming into use - London could claim 24 electrotypers, 12 photographic printers and 22 photolithographers. The Fred Rose map is a timely link - as artists images could be realised in print easily and with great speed. An image could be created in as little as three hours.
Only a few of these craftspeople would have been considered 'fine art' printers. The modern fine art artist printmaker is quite a new concept though James McNeil Whistler was an inspiring printmaker working on his fine art plates as early as 1850 many of which were not published until the 1870's. In 1905 one of the world's most well known names - Picasso began using fine art printmaking with a progressive enthusiam.
Until the 1830's reproduction prints of popular pictures by leading painters were mainly privately commissioned plates.
From the mid 1800's the combination of upper class example, new art institutes, the growth of cities, artists promoting themselves, the rise of publishers, government sponsorship and overseas commercial interests worked together to arouse the interest of the public in art.
Plate printers became extremely valued.
