Stephen Walter — Maps To Get Lost In
Digital stories told using Cogapp’s Storiiies platform
June 25, 2020
London Subterranea, 2012. Copyright © Stephen Walter
Cogapp and Stephen Walter have worked together several times over the last decade. Our paths first crossed when Cogapp was commissioned by The British Library to create several interactive exhibits as part of the Magnificent Maps exhibition. Stephen’s awe-inspiring map of London, The Island, was being exhibited as part of the exhibition and we were lucky enough to meet.
We have kept in touch ever since and over the years we’ve collaborated on various projects and ideas. Our latest collaboration is a series of online stories that explore some of Stephen’s maps in close detail.
These were created using Storiiies, Cogapp’s free-to-use digital storytelling platform.
The Maps
You’ll find each of Stephen’s map stories below. Open each in a separate window or, if you’re in the mood, get a projector out to see each and every minute detail.
London Subterranea
London Subterranea, 2012
Created with Storiiies by Cogapp
storiiies.cogapp.com
“Beneath our feet in London city, lie many mysteries, secret burials, and hidden treasures. The landmass that it occupies is a document constantly being re-written and each time leaving another layer of evidence behind. A new piece of the layer-cake is built on top of the old, leaving a piecemeal and multi layered puzzle for us to unravel. In this respect, London is one of the great palimpsests of our time.”
“Many of the place names of Brexitland have been altered with letters painted-out to reveal new words that directly reference Brexit itself, and others that evoke negative connotations brought on by it. Many of the ‘South’ names have had the ‘S’ and the ‘H’ removed to reveal ‘out’.”
This work was included in the Bodleian Libraries’ Talking Maps exhibition.
“Certain things that More described remain, including the rough size of the Island, the traces of its 54 elegant towns spread evenly throughout and it has a prominent bay now named the Mouth of Feo, with its outcrops of rocks and a garrison tower. Many of its towns are now named after the nations exports that are mentioned in the book.”
This work is part of the Utopias exhibition at the Whitworth Gallery in Manchester.
“The work is also a characterization of Britain as an entity separated from Scotland and was inspired by Michael Drayton’s epic topographical poem of England and Wales — Poly-Olbion. Drayton was in the end unable to include Scotland in his work, as he had originally intended.”
Create your own stories
Take people on a journey round your images.
Pan and zoom across your image and annotate points of interest. Whether you are telling the story of an Old Master painting, exploring the cover artwork of your favourite album or explaining an x-ray, Storiiies enables clear, elegant and engaging online storytelling.
Anyone can produce engaging content with zero technical intervention. Simply go to the Storiiies Editor, upload your image, create your story and share it with the world.
If you’re interested in telling your own stories or opening up your images for others to do the same then please get in touch.
Links
- See more of Stephen Walter’s work on his website
- Listen to Stephen’s contribution to BBC Radio 4’s Mapping the Future (30th June 2020).
- Read more about Brexitland on the Bodleian Libraries website
- Find out more about the the Magnificent Maps exhibition at The British Library
- The case study of Cogapp’s work on the Magnificent Maps exhibition
- Find out more about Storiiies and Cogapp