For as long as I can remember, I have loved to study maps. The lines, the shapes and the colors were all visually interesting. My mind imagined thousands of pictures based on the elements of the maps. Soon I was creating my own maps. These map drawings were primarily of fictional places: cities, states, countries, etc. I drew countless maps during high school classes. At home, I would finish the drawings and start new ones instead of studying or doing homework. Looking at maps and drawing maps have always given me comfort. This was something I realized even when I was young. Maps have always been a catalyst for my imagination.

From a conceptual point of view, the symbolic meaning of maps hold great power. The following paragraph addresses that aspect of my map drawings.

Exhibited in great detail, these maps surely must represent some place. Perhaps a major American metropolis. However, they are literally no place at all. Regardless if drawn by hand or with the computer, there maps are generated directly from my imagination. The places these maps depict do not exist in our world, they exist solely in my mind. These fictional urban environments are first mentally constructed. and then meticulously designed and illustrated. The perception of reality is symbolized on many levels. Realistic representation of streets, freeways, parks and boundaries exaggerate their illusion of specificity. However, all functional data is absent, therefore the facade quickly dissipates. It’s only then, after a perplexing moment, there is a realization that this place actually is nothing. Nothing, located nowhere.