Imaginary Cities — Paris (11097701034)

v1.0 by: Michael Takeo Magruder, 2019

A series of digital gold-gilded monoprints made from a single 19th-century map of Paris.

Installation Documentation:

About the Artwork:

Imaginary Cities — Paris (11097701034) is a sequence of physical monoprints that has been created through combining leading-edge digital technologies and processes with precious fine art materials and historic craft techniques. The project's underlying custom server application has algorithmically generated the image data for each print from a single 19th-century map of Paris found in the British Library's One Million Images from Scanned Books collection on Flickr Commons. Each piece represents a unique moment from the work's continuously running computational framework. The final objects are fabricated using direct-to-media digital printing onto 24ct gold-gilded cotton boards that have been traditionally produced and hand finished by the artist.

Source Map:

'Paris' by Malby & Sons
in D Appleton, Appleton's European Guide Book illustrated. London, 1872. 10107.bb.20
www.flickr.com/photos/britishlibrary/11097701034

Physical & Digital Documentation:

In Collaboration with:

David Steele [ server architecture & programming ]

With Thanks to:

Mahendra Mahey [ BL Labs: project research & development ] . Martin McGrath [ exhibition design ] . Geraldine Kenny [ BL: exhibition production ] . Type Creative Ltd [ digital printing services ]

Supported by:

Imaginary Cities — Paris (11097701034) was commissioned and produced by the British Library for its St Pancras, London site (5 April - 1 September 2019). The project was generously supported by British Library Labs (research and development) with funds from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation and the Eccles Centre for American Studies (exhibition and publication) at the British Library.

Artwork Requirements:

Physical installation comprised of: algorithmically generated monoprints on 24ct gold-gilded cotton board, box framed, 950×950mm (each).