BROOKLYN MUD MAP
Hand drawn maps of the Brooklyn borough.
Presented as part of the 2006 Conflux festivl in Brooklyn, New York.
A mud map is a map a farmer draws on the ground for a passing traveler. It is rough and ready, not very detailed, and lacks nuance. The scale may be inaccurate, but the map has the details needed for the journey. onemansweb.org
A MUD map is a schematic for a Multi-User Dungeon, Domain or Dimension; a multi-player computer game that combines elements of role playing games, hack and slash style computer games and social chat rooms. wikipedia.org
Working with only a biro and a camera, and with no knowledge of the area, Hugh Davies representing Analogue Art Map spent the 2006 Conflux Festival seeking hand drawn maps from locals in the Brooklyn NY area. These maps gave directions to sources of food, water and rest as well as to possible points of interest. As each map begins where the last ended, the maps link together to form a linear journey or narrative told by multiple authors.


Ultimately, the maps are psychological map of the Brooklyn landscapes resources, traditions and stories from the point of view of how locals understand it, as well as how they believe visitors might best experience and interpret it. When you ask someone to send you anywhere, you place a lot of trust in them. People react to this in different ways. Some returned the trust by drawing me maps to their favorite places to enjoy for myself. Others saw it as a challenge to either come up with the ideal location or alternately to send me on wild adventure. Ultimately, the places I ended up and the journeys to get there were not as important to me as the directions I received. These cool little drawings, expressive and practical, each as unique as any work of art, but none considered as such in the making.
http://confluxfestival.org/projects.php?projectid=268
Special thanks Vandana and Mike, Conflux Festival and to all those who participated.