Vicky Kafkaki – Graphic Design MA Falmouth University

The task is to communicate an emotion you perceive your city or location is about. Take the word and use an appropriate material, form or medium – 2D, digital, 3D or immersive.

This is the first map of the area where I live – created by Captain John Smith on 1608. (https://www.chesapeakebay.net/discover/history/captain-john-smith)

“Captain John Smith was an English explorer who played a pivotal role in settling America. His contact with native tribes and his Chesapeake Bay voyages, documented in maps and journals, helped early English colonists learn about the region that became their new home.

As a member of the governing council of Jamestown, Virginia, Smith led two voyages on the Chesapeake Bay. English officials instructed Smith and other colonists to map the area, claim land, find gold and other riches, trade with the natives and find passage to the Pacific Ocean.

During his journeys, Smith kept a journal of the incidents his crew experienced and detailed descriptions of what he saw. He charted the land and waterways, and later drew an elaborate and remarkably accurate map of the Chesapeake Bay. On June 2, 1608, Smith and a crew of 14 men set out on a voyage up the Bay in a small, wooden boat called a shallop. Smith traveled north along the Bay’s eastern shore to the Nanticoke River. He then crossed the Bay and explored its western shore as far north as the Patapsco River.

In 1609, Smith went back to England after he was severely burned in a fire. He never saw the Chesapeake Bay again.

Once he returned to England, Smith published his map and journals describing the Chesapeake Bay.”

I start thinking about the project – I live in Bel Air, Maryland – but I didn’t grow up here – I am just an emigrant -so, I am still learning a lot about the area around. Anyway, Bel Air is small quiet town, you can walk on Main street and enjoy a nice coffee or a drink on the afternoon. You can sit on the benches and just relax. There are a lot of business buildings around Main street but small ones.

Only 20-30 min north is where a lot of Amish people leave – I am sure most of you know what kind of lifestyle they have. you can read my short story about them – amish. When I go there, I feel like I am going back in time – they make a living mostly by their farms, working very hard. They don’t use technology, electricity, cars…

But if we go to the opposite directions from Bel air – there is completely different place – Washington DC – the capital of the world – huge buildings, museums, politicians – just life is crazy – the speed of everything is so fast.

It is amazing how in so close of a distance we have 3 completely different worlds

So, I start thinking how I can represent them visually?

I did experiment couple options but this was my starting point

then I put some images inside – 1. representing the Amish 2. Bel Air and 3. The capital

I realize actually that I am taking this to the wrong direction – I need to represent it with a word -so, I start thinking again…

So, I was thinking over and over – and decided that money is what makes them different (the 3 areas) – the importance of money – for the Amish they are not important at all – for the people in Bel Air just as much to have normal life – but for the people in Washington – money and power are extremely important (I am talking just in general)