Cartographic Grids (Where is Bolivia?)

Juan Geuer

BIRTH YEAR 1917
BIRTH PLACE Soest, Holland
DEATH YEAR 2009
DEATH PLACE Almonte, Ontario
MEDIUM Scribing on white mylar enclosed in two pieces of plexiglass
DATE 1977
DIMENSIONS 59.1cm x 54.6cm x 1.9cm
ACCESSION NUMBER 2013.04.02
CREDIT LINE Collection of the Ottawa Art Gallery: gift of Else Geuer-Vermeij, 2013.
CATALOGUE DESCRIPTION
An upward curving annular section (curved trapezoid shape) of a grid of 20 quadrants with the longest radius pointed up, against a white background. The centre horizontal line is darker than the other interlines. The piece is on paper, mounted beneath heavy Plexiglas. This is one of Geuer’s early geophysical grid maps, where the finely scribed lines are barely visible on the white Mylar unless held up to light. The grid reveals an underlying truth or reality represented by a scientific process, appropriating the basic gridlines of longitude and latitude, and abstracting them to investigate of our sense of place. The work is particularly biographical, as is betrayed by the title’s reference to Bolivia, where Geuer lived from 1939 to 1954, referring directly to Geuer’s own sense of place.

OAG is Open from 10 AM to 6 PM Tuesday, Wednesday and Sunday | from 10 AM to 9 PM on Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Shop Online!