>> Bachelor´s Thesis = Examination Paper (2003)
Title: The Aesthetics of Cartographic Works
Supervisor: Assoc. prof. dr. Richard Čapek
Opponent: Dr. Irena Rybová
Motto: »Beauty isn´t abstraction by far, it isn´t singular, beauty can be found multiply and is multiple, and always different and always new, because it’s an expression of life.«
J. OBENBERGER
Three basic pillars:
1) Does aesthetics have its own place within cartographic production?
2) What has been the evolution of aesthetic function in cartographic production?
3) How to bring the aesthetic into cartographic production in the future (in general and in particular)?
Content:
On the total of 74 pages a number of original diagrams, and examples of cartographic works (86 pictures in total).
| 1 |
INTRODUCTION | 7 |
| 2 | AESTHETICS AND ITS RELATIONSHIP TO CARTOGRAPHY | 8 |
| 2.1 | WHAT IS AESTHETICS AND WHAT IS ITS SUBJECT OF STUDY |
8 |
| 2.2 | AESTHETICAL OBJECT AND EXPERIENCE OF AESTHETICAL OBJECT | 8 |
| 2.2.1 | Aesthetical object | 8 |
| 2.2.2 | Non-artistic aesthetic | 9 |
| 2.2.3 | Aesthetical experience and perception of aesthetic object | 9 |
| 2.3 | AESTHETICAL CATEGORIES |
10 |
| 2.4 | SEARCHING FOR AESTHETIC VALUES AND QUALITIES OF WORKS | 10 |
| 2.4.1 | Values and qualities of works | 10 |
| 2.4.2 | Aesthetical judgment and its objectivity, or subjectivity | 11 |
| 2.5 | STYLE | 12 |
| 2.6 | NATURE OF JUDGMENT OF CARTOGRAPHIC WORKS (PRACTICAL OR AESTHETICAL) | 13 |
| 3 | EVOLUTION OF AESTHETICS IN CARTOGRAPHIC WORKS | 15 |
| 3.1 | EVOLUTION OF THE ROLE OF AESTHETICS IN CARTOGRAPHY | 15 |
| 3.2 | HISTORY OF CARTOGRAPHY AS AN IMAGE OF AESTHETICAL VALUES OF CARTOGRAPHIC WORKS | 16 |
| 3.2.1 | World maps and old globes | 16 |
| 3.2.2 | Other aesthetical values in terminology from the history of cartography | 18 |
| 3.3 | LEGACY OF HISTORY, COLLECTING | 25 |
| 4 | AESTHETICAL VALUES OF CARTOGRAPHIC WORKS | 26 |
| 4.1 | AESTHETICAL CRITICISM, OR WHAT TO ASSESS | 26 |
| 4.1.1 | Map form | 26 |
| 4.1.2 | Map contents and methods of its representation | 31 |
| 4.1.3 | Legibility and clearness of the map contents | 32 |
| 4.1.4 | Aesthetical specific characteristics of types of objects in map contents | 34 |
| 4.2 | COLOUR AS KEY-COMPONENT FOR AESTHETICAL OPINION ABOUT CARTOGRAPHIC WORK | 36 |
| 4.2.1 | Perception of colours | 36 |
| 4.2.2 | Classification of colours and characteristics of colours | 38 |
| 4.2.3 | Contrast of colours | 39 |
| 4.2.4 | Colour´s function by creation of space, shading | 40 |
| 4.2.5 | Colours in cartographic works | 41 |
| 4.3 | OPTICAL ILLUSIONS | 43 |
| 4.4 | CARTOGRAPHER´S TASTE |
44 |
| 5 | AESTHETICAL ASSESSMENT OF EXAMPLES OF CARTOGRAPHIC WORKS |
47 |
| 5.1 | TOPOGRAPHIC, GENERAL GEOGRAPHIC, TOURIST AND ROAD MAPS | 47 |
| 5.2 | TOWN PLANS AND PLANS OF OTHER OBJECTS | 54 |
| 5.3 | MAPS IN DAILY PRESS | 57 |
| 5.4 | THEMATIC MAPS |
60 |
| 5.5 | PANORAMIC MAPS | 63 |
| 6 | CONCLUSION | 69 |
| ACCOUNT OF LITERATURE AND OTHER SOURCES OF INFORMATIONS | 71 | |
| APPENDIX | 72 |
