Jerry's Map

A milestone.

2012-02-25T07:24:00.000-08:00

What you see above is the 2500th panel of Jerry's Map (N6/E28). For weeks now I have been saying that The Map comprised a little over 2500 sheets. Then, the other day, Roberto did an updated inventory, and it was revealed that there were only 2497! I was disappointed, but since then I have added three more panels bringing the total, as of this morning, to 2500.

As you can see the virgin (or blank) panels have taken on a new look. They are, for the most part, paperboard box backs collaged together with bits of old Map prints.

The inventory also showed that, of the 2497 in-progress panels, 1539 are Generation II or higher. There are currently 2 Generation VIII panels in the mix. The total of all generations (not counting approximately 50 original panels which have been sold) was 5460.

The Map, at 2500 panels, now covers just under 1389 square feet. That's about 30% of a basketball court or 23.5% of the Sistine Chapel ceiling. I have a long way to go!

Save the date!

2012-02-17T13:07:00.000-08:00

The tentative date for the opening of the display of the entire Map is Friday, October 5, 2012. Circle that day on your calendars. It's the start of the Columbus Day weekend. So, you'll all have ample time to get there. I hope to see lots of you and have a chance to put faces and voices to you folks who have supported me here. I'll give you the exact location as soon as the ink is dry. In the meantime, think Berkshires....hint, hint!

The Red Dimension has made its first appearance....

2012-02-11T15:15:00.000-08:00

N15/E20 played host yesterday to the first manifestation of the Red Dimension. I had added a "New Red Dimension" card to the deck a couple of weeks ago, and it came up yesterday morning. Here's what we know: RD is in shades of red, and its tendrils seem to be able to cross any lower 2-D features. What we don't know (yet) is what its role will be when it encounters The Void. My hunch is that it will be able to cross Voids in that The Void occupies the same plane as The Map itself. This new feature appears to be in another plane altogether. Any notions from you out there?

JPEGs on Shopify!

2012-02-09T13:03:00.000-08:00

I just listed a couple of JPEGs (like the one above) on my Shopify store. They are also available on eBay. If you'd like to get one, use the link at right. They're $2.99 apiece.Send payment via PayPal, and I will email them to you right away. Then you can print it big or small or use it as a screensaver or....or....or

My plan, depending on your response, is to list lots more contiguous panels. Let me know what you want!

In the meantime I plan to update the segments in the next couple of days. And....bigger news....I drew the Red Dimension card this morning, and added the first instance of that new feature to the Map this morning. I'll try to get some images of it to you soon!

Brainstorm!

2012-02-06T10:43:00.000-08:00

I woke up this morning realizing that I could offer JPEGs of Map panels on eBay! No muss, no fuss! You send me some PayPal bucks, and I email you a JPEG that you can print out yourself. No shipping charge!

So, as soon as I get home from this vacation, I will post some. Watch for them!

Uppercase Indeed!

2012-01-27T13:53:00.000-08:00

Issue 12 of Uppercase is out! And it has a six-page spread on the Map. Hooray and thanks to Gail Anderson who wrote the piece. And many thanks, too, to Greg Whitmore who contributed the big lead photo and to Janine Vangool for putting it into print. The magazine is a treasure to all us graphics and creative types.

I'll make a link the magazine site so that you all can find a vendor near you or order a copy directly from Calgary (of all places!).

N1E1 updated

2012-01-19T15:53:00.000-08:00

Here's the latest N1E1 segment. Not too exciting, I know, but time will reveal all!

More exciting: I received Issue 12 of Uppercase magazine in the mail today, and Gail Anderson's article about me and the Map looks great! I will post a link shortly telling you where to find this beautiful publication.

And S1/W1 gets an update...,.

2012-01-15T15:39:00.000-08:00

Thanks, Ann, for the latest purchase of S1/W1 real estate! This segment is coming along.

I am setting up a shopify store for the Map, but I have a lot to learn. Son, Henry, was here on the weekend to give me some help, and friend Gail is working on a logo for Jerry's Map. Cool! I'll let you know when the shop is really up and running.

I have finished a side project, the copying of 48 panels to go on the wall at the show this fall. They will be an earlier generation of panels which will be exhibited on the floor.

With that work done I was able to resume the regular progress of the Map. I have finished working through the rows to the bottom and have started over at the top. I find that it is taking me almost exactly one year to complete a cycle. Of course, as the Map expands it will take longer.

Onward!

S1E1 comes online....

2012-01-06T05:44:00.000-08:00

Here it is, folks, in all its sparse glory: the first iteration of the S1E1 segment. It shows the six panels which you have bought to date. Thanks go to Deb and Cory and Sue! They are the most recent Map collectors.

I was reflecting this morning how slowly this process goes. Over the holidays I was watching my cousin play Minecraft. He was doing it with what, to my 69-year old eyes, was dizzying speed. Rock was being mined and turned into tools in nanoseconds. Trees produced wood; gravel collapsed in the mine, zombies appeared and were zapped. Kersplooie! Fast, faster.....his left fingers slapping keys; his right hand deftly working the mouse.

Jerry's Map is more like Slow Food. Or slow anything. It takes lots of time. Things acrete over years, not seconds. In 2003 I decided that my colors were too bright and set out to subdue them. I started remixing them, one jar at a time, a few drops a day. Nine years later they are toned down a bit.

Sometimes I wish that you all would buy up panels more quickly so that the segments like the one above would fill in faster. But that, too, is part of the Slow Map process. Don't let me stop you from purchasing though! I appreciate every sale!

Happy New Year!

2012-01-01T06:51:00.000-08:00

2011 was a great year for me and my Map. We were invited to exhibit my work at two great contemporary art museums. One is in the Northeast and scheduled for late October/early November 2012. The other, in the Southeast, will show a large chunk of Jerry's Map in May, 2013. What a way to kick off the Map's 50th anniversary year! The Northeast show will be the first time the entire Map has been assembled since 1982 when it was composed of only about 500 panels. It's now just over 2400. I'll give firm dates and locations when I know them.

I will also be on the lookout for other institutions that would like to show the Map during 2013. If you know of any or have contact with any, please let me know! Thanks!

A couple of new Map features are in my head and will make their way onto paper in 2012: one, which I will call "Crop Circle Collage" in deference to Joanne who just asked me about it, has me excited. The other, still a vague concept, I will call "The Red Dimension". I'll experiment a little and then launch it sometime soon.

I hope that all your new years have started off in the right direction. Stay tuned! (And run over to Ebay and buy yourself a few prints!)

Jerry Gretzinger's Map

2011-12-30T13:25:00.000-08:00

jerrysmap.blogspot.com

An update and some ruminations

2011-12-14T11:13:00.001-08:00

Here's an update to the S1W17 segment. Not too much to reflect on here.

But other things have been crossing my mind. I wonder, for example, if my Map is the largest modern painting. Or if there are any other such projects around. My hunch is that it is unique in the world of art, modern or ancient- one single perpetual work that has been in progress for a little over 48 years and which now covers over 1300 square feet of surface.

Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel ceiling, by comparison, took 4 years to complete and covers about 5600 square feet. It's not as detailed as my Map. So, it's hard to compare the two. I'd love to have my work be as expansive as Michelangelo's, but I probably will not live long enough to get there. Nor do I have a Pope Sixtus V to support me while I work on it.

Anybody out there know of comparable works? Perpetual works?

On modular art

2011-12-07T09:16:00.000-08:00

One of the beauties of Jerry's Map is that it can be collected piecemeal. This art is modular. You can buy a panel now and add adjacent panels later to create a bigger work. As a matter of fact, you can send me a message requesting that I post certain panels on eBay. I will try to accomodate such requests whenever I can.

So, if you have bought a panel or see one that you like and would like to augment that area with contiguous panels, let me know!

The largest installation to date is that of a collector in Grand Rapids. In 2009 he bought 35 contiguous original panels for installation in his new office. Our next-door neighbors here in Cold Spring have a set of 20 prints on their dining room wall.

I suspect that a lot of Map fans think that the work is only meant to be viewed in its entirety. That will happen in the fall of 2012, but one day this Map will be too big to assemble in any reasonable space (if I live long enough!). My intention, however is that each panel be able to stand alone as a composition. Some, of course, are stronger than others. Such is fate!

Whether you want one panel, framed and hanging on your study wall, or a set of 40 prints papering the whole wall, tell me what you need! I'll do my best to give you what you want!

N1W1 is beginning to take shape

2011-12-03T11:33:00.001-08:00

Thanks to Jason and Wendy and Anita and Michael and Paul and all the others who have recently bought Map panels on eBay, things are starting to take shape. You can see most of the core of Ukrainia in the upper left of this montage. Jackson is that urban panel right near the center of this page.

Tell your friends to get on the stick and buy a few, too! The dollars help keep me in cartridges and pay Roberto whose help on the computer has allowed me to spend more time in the paint pots.

Things are at a very exciting stage right now. The "ziggurat" collaging is very satisfying. The creation of the first Void city is intriguing. The anticipation of a Void language keeps me fantasizing. All good stuff!

N1W17: First Iteration

2011-11-27T17:28:00.001-08:00

Here's the first iteration of Segment N1W17. (I have decided to call them segments since they are not, technically, quadrants.) I anticipate that there will be at least ten of these segments since each comprises 256 panels, and there are well over 2300 panels now.

Other Map news: The Void's characteristics are taking shape in my mind, and the evidence will start to show up here soon. I am beginning to think that the inhabitants of The Void are those people who have been displaced from The Map itself. And I like Shaz's suggestion that the language of The Void not be expressed in the Roman alphabet. I suspect that it's going to be composed of hieroglyphs. Sound good?

Keep with the comments, folks! I need feedback! Thanks!

S1W1: First Edition

2011-11-22T17:28:00.001-08:00

Here's the first posting of the S1W1 "quadrant". (Apologies for the lack of cropping!) It's starting to take shape. Thanks to those of you who bought the eight panels shown above. I still have panels to post to other quadrants and will do that soon.

A simple appeal

2011-11-21T13:21:00.001-08:00

Most of you already know that The Gretzinger Map will be shown at a major contemporary art museum in late 2012. We are very excited about this and anticipate an enthusiastic response.

In the meantime, however, we are writing to ask your help. The expenses of preparing for the show are mounting: ink, paper, paint, money for an intern/assistant, additional travel, meals.

We need your support. What you can do is hit the ebay.com button on the right, look at the offerings, and then hit one (or more) of the "Buy It Now" buttons. The Map panels, tiles, and prints listed there range from $4.16 to $360. You'll get not just a unique piece of this huge work, but we'll put a thank you inscription on The Map itself.

If you don't see anything that strikes your fancy on ebay please tell us and we will attempt to put something out there that will work for you.

Thanks!

Some stats

2011-11-18T10:12:00.001-08:00

I recently did an updated Map inventory, and here is some fodder for you fellow number freaks:

The Map is now composed of 2346 individual 8" by 10" panels. Of those, 1461 first generation panels have been completed or "retired". 1086 Generation II and higher panels have been retired. These numbers do not include the 45 or so original panels which have been sold.

The Map comprises 21 parishes which include 362 cities. The combined population is 15,925,015. The most populous parish is Southchurch (3,375,602), and the largest city is Ukrainia (2,407,704). The second largest is Geo (1,267,154).

Also in the news: the first Void city was created this week, and I haven't figured out what to call it or how to characterize and account for it. Ideas?

N1/W1 Update

2011-11-15T10:35:00.001-08:00

Thanks to a few recent purchases this "quadrant" is starting to take shape. Do you see Ukrainia up there? About half of it is now represented.

A word on my pricing of the prints and originals: when posting a panel for the first time I put it out at 120% of the average price paid to date for that type of panel. If it hasn't sold after 30 days I mark it down 20%. I keep doing that every 30 days until it is sold. I want you all to become collectors, and I want The Map to be affordable for everyone. I will let the market set the price.

Gratitude

2011-11-14T04:40:00.001-08:00

I met with the director of a major contemporary art museum last week, and he has invited me to show the entire Map there in the Fall of 2012. Greg Whitmore will be there filming the installation, and my studio will be installed in the gallery, too, so that I can continue to work while the project is being shown. I'll give more details as the plans become firm.

I woke up at 3:30 the morning after the meeting, and, in my head, began thinking of all the people who have made this 48-year voyage possible. I want to thank some of them now.

I thank......

My late mother for giving in and not making me go outside to play baseball when I wanted to stay in the basement mixing paint or making collages

Rick for being willing to play my fantasy games with me when he really wanted to be outside playing baseball

Gerry for giving me the job at Hoover Ball Bearing which afforded me the time to start the first Map seeds

Jim for putting up with me while I drew maps on the walls of our apartment in Beja while waiting for my foot locker to arrive with the real Map

Barbara for bearing with me for as long as she did

Nelle and Aaron for coming to forgive the dad who couldn't hear their questions while he was engrossed in his project

David and Judy for urging me to take on NYC creative scene and thengiving me a haven in DC when NY was too much

The folks at that NYC art commission who gave me the official label of "artist" so that I could live in my AIR loft

To Stephen for showing me that years in the trenches can turn into days of glory, for sharing his knowledge and enthusiasm

Meg for being a wife/partner/friend/critic/inspiration/angel to me for these thirty plus years and without whom I would have died and this project turned to dust

Hank for rediscovering The Map in the attic in Cold Spring and being my techno-genius

Lucky for being a bright light and a believer

Lynn for years of artistic and graphic design support

Richie and Marco for finding tiles in the workplace and thinking the project was cool

Chris for having a brain like mine and sharing that while he interned with me

Chloe, Matt, Brian, and Mike for being the anonymous (almost) Haldane fans and writing me those notes

The other children and young guys of Cold Spring who have collected the "tiles" deposited on ledges around the village

Ed and Peter who helped me reformat the whole mess

Annie, Jane E, Olivia, and Lilah for being part of Meg's Smith support group and, thereby, Map boosters

Michael and Michele for being such avid fans of the project

Cathryn for being an early devotee and wanting to paper her walls with prints

Jaynie for being a booster and guest artist

Those patrons who have bought prints on eBay

Jared for looking at what I was doing and telling me that the world needed to see it, too

Sony for trying to connect me with a gallery

Phil for telling me that The Map needed to be put on the Internet and then doing it

Anna for being a very longtime friend and for introducing me to Phil

Nancy, Bill, Thomas, Tibi, Gray, Violet, Penelope, Marco and the other "guest artists" who have contributed not just visuals but moral support

Kitty for including me in her second book

The guys in Berkeley who included me in that Oakland show- my first public exposure, albeit small

Waz and Fran, friends for more than 50 years, who lodged me during that show

Carl who validated me and the work and who would have shown it had he had the space

Carinda who had the space and the vision and the guts to give me my first big public showing at the Garrison Art Center

Thomas who curated that show and acted as my mentor

To Jaanika and Susan who shared that show (and another) with me and who have been unfailing supporters

Tracy and Mark who hosted the opening party and who have always been there with hugs or a poke in the ribs

John, Pat, and David who showed their support by buying panels from the GAC show

Shelley who was the first to get one of the 4 by 5 foot vinyl prints

Jen and John who chose to feature The Map in their new dining room and who are exemplary next-door-neighbors

Steve and Jeff who selected me to show in the primo venue of ArtPrize 2009 and who gave me space for the largest showing to date

Rick who sponsored ArtPrize and made the first major purchase of Map originals for installation in his new office

Chris who gave The Map a ton of space in his gallery show in NYC

Dayna who selected The Map for showing at Right Brain and who has been a tireless cheerleader

Gail for her eye and her energetic hands-on input: watch for Volume XII of Uppercase

Pat for being an early fan and willing sharer of his editing knowledge

Kate for planting the seed on facebook that grew into the August buzz

Greg, the artist/friend/videographer who made the beautiful and masterful video that exposed not just the work but my creative process to the public

Shawn who recognized something special in the video and made the connection with the institution which will do the 2012 show

Joe for seeing beauty in what I have wrought and being willing to use his resources to put it on display

I know this list is long and that it rings of Academy Award speeches. I haven't won anything, and I have forgotten way too many people in making this list. But there is no best time to say thank you. Or, maybe rather, anytime is a good time. Thank you for letting me do it now.

N1E1

2011-11-06T08:09:00.001-08:00

Here it is: the first poor, lonely little panel of the N1E1 "quadrant". Won't you go to eBay and buy it some neighbors?

Home again!

2011-11-05T09:59:00.000-07:00

I'm back in my Cold Spring studio once more and am very excited to be trying a new collage configuration. More on that later!

The trip home went smoothly, and I was able to deposit about 40 tiles in places like Mesick and Snow Shoe, Sandusky and Marion. Anyone found any? What boggles my mind is that I have distributed over 7000 of those little guys, and no one, not one single person, has ever contacted me about finding one. Well, that's not counting the local Cold Spring kids who started collecting them a few years ago and left what they thought was an anonymous note on my porch!

Also of note: a few people have requested original Map panels, and, in response, I have started to list a few on eBay. The first generation panels, entirely hand-done, will be priced at $240, and the later generations, largely inkjet prints with some hand-done additions, at $60. Go get 'em!

Tiling the way from Michigan to New York

2011-10-31T11:07:00.000-07:00

I am about to hit the road again to get me from the farm to Cold Spring where I can get back to work on this monster. Along the way I will be sprinkling more of those 2 by 2 1/2" tiles. Tell me if you find one! These days I sometimes stick them up with poster mounts. Look for them at about eye level i\n gas stations, restaurants, motels, parks, rest areas! Good luck! It would be great to hear from a couple of you!

S1E17

2011-10-24T12:22:00.000-07:00

Here's the next set of 256 panels......or at least 2 of the 256 that will complete this segment. I love that s1e28 one because it's of the newest, most abstract variety. It, too, though, will, through time, start to look more like the rest of the map. (Five commas in a sixteen-word sentence! Anybody think that might set a record?)

Reflections on the preciousness of art

2011-10-21T07:09:00.000-07:00

When I have shown sections of my map in galleries I have encouraged people to run their hands over the surface so that they could distinguish between parts that were photocopy and parts that were "first generation" collage or acrylic. Some people were horrified. The look-don't-touch principle applies to most art that is put on display.

But, as I said in a recent blog posting, my art is "of this world." I like that it responds to the world it inhabits, that kids with grubby fingers leave slight smudges, that a few drops of water from my freshly rinsed brush make the inkjet print bleed, that the acid-ful paper of the earliest panels yellows and cracks.

I suppose that what most artists cater to is part self-monumentalization and part succumbing to the requirements of the art buying patrons that their precious investment never fade, crack, smear, shrink, or be altered in any other way.

But life is about change. Time is change. All art will, at some time, disappear. I don't want my map to disappear. That's not the point. I just want it to reflect its having been in the world.

Another nearly empty "quadrant".....sigh

2011-10-14T09:25:00.000-07:00

The next 256-panel segment of sold panels. Hmmmm.....Maybe some of you will respond to my newest offer: naming a Map feature for you! In my latest eBay postings I promised the buyer that I would name a major Map feature for him or her. That way some of you who are not guest artists in waiting can make a connection with The Map. This project is, after all, of this world, and not out of this world! More on that issue later!

About "guest panels"

2011-10-10T06:02:00.000-07:00

One aspect of The Map which could use a little more elaboration is the Guest Panel. I invite anyone to submit 2-D artwork for incorporation into The Map. The artist understands that his or her art will be copied and transformed over time. It will be added, as a sheet itself, to The Map, and a copy of it will be used to collage other panels.The original submission will, in subsequent Map generations, be blended with its surroundings.

So, if you are an artist or want to be, let me know! I will be happy to include your work in mine.

Another "quadrant" of panels

2011-10-07T14:20:00.000-07:00

This new grid of 256 panels isn't very exciting, I know. Only one panel in this sector has been bought to date, and you can see it above. There will have to be at least ten of these sectors to show the whole map since the Map now covers about 2400 panels. Sales of panels have slowed a bit now, but I hope to be posting new sectors soon.

And The Atlantic Article......

2011-10-03T13:18:00.000-07:00

Go here to see what the Atlantic online had to say about The Map.....

Greg on Radio New Zealand!

2011-10-03T13:09:00.000-07:00

Check out this interview with Greg Whitmore, the videographer of "Jerry's Map", on Radio New Zealand!

The next installment

2011-09-24T14:32:00.000-07:00

Here's the next quadrant of sold panels....ahem! Only one panel to date, S6W19, has been sold in this quadrant which runs from S1 to 16 and W17 to 32. I hope that some of you will step up and buy some of those other panels. They are being offered on eBay right now with a starting bid of $1!

It will be exciting to see these pages fill up. You can help!

Thanks!

Where am I?

2011-09-22T14:31:00.000-07:00

This image represents the panels which have been purchased to date in the nearest (N1 to 16 and W 1 to 16) northwest quadrant. I figured out how, with the help of my Open Office software, to set up this grid and load scans into it. Hurray! This was a big breakthrough for me. Now if someone will just set up a similar grid on the internet we can begin to assemble the whole map there.

I'll add other quadrants as eBay sales are made.

My other life

2011-09-06T06:12:00.000-07:00

Contrary to the general conjecture in the vimeo comments I am not a recluse or a hermit but lead a pretty ordinary life. If you'd like to know more about it my wife, Meg Staley, has a blog, too, and that's a good place to start: right here!

Thanks again for your comments and please keep letting me know what you'd like more of!

The Journal

2011-09-05T06:29:00.000-07:00

As I work on The Map I record changes to the rules in a journal. I started it in 2003 when I resumed work on this project. I now also record changes in the color palette. Let me know if you'd like to see more!

What's in the cards....

2011-09-03T16:31:00.000-07:00

Here are the last nine cards drawn in the process of making The Map. As you can see, there is a lot of emphasis on scanning since it is such a daunting task. I tell people that it is like painting the Golden Gate Bridge- it's never finished. However, I do let myself change the instructions on the cards. I make my execute the current instruction and then change it for the next time that card is drawn.

In the deck somewhere is one card which reads, "Shuffle the deck and add one new card." The deck gets shuffled three times and then cut. The new card's instruction comes from a wait list of tasks that I want to see incorporated into the making of The Map.

And the winner is......N1/W14!

2011-09-02T15:13:00.000-07:00

I drew the ten of clubs today and moved ten more panels down in the stack. That put me at N1/W14. The instruction was to make map blanks, the patched together heavy paper panels I use as a base for the painting and collageing. I have been doing this since the fall of 2009. You will start to see beer, pretzel, and cereal boxes as well as ticket stubs and old shopping lists.

You may be relieved to know that I put in a new cartridge today, and the print colors resemble reality. Yay!

Back in the saddle

2011-09-01T17:43:00.000-07:00

I got back to my studio in Cold Spring, New York a couple of hours ago from our old farm in Northern Michigan. On the way back I resolved to try to give you more insight into The Map via this blog. I'll try to do a post every day and explain the steps as I go. I will also try to put a new panel on eBay each morning.

So.......I drew the next card- the four of clubs with an instruction to either make a new sheet of reduced (1/16) images or, if I didn't have the scans I needed to do that then to do more scans from where I left off last time. I haven't checked yet to see which will happen.

Then I counted down four sheets in the current stack I am working on (N1 and N2). That took me to the sheet above, N1/W24. I made two copies. The original (a generation II) will be archived, one copy will become the new generation III, and the other copy will be offered on eBay soon. The colors came out way off from the original, but part of the random function of my rules dictates that the miscolored print must be used as is. Tomorrow I will try to resolve the printing issue.

I am working now on adding collage to N1/W24 and adjoining panels. I work in a clockwise manor along the periphery of what had been painted in generation I. Had the card been a red suit I would have worked counter clockwise.

Any questions?

Let's try again.......

2011-08-30T06:56:00.000-07:00

I was reading some of the comments on The Map video last night and realized that some of you might want a Map print. So, I have started to re-list a few on eBay to see how it goes. The ones I had on there recently didn't sell. This time around I will put them out to auction. So...take a look!

And send me your questions......

Thanks!

Wow! Thanks, Vimeo!

2011-08-29T14:50:00.000-07:00

Greg Whitmore, the videographer who made the short film of me and The Map, called me this afternoon to say that the editors of Vimeo, the website where we posted the clip, had listed ours as a "favorite" on their homepage. Now over 50,000 people have seen it. Wow!

You can check it out by searching "Jerry Gretzinger" at vimeo.com. (Sorry I am not organized enough to give you a simple link.)

But a huge thank you to Greg and to Vimeo and to son, Henry, and to the folks who have posted very nice comments after seeing The Map!

When Is The Map Not a Map?

2011-08-15T08:51:00.000-07:00

When it is composed of abstract images like this one. I got tired of being too literal and wandered off into random images some time ago....in the 1980s, actually. The older I get, the less representative The Map becomes......metaphysical geography!

A new Map collage

2011-05-19T05:38:00.000-07:00

UICA in Grand Rapids is having an opening show in July, and I am submitting some Map prints. But, because the request is for works that measure 7 by 11 inches (and my panel prints are 8 by 10), I have patchworked some prints together into the new format. I found the results so satisfying that I may offer some of these collages on eBay. I will let you know! What do you think?

ArtPrize 2011 is coming!

2011-05-02T08:14:00.000-07:00

ArtPrize 2011 opens in Grand Rapids on September 21. I have registered and am hoping to find a venue big enough to accommodate the entire Map (on the floor). This is no simple task since the current over-all measurements are about 40 by 40 feet. The last time the whole thing was assembled was in our loft in New York in 1982, and it only comprised 800 panels back then.

I visited the lobby of DeVos place the other day, and that would be perfect! There are balconies on two sides which would allow viewers to see the entire project from above. The next step will be to contact the person in charge of that venue.

If we can come up with a venue like that one, our friend, Greg Whitmore, will make a trip out with his video equipment. He's the guy who made the video that is linked to this blog. Now he wants to film the entire Map to incorporate into a documentary which he would like to show at film festivals. It will be great for me, The Map, and Grand Rapids if we make this happen!

Here we go!

Real Estate Sale!

2011-03-23T08:05:00.001-07:00

The Map is for sale again! I have posted several prints on eBay recently. They are 8 by 10" (the original size of the panel) and are inkjetted onto 110-pound paper. Each one is signed and dated and can be mounted easily in a 10 by 14 frame. At $19 apiece you can't go wrong.

Start your collection right now!

Thanks!

And after........

2011-02-05T09:24:00.001-08:00

And here's the result! The new Generation V version of panel N12/W14. Can you spot the changes? Some are pretty subtle......

Before......

2011-02-05T07:07:00.001-08:00

This is the latest panel to come up for re-working in my random selection process. It's part of the heart of Ukrainia, the largest city on the Map. I will do my overlay on this sheet and then show you the "After" image when I am done.

The Map Factory

2010-12-03T09:24:00.000-08:00

Ever wondered what my studio looks like? Here it is! Housed in my basement in Cold Spring, New York, the area is relatively tiny. But, since I work on only a few of the 8 by 10" panels at a time, it works. What you see in this picture is my work surface, my paint collection (to the right of the surface), a stack of collage material on the left, the stacks of current panels (behind and above the surface), and the master map tucked into the storage area below.

If you are in the area and want to visit just email me! I love to have visitors.

Or, if you have time to spare and want to help me in my project, let me know. I can't pay you, but I'll give you lunch!

The Gretzinger Map at the Farm

2010-06-18T11:42:00.001-07:00

I recently got four more Map panels printed in the big 4' by 5' billboard format. Chris, our new Fake Rock Farm caretaker, helped me mount them on the East end of the barn the other night. So, if you are driving down Maple City Road, take a look!

ArtPrize 2010

2010-05-31T12:22:00.000-07:00

I have finally figured out what I want to do for ArtPrize 2010: the entire Map! But there is a catch: I can only do it using the 2 by 2 1/2 inch Map "tiles". It will still cover a 14 by 14 foot wall. Now I just have to register and find a venue that will host me. Anyone want to volunteer to help me mount it? That will be a job; there are now over 2200 panels!

C'mon Down!

2010-04-12T10:16:00.001-07:00

A big section of the Map is now mounted behind the bar at Right Brain! Come down this Saturday night and say hi. The artists' reception is from 6:30 to 8:30 at the brewery on Garland Street in Traverse City.

And, if you want to OWN a piece of Map real estate, the original panels are $240. Signed prints can be had for a mere $22 each. Just ask anyone behind the bar....

See you Saturday!

Another Opening; Another Show!

2010-03-22T07:09:00.001-07:00

I have been invited to show the Map at the Right Brain Brewery/Gallery in Traverse City. I am thrilled about this because I love the place, and I love the beer they make there. The opening reception is tentatively set for April 17. I will keep you posted!

Why I Do It

2010-02-18T08:38:00.000-08:00

A recent eBay customer complained about the quality of the Map "postcards" which he purchased and asked to return them. I will, of course, honor his request, but I feel compelled to explain a few things. These cards are not commercially printed glossy reproductions. They are color photocopies which I have hand mounted on recycled cardboard of varying thicknesses and quality. They have been hand-cut, dated, and signed by me. They are miniature works of art. I don't do this to make money or rip off the general public. As a matter of fact I lose money on every one I sell and ship. I do it because I want people to be able to own a little piece of this project without paying the $240 I get for every original 8 by 10-inch panel. Maybe I should explain more in my blog! I do it because the people who have them love them. They love them as simple little paintings. Or they love them because they imagine the stories behind them. Or they try to decipher the messages on the inscriptions, or like the colors....or...or.......

It's Happening!

2010-02-10T10:25:00.001-08:00

People are beginning to collect the new Map "postcards"! So far six or eight people have bought cards through eBay, and a few others have been sent courtesy cards by me. If you want a free starter card send me a 44-cent stamp and your address, and I will mail you one as a postcard. See what you can build buy getting adjacent cards and putting them together.....a city....an island......a continent! Challenge your friends...get them started, too! Read the hidden messages in the Map inscriptions or make up your own story. Then let us know here at the blog how it goes......

About Those New "Postcards"......

2010-01-21T06:11:00.000-08:00

Many of you have by now seen the new 4 by 5 inch Map "postcards". If you haven't, go to eBay and take a look. This format is very satisfying, especially for those of you who have been Map "tile" enthusiasts. It's the same mounting on recycled cardboard but at 1/4 scale (rather than 1/16) so that you can see all the detail- even read the inscriptions. And the eBay pricing (auctions starting at 99cents!) will permit all of you to start collecting right away! Have fun and good luck!

How Can I Start My Own Map Collection?

2010-01-08T13:52:00.000-08:00

It's simple! Go to eBay.com and search "Gretzinger". There, in the store called sgattic, you will find dozens of Map prints offered at prices from $1.69 up. Find one you like and bid on it. Then watch for adjacent panels to become available. Buy those, too! (Every panel has co-ordinates to show where it is located.) Soon you will be able to cover a wall....or a ceiling. The panels printed on heavy paper are easily mounted on a smooth wall using 3-M or Magic Mount poster mounting squares. They can be found at Staples or Office Max. Have fun! Any questions? E-mail me; I'll be glad to help!

Map Blow Up!

2009-12-10T08:41:00.000-08:00

I just had a couple of the Map panels blown up to 4 by 5 feet and printed on heavy billboard vinyl. They look fantastic! I'll probably offer them on eBay soon. Let me know if you are interested!

Map Tile Blizzard!

2009-11-24T09:50:00.000-08:00

I have been peppering Cold Spring with map tiles (those little 2 by 3 inch prints mounted on recycled cardboard). Have you found some? Please let me know! And if you want more, let me know that, too. If you put all the tiles together you will have a map that is 8 feet high! It's a big job, though, since there are almost 2100 different panels at this point.

And also please take a look at the full-size ( 8 by 10 inches) panels for sale on eBay. Search "Gretzinger map".

The Opening

2009-11-17T09:15:00.000-08:00

The opening at Christopher Henry Gallery on November 5 was a smashing success. The place was packed. My family and friends were there, and I met several artists. What a pleasure!

The NY Post was also there and I got a whole paragraph in the paper! Check it out: http://www.nypost.com/p/entertainment/what_map_pening_RGkeFLwVucKX3Gh4OLyFuN

On a Brighter Note........

2009-10-29T05:44:00.001-07:00

I met with Chris and Jamie at the Christopher Henry Gallery in New York yesterday, and we made plans to show about 280 Gretzinger Map panels there opening November 5! Florent Morellet ( of the late Cafe Florent and a fellow map-maker) approached the gallery about doing a show based on Kitty Harmon's new book, "The Map as Art", and they leaped at the chance. The show opens at 127 Elizabeth Street from 6 to 9 next Thursday and runs through January 10. Come see it!

Post ArtPrize Crash!

2009-10-12T18:47:00.001-07:00

Participating in ArtPrize was such a rush for me. And now it is over. Artists have been packing up their work and carting it back to New York and South Bend and Paris. The trucks were arriving to take the winning painting off to GRAM for longer term viewing. I was copying the panels which I sold and putting the copies in place of the originals.

Now I am back at the farm. It's trying to snow here but only managing to sleet. The bulbs still need to be planted before I can go back to my cozy basement studio in Cold Spring and start to work in earnest again on the Map.

In November I will show some of the panels in a group show featuring the work of the artists in "The Map as Art", a book by Katherine Harmon. More on that a little later!

Is the Map for Sale?

2009-09-28T12:41:00.000-07:00

Well, yes, as a matter of fact it is! Individual original panels of the current generation are available for $200 apiece or four for $700. You get the panel as displayed. I make a photocopy of it and start to rework that panel. That way you have the only copy of that panel at that stage of its execution. On panels sold while ArtPrize is in progress UICA will receive $60. A good way to support both artist and institution!

Signed and dated prints of many panels are also available on eBay. Search "Gretzinger Map" and take a look!

Thanks!

Map Puzzle

2009-09-27T06:15:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I placed about a hundred of the "maptiles" on ledges in downtown Grand Rapids. If you found one and know someone else who found one then compare tiles. They may match! All the tiles put together would form a 1/16 scale version of the entire Map, and it would be 8 feet square!

I'll be putting more out today. Let me know what you find......

Wanna Be Part of The Map?

2009-09-26T05:35:00.000-07:00

Since 2004 I have been asking friends to be "guest artists" on The Map. If you would like to join us, email me. I will tell you how to submit a guest artist panel! Your piece will go in the backlog of guest sheets and will be added to The Map when an "Add Guest Artist" card is drawn from the stack. Submissions are taken on a first-come-first-served basis. Your art becomes a new panel on The Map. I copy your sheet also to use as collage material. Your work gradually blends into the over-all fabric of The Map.

C'mon along!

So What's With the Tiles?

2009-09-25T12:12:00.000-07:00

Have you found a little "map tile" in downtown Grand Rapids? In 2003 I started printing 1/16 scale versions of Map panels and placing them in public places- ledges of buildings, gas pumps, supermarket shelves...... Kids began to collect them. To date over 6000 of these little guys have made their way into others' hands. Find yours now!

Friday Dawn

2009-09-25T04:17:00.001-07:00

The sun is coming up in Maple City, Michigan, and I am getting ready to go to Grand Rapids again. Bill Allen, Bob Purvis, a couple of their friends, my son, Henry, and I are going down to distribute more "map tiles" and see more art. This process is so exciting! I'll be hoping to meet some of you there.....

Video available online

2009-09-24T21:10:00.000-07:00

Hello all-

I've posted the video on Vimeo for all to watch and enjoy. Check out the video and tell me what you think!

ArtPrize!

2009-09-24T19:55:00.000-07:00

Hey everybody! I've been spending time in Grand Rapids mounting the Map for ArtPrize and meeting other exciting artists in the process! I got here on Wednesday the 16th. Lucky, Ray and I put up 233 of the Map panels that day. Bill Allen and I got the other 380 panels up over the 20th and 21st. Thanks to all who have visited the Old Federal Building and given me encouragement. I appreciate it!