As a graphic designer for nearly 20 years, Cameron Booth credits his deep and abiding love for transit maps to his dad's obsession with trains. The Australian-born, Portland, Oregon-based artist has adapted the infographic aesthetic of subway maps to America's road networks, creating some beautiful new artwork in the process.
We think Booth's work serves well as both information and art, particularly his brand-new U.S. Routes map, which includes a number of thoughtful touches (e.g. historical roads hidden as thinner route lines "beneath" current main road networks.
Booth tells Autoblog that the experience of creating this map has been an enlightening one:
We think Booth's work serves well as both information and art, particularly his brand-new U.S. Routes map, which includes a number of thoughtful touches (e.g. historical roads hidden as thinner route lines "beneath" current main road networks.
Booth tells Autoblog that the experience of creating this map has been an enlightening one:
"Applying a transit map template to a road network makes us look at a familiar system in a new way: Instead of the familiarity and detail of a geographically accurate road map, we're instead presented with simplified routes, connections and bright colors. It also could be interpreted as a reflection on America's love affair with cars."The U.S Routes project was quite a challenge – far more than Booth's previous maps, which includes the less involved but equally striking Interstate Highway graphic. Taking over a year to complete, Booth admits that this is probably his toughest-ever undertaking.
The artist is now taking prepaid orders for U.S. Routes prints in various sizes, but the holidays and a need to get a print run together will mean that those orders probably won't be processed until some time in early January. Check out more detailed shots of U.S. Routes, as well as his work (including some great photography) at his website, www.cambooth.net, and if you're interested in ordering one of his prints, click here.