Because I’m me, people send me stuff like this. Artist Wendy Gold uses “vintage globes” to make works she calls ImagineNations™. Apparently they’re quite popular. She does a similar decoupage treatment on maps, too. I like her warning:
All ImagineNations™ are handmade to order on vintage globes. Remember, they’ve all had prior lives, so expect to see some “character”. Also, because of their age, many of the globes are no longer geographically accurate.
I’m of two minds here. These are charming objects but it’s hard for me to see vintage maps and globes used as raw material – my deep-seated cultural veneration for books as objects seems to have extended to maps and globes. Don’t get me wrong, I do like map-based art, I’m just a little squeamish about destroying old maps – especially those that are “no longer geographically accurate” – even if they are being reborn as new art objects. Maybe I wish the new art had more to do with the “prior lives” of these globes, not just their formal properties.
Enough griping. As long as nobody’s destroying priceless antiques, more globes in more homes makes me more happy. If you feel guilty about using an old globe for art, maybe you could clear your conscience by donating new globes to classrooms that need them.