Obsessions are an inheritance from my father, Stuart. He was obsessed with maps; following, reading, collecting and drawing them. This drawing depicts just one shelf of his maps. In teenage frustration, I once asked him if he wanted me to draw him maps of his children. He had a unique skill to ‘wander in the head’ and visualise journeys.
Stuart left home to wander when he was a teenager and travelled throughout Europe and to Northern Africa. He spoke several languages and read extensively about different cultures. From a young age, largely through him, I was aware of the need to care for the environment and the harm caused to others as a result of cultural tourism, so I tried to avoid extensive travel and particularly flying.
I contemplated adding more to the drawing, a route that we had walked together in the background perhaps, or some figures climbing the landscape of maps, but decided in the end to let them speak for themselves. Faintly visible on the maps were just a few words, “Motorroad Map UK”, “Time that was”, “Macmillan Africa” and “Reunion”. My great grandmother was from the island of Reunion, my mother was born in Mauritius and grew up in Africa, whilst Stuart was from London. The words were fortuitously perfectly fitting, to a piece that also speaks about being from a mixed race family.
Jill Eastland - Artist Activist 