Shannon Rankin 1997, Graphic Design
In search of connections among geography, anatomy and botany, I combine the visual elements of maps, anatomical illustrations and natural forms to explore themes of travel, healing and time.

Maps depicting mountain ranges, roads, lakes and rivers resemble internal biological features, reproductive anatomy, skeletal structures and networks of the human body. Symbols of cities become acupuncture points, and meridian lines, like rivers, represent an internal system of communication and transport. Geometric seed patterns made of globe-like pieces of map reference small worlds, suggesting the potential for a broader landscape. The ephemeral nature of maps speaks to the fragility and transitory state of our lives and surroundings.

Archetypal images emerge from layers of translucent symmetrical forms, like layers of anatomical transparencies depicting the cross-sections of the body. The ¡°Simpling Series¡± is reminiscent of the Rorschach inkblot test, and loosely based on the art of sampling, an early form of herbalism. This practice suggests that the shape and color of medicinal plants carry clues to their proper uses in healing. By utilizing these healing properties, ailments can be treated with the plant or plant part that most resembles the ailing body part. For example, an iris was used to treat a bruise, while mental illness was treated by feeding a patient walnuts.
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