Papercraft: Paper Cities

Paper Cities by Matthew Picton

Duralar, enamel paint, pins.

Photographed by Rob Jaffe

London artist Matthew Picton uses strips of paper from popular (and often symbolic) media such as sheet music and DVD jackets to construct historical maps of the world's major cities from around the world. In one piece, Picton represents the Great Fire of London with the burnt pages of Daniel Defoe’s The Plague Years. In another, the artist constructed Lower Manhattan from news headlines that followed the World Trade Center disaster.

Dresden 1945

Dresden, before and after, made from the score of “The Ring” by Wagner. From the “Paper Cities” exhibition.

Lower Manhattan

Created from headlines that accompanied the 2001 world Trade center bombing and DVD covers of the film “Towering Inferno” also book covers of the novel “The Plot Against America” by Philip Roth.

Portland

Created from the covers and text of the novel “The Lathe of Heaven” by Ursula LaGuin in addition to the DVD covers of the films “Dante’s Peak” and “Volcano.” Originally created for the “Paper Cities” exhibition.

Venice

Jerusalem

Created from The New Testament, The Torah, The Armenian Bible and The Koran

London 1940