Cosmic Map 1930

Bruno Munari made this "Cosmic Map" using a collage of cut paper, ink, and paint. Munari often blurred the lines between art, design, and pedagogy, and this work exemplifies his playful approach. The topography of the "Cosmic Map" comes from everyday life. Munari combines traditional art materials with found images – like the cut-out of a map, which overlays with an area of shaded clouds above a jagged line, and a spray of orange in geometric shapes, made with a template. A wide blue looping stripe encompasses other forms on the page: a collage of reality and of the artist's making. Munari’s layering invites us to question what is real and what is constructed, what is naturally occurring, and what is synthetic. It is a conversation with the everyday experience of a modernizing world in which we seek to map our place. This "Cosmic Map" encourages us to see materials, making, and context as equally important, as well as challenging distinctions between fine art and everyday life.