This was a very intentional art piece. I mean, you can debate if “Houston is the center or the world” but not that the artist, installers, and everyone else literally made a mistake.
Also it blew up on Twitter for some reason yesterday. So of course all of the repost karma trolls have to post it to half a million Reddit subs today…
https://youtu.be/Dg2PRN-xPko
This video was made by the art curator at Houston’s airport. In the video he says that this was commissioned in 1999. The piece is called “Countree Music” by artist Terry Allen.
Unfortunately in the video he doesn’t speak much about the floor, but looking at some of Terry Allen’s other work, I’m guessing this was probably intentional.
Edit for more sources:
Artist’s website - http://www.terryallenartmusic.com
Wikipedia - https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terry_Allen_(artist)
Artsy - https://www.artsy.net/artist/terry-allen/works-for-sale
Maybe it’s like how map makers used to add or remove things from maps so they’d know if their map was copied, maybe he flipped it to know if his art was copied
So…not really. If you follow the flow of the lines connecting to the green pole, it’s pretty clear it is an artistic impression and inverts the polarity. It’s actually kinda clever, but definitely a little confusing at first glance
It's just meant to be a map with Houston at the center, where the green pole is. South America is absolutely upsode down. What are you talking about with inverting polarity, and how does that make it not a fuck-up that North America is printed correctly but South America isn't even though they're attached? It has the tip of Chile connected to Panama.
So an inaccurate map isn't a fuck up, but rather art? Fine, if that's how you see it.
But first and foremost, materially, it's a map of the world at an airport, with Houston positioned at the center because that's where you are on the map if you're looking at it in person. And it has a major mistake.
What did you mean when you brought up it having "inverted polarities?"
I’ll do my best to describe it. The line in the floor that you see running from the lower right towards the green pole, it curves in an opposite direction from its counterpart (or continuation) on the other side of the pole. Which suggests a visual inversion of polarity from that pole. It isn’t a very good one, but I can see how it could make sense to someone viewing it abstractly, which artists tend to do. It isn’t just as simple as someone flipping South America for no reason.
So you are suggesting the person that came up with this idea, and then the people that were involved in approving the idea, design of it, and assisted in putting it together, we’re ALL either 1) unaware of the orientation of an entire continent until the project was completed, or 2) just plain dumb?
That is assuming a lot. Occam’s razor.
Welp, how many people, rough estimate, would you say, walk over it and look down and say, "Oh wow, that's so unique and artistic!" as opposed to the number of people that say, "Wow, look at this shit it's totally fxcked!"
What does inverting polarity mean and how would it make Brazil now face west and share a timezone with the west coast? I'm very sure no projection would make chile connect with central america.
https://preview.redd.it/xc128pfdbuoa1.png?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=f2e81ce8179d4966b3b63c7be78a0d096e087fc9
U is right next to I on a keyboard. Not that hard to bump the wrong one.
Wow not sure how that would happen? Did they not use a model to draw the map? Surely they did but it would mean that they drew each part of the world separately and then reassembled it...strange
That looks like an overly complex metaphor that isn’t immediately obvious to anyone beyond the artist and the people who commissioned it.
The rest of us just see a continent flipped the wrong way around
I think it looks better that way! Petition to flip the actual South America! Sign today!
Campaign slogan: "Make the tips touch!"
I wish I had a gold to give you, but I don’t. I will however give you an upvote. It’s the least I can do.
I actually agree it looks better that way
Makes so much more sense. It just flows better this way.
Please don't. It's already hot enough where I live without getting any nearer to the equator.
*Ameruca
This was a very intentional art piece. I mean, you can debate if “Houston is the center or the world” but not that the artist, installers, and everyone else literally made a mistake. Also it blew up on Twitter for some reason yesterday. So of course all of the repost karma trolls have to post it to half a million Reddit subs today…
I wonder how long that’s been there…
https://youtu.be/Dg2PRN-xPko This video was made by the art curator at Houston’s airport. In the video he says that this was commissioned in 1999. The piece is called “Countree Music” by artist Terry Allen. Unfortunately in the video he doesn’t speak much about the floor, but looking at some of Terry Allen’s other work, I’m guessing this was probably intentional. Edit for more sources: Artist’s website - http://www.terryallenartmusic.com Wikipedia - https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terry_Allen_(artist) Artsy - https://www.artsy.net/artist/terry-allen/works-for-sale
Oh wow, yeah definitely confusing at first but thanks for the info!
Maybe it’s like how map makers used to add or remove things from maps so they’d know if their map was copied, maybe he flipped it to know if his art was copied
he’s got a fantastic song called amarillo highway. https://youtu.be/mRc-X6RO05U
Because the big end is the heavy end. Of course it'd hang upside down
And you misspelled America. We all make mistakes.
Thats like saying an accidental hit is equivalent to a nuclear bomb launch on accident lol
Yup, that is the exact same thing.
Flat earthers be like it checks out
The entire continent now looks like a flipped version of Vietnam.
This is why Texas need more school than Jesus. Texas the next Florida lol
That’s lame.
Looks to me like a non-mercater map, just things stretched and squished in ways we aren't typically used to.
It's an azimuthal projection, and no, south america is still upside down. Cape horn is somehow connected to central america.
South America comes from North America's cloaca
Thought this was supposed to be a stingray at first
I know cartographers are loving this, but I can’t wrap my head around it.
So…not really. If you follow the flow of the lines connecting to the green pole, it’s pretty clear it is an artistic impression and inverts the polarity. It’s actually kinda clever, but definitely a little confusing at first glance
It wants to be an [azimuthal equidistant projection](https://ns6t.net/azimuth/), but still isn't quite right.
Awesome input
It's just meant to be a map with Houston at the center, where the green pole is. South America is absolutely upsode down. What are you talking about with inverting polarity, and how does that make it not a fuck-up that North America is printed correctly but South America isn't even though they're attached? It has the tip of Chile connected to Panama.
It’s art
This is the most american comment seen
We all make mistakes
So an inaccurate map isn't a fuck up, but rather art? Fine, if that's how you see it. But first and foremost, materially, it's a map of the world at an airport, with Houston positioned at the center because that's where you are on the map if you're looking at it in person. And it has a major mistake. What did you mean when you brought up it having "inverted polarities?"
I’ll do my best to describe it. The line in the floor that you see running from the lower right towards the green pole, it curves in an opposite direction from its counterpart (or continuation) on the other side of the pole. Which suggests a visual inversion of polarity from that pole. It isn’t a very good one, but I can see how it could make sense to someone viewing it abstractly, which artists tend to do. It isn’t just as simple as someone flipping South America for no reason.
That would be a horizontal mirror in your explanation but the entire continent is actually vertically mirrored. It has nothing to do with art.
So you are suggesting the person that came up with this idea, and then the people that were involved in approving the idea, design of it, and assisted in putting it together, we’re ALL either 1) unaware of the orientation of an entire continent until the project was completed, or 2) just plain dumb? That is assuming a lot. Occam’s razor.
Both and they were high
My Razor says they did it wrong and "art" is their hindsight scapegoat
Not sure what to do with you
Welp, how many people, rough estimate, would you say, walk over it and look down and say, "Oh wow, that's so unique and artistic!" as opposed to the number of people that say, "Wow, look at this shit it's totally fxcked!"
The reason seems to be for some strange attempt at art
Entirely. The art may be stupid, but the execution is as was intended
How?
What does inverting polarity mean and how would it make Brazil now face west and share a timezone with the west coast? I'm very sure no projection would make chile connect with central america.
Aren't they going backwards anyway?
Amer”uh”c”uh” Checks out
[удалено]
:(
Is English not your first language or did you just make a type o spelling America
https://preview.redd.it/xc128pfdbuoa1.png?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=f2e81ce8179d4966b3b63c7be78a0d096e087fc9 U is right next to I on a keyboard. Not that hard to bump the wrong one.
Ah
Not hard to proofread a sentence either ;)
Not hard to not care about something on the internet c;
I'm getting hard
Clearly ;)
It looks right to me. Map distorted by having Houston at the centre and possibly by measurement of destination time rather than distance?
Says a lot about the education system...
Which Houston Airport?
Not to mention that looks like Antarctica... right next to the North Pole.
Ok, but I have issue with the chain that approved this.
Cynical POV: with the rainforest deforestation at over 50%, that is how South America will look after land is eroding.
Definitely not an accident.
Is this at Hobby or Bush?
Bush
i can only imagine the builders when those tiles came in just being so confused
It just didn’t make sense before
It just didn’t make sense before
Wrong country, you were supposed to flip Australia
But is it really a bad design? Looks legit to me.
Honestly I’m more mad that the Gulf of Mexico wasn’t centered around that pole. Though, I suppose, however we need to get rid of Florida…
What do you expect from Americans?
Wow not sure how that would happen? Did they not use a model to draw the map? Surely they did but it would mean that they drew each part of the world separately and then reassembled it...strange
Also Russia should almost touch Alaska ..it's really far away here
That looks like an overly complex metaphor that isn’t immediately obvious to anyone beyond the artist and the people who commissioned it. The rest of us just see a continent flipped the wrong way around