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50 years ago, when Jerry Gretzinger made a doodle of some rectangles and a railway station, he did not imagine that this project would turn into something much larger.
After adding an extra sheet of paper, Gretzinger knew that he was building his own world, and added a farmland, a forest and cemeteries to accommodate his population.
Called Ukrania, Gretzinger keeps track of his imaginary population on an Excel spreadsheet, waking up every day to mix paint before he expands his universe.
Almost as though he is playing a game of chance, Gretzinger uses a deck of cards, picking one out to determine how he should expand his world.
Sometimes, he draws the “void” card and leaves blank spaces in the map, which “attacks” the citizens, although he does help them orchestrate their defenses against it.
It seems as though he is playing God, but Gretzinger feels that he is an “observer” amidst the goings-on in his world.
He intends to work on it for another 20 years, and admits that this labor of love cannot be finished.
Watch Gretzinger talk about his creative project below, or have fun with an interactive online version of the map.
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[via Oddity Central, Jerry Gretzinger]
Click image to view enlarged version
Click image to view enlarged version
50 years ago, when Jerry Gretzinger made a doodle of some rectangles and a railway station, he did not imagine that this project would turn into something much larger.
After adding an extra sheet of paper, Gretzinger knew that he was building his own world, and added a farmland, a forest and cemeteries to accommodate his population.
Called Ukrania, Gretzinger keeps track of his imaginary population on an Excel spreadsheet, waking up every day to mix paint before he expands his universe.
Almost as though he is playing a game of chance, Gretzinger uses a deck of cards, picking one out to determine how he should expand his world.
Sometimes, he draws the “void” card and leaves blank spaces in the map, which “attacks” the citizens, although he does help them orchestrate their defenses against it.
It seems as though he is playing God, but Gretzinger feels that he is an “observer” amidst the goings-on in his world.
He intends to work on it for another 20 years, and admits that this labor of love cannot be finished.
Watch Gretzinger talk about his creative project below, or have fun with an interactive online version of the map.
[via Oddity Central, Jerry Gretzinger]