One day a guy from Japan discovered GPS art, which is the practice of using a GPS device while travelling along a predefined path to produce a large-scale digital drawing. A form develops once the route is uploaded to a mapping application like Google Earth.
Yasushi ‘Yassan’ Takahashi thought: What if he prepared a path across all of Japan that read “Marry Me,” and then displayed the result of his Journey as his proposal on Google Earth? In June, he left his work and began a carefully thought-out trek from the island of Hokkaido to the coast of Kagoshima.
His “Marry Me” drawing was finished after six months and 4,451 miles. Thanks to the idea, he won the Guinness World Record for the largest GPS sketch ever.
Watch a Film about Yasaan’s Journey
Yassan is one of several artists using GPS technology and platforms like Google Earth and Google Street View nowadays.
The novel’s original marriage of travel and sketching is one of its appeals. While some people love the creative challenge of painting anything from pigeons and dinosaurs to fictitious creatures, runners and cyclists use it as inspiration to switch up their routes.
The final product is only constrained by what individuals can imagine and how far their feet can carry them. View a collection of GPS artwork made by international artists.
Takahashi flew from the island of Hokkaido in the north of Japan to the coastline of Kagoshima in the south of the country to write this message in GPS.
On his 31st birthday, he embarked on the adventure, quitting his job and setting out on a six-month journey.
Takahashi has never travelled outside of Tokyo until his GPS journey. With his work’s help, he could travel to various new locations and spend the nights sleeping in his automobile.
What is GPS Art?
GPS art is creating an image on Google Maps or Strava using an app to track your travels along predetermined routes (a fitness tracking app).
The GPS tracker is activated and set to follow you when you travel to particular destinations. You turn it off if you don’t want your movements monitored because it doesn’t work for the drawing you’re trying to create. Once finished, you publish it online and have a work of art.
GPS art is not a coincidence. You can’t just start travelling a path. It must be carefully and diligently planned. It is, therefore, a very precise art.
In just five hours, the story of Yassan’s magnificent proposal has received over 17,000 views and countless heartwarming compliments. Google even tweeted the poignant proposal take of Yassan.
