Pizza is the most beloved food in America, and likely the world. However, it often means different things to different people. When my family moved to Rhode Island (a mere 45 minutes from our home in Massachusetts), we encountered a totally bizarro form of pizza that is known only in Rhode Island: The Pizza Strip. Every single birthday, Bar Mitzvah and board meeting has these things. It's a thick piece of focaccia bread smothered with sweet and salty tomato sauce, no visible cheese and cut into strips. It's served cold, and leaves a visible residue of grease on anything it touches. Is this pizza? 7 year-old me didn't think so, but I was told it was pizza enough times that now I think it counts. There aren't many restaurants that sell this style, but every Rhode Island bakery will have some version of it.
We included a few chain pizzas because they are so ubiquitous throughout the country that their flavor defies any other style.
It's also a gimme, since the map itself is shaped like a pizza.
I collaborated with Alli Miller, NYC-based artist on this one.
ABOUT THE IDEA
Information is more fun to read when it's beautiful. I've designed these charts and maps with hours of research, reassembling data into a brain-friendly aesthetic. I edit the information significantly, avoiding the "dazzle" effect which occurs when our eyes are battered with too much information. Letterpress makes it even more gorgeous.
ABOUT LETTERPRESS PRINTING
Letterpress is a very complicated and expensive printing method that I am obsessed with. All letterpress prints are slammed with 600 pounds of pressure, creating a deep, tactile texture. The ink gets embedded into the thick soft paper so it won't fade within your lifetime. Read more about letterpress printing here.
Your local frame shop is going to do a better job than anyone else. There's a reason this craft endures and cannot be automated: It's skilled work that is best done face-to-face in physical space.
See more framing ideas here.
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