The perception of landscape as a medium for culture connects well to the creation and interpretation of maps. While maps often depict more explicitly scientifically driven motives, the influence of cultural and political powers is evident. Landscape is framed by the perception of place within a cultural context, and a map tells of a certain cultural phenomenon in time.
Similarly, maps tell the story of what the cartographer wants you to see, and landscapes tell the story of what the artist wants you to see. “Landscape is ideal, not real estate” (Mitchell 6). Even Betsy Wyeth’s creation of Allen is an idealist landscape. She recreated an island and its cultural definition based upon what landscape she had envisioned–clearings, ponds, building the blockhouse, recreating the sail loft. All of this allowed her to transform landscape in terms of her perception of the place, of what she thought Allen once was, and what she wanted it to represent–forming landscape. Betsy is an artist in this regard, she uses Allen as an artist would a painting, or a cartographer would a map. It is still recognizable, but the physical form of place is always changing. Clearly landscape for her is not stagnant, but instead is malleable to her own desires–putting ponds in because it seemed like the island needed them. In this sense, her imperialism on Allen is a tremendous example of Mitchell’s historical proposition. Culture and landscape is defined by the interpretation of those who have influence, and Betsy has been the sole influence of Allen, interpreting previous cultures in ways that make the island her own.