The Thirty-Two Inch Ruler / Map of Babylon explores urban landscapes and the textures of place through John Gossage’s detailed photographic observations. The work emphasizes patterns, surfaces, and spatial relationships in environments often overlooked, revealing a complex, layered cityscape.

Gossage employs a contemplative visual strategy, focusing on architectural fragments and street scenes to create a narrative map of urban existence. The images invite reflection on how human presence and neglect shape the visual and tactile qualities of city life.

Published by Steidl in 2010, this 240-page volume consolidates Gossage’s introspective approach to photography, positioning his work within contemporary considerations of place and memory.