Rocaterrania is a country located in part of what's often known as the North Country of New York State, bordering on Canada. At least, it's there in the mind of Renaldo Kuhler, its creator, who has been imagining -- and sometimes physically creating -- the nation's politics, fashion, and artifacts since he was a teenager on his family's ranch in Colorado just after World War II. The son of Otto Kuhler, who designed the Hiawatha passenger trains of the Milwaukee Road railway, Renaldo needed an escape from ranch life. He invented a nation of forward-looking Eastern European immigrants with a vibrant, distinctly un-American culture. He warns, though, "it is not a Utopia." He has drawn, painted, and been the nation's history. He created its language, Rocaterranski, and alphabet from Yiddish and Spanish and German. Rocaterrania is a large-scale work of fiction but sometimes the way Kuhler speaks, it sounds like he believes it's really there. Kuhler now lives in Raleigh, North Carolina and is known about town for his Rocaterranian garb.
In 2009, Brett Ingram released a feature-length documentary, entitled simply Rocaterrania, about Kuhler and his until-then-secret creation. View the trailer here. I first learned of Rocaterrania at the American Visionary Art Museum in early 2010. AVAM suggests educators encourage students to create their own world (warning: PDF). Brett Ingram has appeared previously on Metafilter.
In 2009, Brett Ingram released a feature-length documentary, entitled simply Rocaterrania, about Kuhler and his until-then-secret creation. View the trailer here. I first learned of Rocaterrania at the American Visionary Art Museum in early 2010. AVAM suggests educators encourage students to create their own world (warning: PDF). Brett Ingram has appeared previously on Metafilter.
