Many definitions of cartography refer to it as a mix of science and art. This post will focus on the art element.
The artistic side of cartography is what attracted me to it as a career path – it is a method of visual communication through which you can exercise your creativity. It is the creative process that I really enjoy – taking something from an idea right through to completion.
There is no such thing as right or wrong with regard to maps – they are an interpretation of geographic phenomena which can be either accurate or pure fantasy. There are strong links between the worlds of art and cartography and some of my favourite map designs sit in this space.
This article has some great examples of ‘creative cartography’ from 15 artists
Here are some examples of artistic maps that I have enjoyed recently:
You can also find more examples on my pin board
2/8/2013 – Just found this article with some awesome examples of map art
cartoblography 