We’re all familiar with the routes in our lives—the streets we drive along on our way to work, the trails we trace as we move from one home to another, or the maps we gaze at as we plan our vacations. Art reveals itself in these patterns, as shown in this clean, graphic representation of New Orleans created by Zatista artist Fred Doyle:

New Orleans, LA, by Fred Doyle — Digital on Canvas, 24.0 ” x 36.0 ”

Some artwork based on maps uses novel media. This map by Aaron Koblin shows the contours of the United States through commercial airline traffic:

Aaron Koblin’s “Flight Patterns” shows a real-time image of the aircraft flight paths over the United States. Courtesy of the Victoria & Albert museum

Or this artwork by Simon Elvins, which used blind embossing to depict the quietest parts of  London, using data from a British government agency that maps noise levels in order to adhere to European Union noise regulations:

SILENT LONDON by Simon Elvins Blind embossed etching - 735x500mm - Edition of 10

Others show places reimagined in very personal ways:

SIMON EVANS Home Country, 2008-9 Paper weaving 58 5/8 X 42 1/8 inches courtesy of James Cohan Gallery

Or produce accurate renditions of actual places in novel ways. Here, a rolling stamp of Santa Monica that produces a map of the city on the sand:

Santa Monica Art Tool by Carl Cheng-photo courtesy of jdlasica via Flickr

You can see more examples in The Map as Art: Contemporary Artists Explore Cartography by Katharine Harmon (Princeton Architectural Press; 2009)

Courtesy of the Princeton Architectural Press