ABSTRACT
This is a paper about how and why we should make the maps we produce more ‘artistic’. Such a concept seems fundamentally crazy to most of the academic community as common sense tells us this would reduce the accuracy of maps, remove their scientific rigour and detract from their objectivity, veracity and power. I investigate the cartographic process and these common misapprehensions to highlight that even the most scientific of maps are merely subjective abstractions rather than objective representations. Highlighting the importance of tailoring your map design to your audience, I explore alternative artistic mapping techniques that offer up opportunities to communicate new messages to non-academic groups.
