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Design

Explore A Van Gogh-Styled Google Map

This interactive visualization uses textures taken from actual van Gogh paintings to imagine a more artful globe.

Google Maps and other interactive global maps are certainly pragmatic and immersive, but it would be a bit much to call them gorgeous. The mind reels at what it would look like if an impressionist master like Vincent van Gogh used his hands to re-vamp the whole data tool with some lush brushstrokes. While a full-fledged maps remix—from Earth View to Street View—may not materialize anytime soon, the web has offered us the Van Gogh Map.

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Created by Github user mapmeld, the interactive visualization features various terrain comprised of textures taken from actual van Gogh paintings. The oceans contain swaths of robust blues and greens, while the land becomes more and more intricate as viewers zoom in. The designers used Mapbox GL, a tool for making responsive vector maps through OpenGL, to build the map. It's not as gasp-worthy as NASA's van Gogh-inspired Perpetual Ocean, but we're still game to globe trot with it. Now, we can't help but wonder what a Murakami-made map would look like.

To learn more about the Van Gogh Map click here.

This article was originally published on August 22, 2014. 

Related:

If Van Gogh Painted Oceans: NASA's Artful "Perpetual Ocean" Video

Artist Regrows Vincent van Gogh's Ear Using Living Cells And A 3D Printer

Artist Brings Van Gogh Paintings To Life With 3D Animation And Visual Mapping