Nina Katchadourian

http://www.ninakatchadourian.com/maps/worldmap.php

Another hidden map-series by well-known artist, Nina Katchadourian. She is known for these compositions of book titles:

 I think her map compositions are less well-known, but fascinating and very innovative. It seems like such a simple change, one of the first things you think about when considering rearranging the world- but Katchadourian makes it visible and accessible. It really is a whole new way of looking at things. Take a look: 

Katchadourian has this to say about her process: 

I made this map in college in response to an assignment, and it marks the beginning of my work with maps. Using a blade, I took apart a paper map, moving pieces over to a large piece of paper which I watercolored the same blue as the ocean in the original map. Gradually, the world was reconfigured. I often reconstructed words using presstype in places where the names of countries had gotten truncated. There were switches based on historical or geopological factors (Western Europe inserted into West Africa); others were based on formal correspondences or quirks of the map itself. Australia and Alaska had the same green border color, for example, and fit perfectly together due to the distortion of scale that occurs towards the poles.

I love this one- what's the Midwest good for anyway? Just kidding, I'm an Oklahoman, after all...