Addressing the value of art in cartographic communication

Contemporary methods for depicting the earth and its cultural and natural attributes use graphic and non-graphic formats, maps and map-related artefacts, for visualizing geography and building virtual landscapes and environments. The discipline area of cartography, traditionally, has applied art (design), science and technology to map making to design and realise these products. Prior to the mid-1950s, cartographic artefacts were built under the theoretical and practical ‘umbrella’ of this partnership of art, science and technology. However, since then, the theory and methodology associated with visualizing geography has focused on Science and Technology, and away from Art. This ‘move’ away from art was accelerated by: (1) computing, computers and complete automated systems; and (2) the ‘quest’ to gain ‘scientific legitimacy’ by using scientific visualization as a lodestone for gauging the ‘quality’ of theories and applications.Science and Technology has been embraced by cartography as a means to ensure that what is presented is scientifically ‘correct’ — products are considered to ‘work’ if they are scientifically ‘elegant’, ‘technologically’ ‘buildable’ and ‘deliverable’ using contemporary communication systems. But, it is argued, science or technology, need not always take on primary roles, and there now is a need to address the role that design should take to facilitate the further development of contemporary cartography, especially in the areas where new media has been applied to facilitate the building of geographical visualization tools.This paper will address how, by incorporating art elements into the design criteria of geographical visualization artefacts, ‘different’ visualization tools might be provided using all three elements of cartography: art, science and technology.