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Map Works: Artist uses recycled maps to create striking ocean scenes

There's something truly beautiful about old maps. Perhaps it's the connection they hold between the world we now know and the world our ancestors knew. A documentary of the changing landscapes, maps are historical documents of the most beautiful form.

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Crashing ocean wave composed of layered recycled maps in shades of blue, white and grey, created by Matthew Cusick

Artist Matthew Cusick agrees. Using old maps as a medium, he takes an inventive approach to fusing fine art painting with collage to create these stunning geographical works. Pieces of world maps blend seamlessly to depict raging seas and sideways rain, alongside faultless portraits of both humans and animals.

The colours employed by map makers to differentiate between land and sea add a sense of depth and texture, which almost makes the images appear three-dimensional.

Cusick explains: "Maps have all the properties of a brushstroke: nuance, density, line, movement, and colour. Their palette is deliberate and symbolic, acting as a cognitive mechanism to help us internalise the external.”

Cusick's unique style has certainly not gone unnoticed in the art world. His work has been exhibited across America – from Dallas to New York. He's also been featured in numerous books and has been nominated for several awards. To see more of his work, visit his website.

A swirling ocean wave created from overlapping pieces of vintage maps in shades of blue, green and gold, with a starry night sky above
A crashing wave rendered in shades of turquoise, blue and white, created from layered fragments of recycled maps against a golden sky
Layered fragments of coloured maps depicting swirling ocean waves and movement, created through collage and paint by Matthew Cusick
Layered fragments of turquoise and cream vintage maps form a swirling mountain landscape with textured striations suggesting movement and depth
Crashing wave with white foam and swirling turquoise water created from layered fragments of old maps in varying shades of blue and green
A horse's head constructed from overlapping pieces of blue and white vintage maps showing geographical features and coastlines
Portrait of a person with pink flowers in their hair created from collaged recycled maps in shades of tan, blue and green
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