I just came across this passage in Smackerel: When bevelled edges were cool :

Low-res requires abstraction, and abstraction requires understanding. Abstraction amplifies meaning by cutting away noise and leaving only essentials. Hi-res lets us get away with not abstracting. Understanding low-res makes our hi-res work better. [From Smackerel: When bevelled edges were cool]

It seems particularly relevant given the current popularity of low-res, high-concept games like Passage, and The Majesty of Colors.

Fascinating project posted on infosthetics. I wonder if it would be possible to mod google earth to do something like this?

Here & There [schulzeandwebb.com] is an experimental projection, here as a horizonless map of Manhattan that looks uptown from 3rd and 7th, and downtown from 3rd and 35th. These maps are intended to be seen at those same places, putting the viewer simultaneously “above” the city and “in it”, both looking down and looking forward.

The projection seen here is a combination of city manipulations in 3D modelling software, and choosing the best lens for the simulated camera. Hand modeling is required to avoid the nearby buildings to obstruct the view, or the distant ones stop working as a conventional map. About a tenth of the city is re-built by hand, then textured.

[From Here & There: a Horizonless Projection of Manhattan]