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Artist turns Google Maps into powerful Persian rug (pictures)

See the world in a completely different way through David Thomas Smith's incredible geometrical vision of Google Maps.

Christopher MacManus
Crave contributor Christopher MacManus regularly spends his time exploring the latest in science, gaming, and geek culture -- aiming to provide a fun and informative look at some of the most marvelous subjects from around the world.
Christopher MacManus
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1 of 12 David Thomas Smith

Burj Khalifa

Irish artist David Thomas Smith's "Anthropocene" transforms satellite imagery of cities, sourced from Google Maps, into thought-provoking symmetrical designs influenced by the motifs seen in Persian rugs.

The gallery of reimagined cities takes the viewer on a vivid journey from Beijing to Silicon Valley, with an emphasis on the growing impact our ever-expanding societies cause to Earth. The experience "reflects upon the complex structures that make up the centers of global capitalism, transforming the aerial landscapes of sites associated with industries such as oil, precious metals, consumer culture information, and excess," Smith says. "Thousands of seemingly insignificant coded pieces of information are sown together like knots in a rug to reveal a grander spectacle."

"Anthropocene" is on display at Dublin's Copper House Gallery art house through April 16. The artist sells a limited number of his images in sizes ranging from a 2.9 foot by 3.6 foot print all the way up to a massive 4.9 foot by 7.3 foot option.

The 2,722-foot-high Burj Khalifa, the world's tallest building, disappears in the excess that surrounds the structure. A sown together network of city streets and artificial water creates a stunning spectacle. You can see the Burj and its colossal shadow near the corners of the image.

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2 of 12 David Thomas Smith

Beijing International Airport

Beijing's International Airport multiplies into a beautiful form that illustrates a complex relationship between the commercial and residential sides of Chinese life.
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3 of 12 David Thomas Smith

BioSphere2

In this image, Smith seems to see the University of Arizona's BioSphere2 science research facility through the twisted vision of a digital kaleidoscope.
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4 of 12 David Thomas Smith

Auburn Hills, Mich.

Carmaker Chrysler's manufacturing facility, located in Auburn Hills, Mich., looks like a driver's dream -- or worst nightmare. The symmetrical layout of cloverleaf motorway interchanges hypnotizes.
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5 of 12 David Thomas Smith

Delta Coal Port

Vancouver's Deltaport -- Canada's largest terminal for container ships -- facilitates the transfer of 29 million tons of coal every year. The multiplied view of dirty waterways highlights humankind's excessive use of the area.
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6 of 12 David Thomas Smith

Fimiston Open Pit

Smith's vision of the Fimiston Open Pit, an enormous gold mine in western Australia, looks like a landing zone for alien spacecraft.
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7 of 12 David Thomas Smith

Las Norias De Daza

This piece highlights the excessive number of polyethylene tents and greenhouses that make up Las Norias de Daza, a massive agricultural nexus in Almeria, Spain. The lakes turned green from runoff created by the excessive farming.
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8 of 12 David Thomas Smith

Las Vegas

The exceptional number of homes that exist outside the main commercial strip of Las Vegas seems more apparent than ever in this mosaic.
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9 of 12 David Thomas Smith

Mall of America

A dark lake serves as the eerie center of this sown-together image captured over the Mall of America in Bloomington, Minn.
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10 of 12 David Thomas Smith

Silicon Valley

The incredible urban sprawl of Silicon Valley seems more apparent than ever in Smith's rendition of California's technological hotbed.
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11 of 12 David Thomas Smith

Three Gorges Dam

In this image, a wonderful bluish hue surrounds China's monumental Three Gorges Dam. The hillsides and mountains nearby form an impressive geometrical pattern.
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12 of 12 David Thomas Smith

Three Mile Island

Smith's stitching of the Three Mile Island nuclear power plant, located in Middletown, Penn., emphasizes the vast farmland that surrounds the area. You can clearly see how the left portion of the plant remains inactive after the partial meltdown in 1979, while the right side continues to operate to this day.

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