Tangentially related, I like this really simple experiment with map simplification from a few years ago: http://adamsmith.as/blurry_maps/
Obviously not nearly as involved as this, but a nice example of what a really simple transform can do aesthetically: It just median-filters Google Maps, which has the effect of removing text, simplifying boundaries, and producing large flat color areas.
Obviously not nearly as involved as this, but a nice example of what a really simple transform can do aesthetically: It just median-filters Google Maps, which has the effect of removing text, simplifying boundaries, and producing large flat color areas.