But one artist has discovered the hidden beauty of the atlas, turning everyday maps into eye-catching portraits.Ed Fairburn, from Cardiff, uses the contours of maps as the basis for pictures of people he knows, and is now taking his works on tour to the U.S.His first map-based work, in September 2012, sparked a wave of new ideas, with the artist going on to adapt maps of places such as Norwich, Shrewsbury, Solihull and Amsterdam.The 24-year-old has now lost count of how many map portraits he has created, with each work taking between a couple of days and a month to complete.Mr Fairburn has started making more works inspired by America, and already has paintings hanging in a gallery in Denver, Colorado.'Towards the end of uni, I created a body of work based upon the structures and patterns found throughout the human figure - and, in 2012, I began transcribing those textures onto pre-patterned surfaces, such as maps,' he said.'They are unpredictable by nature. It sounds a bit dramatic, I know, but compared to handling white paper, it's a real treat to work with an ever-changing surface.'I'm inspired by many things, most of which are difficult to put into words - particular moods, colours, ideas.'Most of the works I produce are portraits of my creative partner, Bobbie Jo - she has a strong interest in paper sculpture and will often cut into our collaborative projects.'If I'm working on a commission the location is almost always important, and usually of significance to the client.'With the self-directed work, I produce the location is less important and I'm more concerned with the aesthetics of the map, but sometimes by coincidence I'll work into somewhere familiar.'The portraits start at £1,000, with the most expensive so far selling for £12,000.(dailymail.co.uk)ANN.Az