PIXELATED

BY FRANKLINTILL

Virtual and real worlds are colliding as a new wave of designers brings visual representations of the virtual world to real-life situations, employing the humble pixel to inspirational effect. Technological innovations such as open-sourced software, 3D scanning and printing and generative computer programmes, opens up the design process to a whole new world of possibilities and creative ideas. Designers and artists alike create a real-world aesthetic representation of the digital world – pixels, glitches and gigabytes become a continual source of inspiration, combining and contrasting low tech processes and high-tech visual references. 

‘The Glitch Reality II’ tea set by Plummer Fernandez creatively explores the possibilities of digital fabrication and 3D scanning by scanning a non-matching tea set. The digital mesh files are then roughly repaired and 3D printed to create a new tea set that inherits the glitches from the analogue-to-digital-back to-analogue translation.

Alba Prat’s Digitalized fashion collection takes inspiration from virtual worlds. The polygonal textured garments appear to convert garments into pixel form, an analogue ‘trompe l'oeil’ digital landscape that appears to have created through a computer render. Likewise the ‘Lo Res’ collection by United Nude uses computer software to determine the shoe design. Points on the original item are created by the software that are then altered in density to abstract the shape.

Designers are also making analogue machines to create digitized interpretations of real product, which in some cases leads to physical glitches and errors. Designer Julian Bond uses his Pixel Casting Machine to create unlimited variations of the his pixelated ceramic vessel allowing the user to create their own one off forms. The machine is made up of over 1300 moveable sticks, which when reconfigured create a new vase mould. 

Maike Fransen simply uses a pixel screen to distort the human body when stood behind.

A unexpected sophisticated colour palette for this digitally inspired direction is composed of soothing pastels combined with petrol blue and lacquered brown to create a fresh, considered and unobtrusive palette.

Colour:
GFSmith: Naturalis Absolute White Smooth 400gsm
PANTONE 600 U
PANTONE 5035 U
GFSmith: Colorlux Claret Gloss 306gsm
PANTONE 313 U
PANTONE 5455 U