8pxl 🖼
I found this artist on Twitter. A lot of pixel artists, and artists in general reside on Twitter—it becomes a pretty supportive place when you look in certain places 🙂
There's just something so dreamy about her art, I love love love it.
You guys can find 8pxl's shop + socials if you click the buttons below!
*Compiling this post rn and she has a TUMBLR—just solidifies her coolness that is all~*
Pixel art is one of my favorite types of art. It’s so whimsical and fun, and so, so nostalgic in essence as an ode to older games and consoles. I am going to share with you my favorite pixel artist on the internet.
She is also just a wonderful human being to follow and has the best Twitter updates because she lives in like, the most beautiful place in the world.
Also her dog bento is the cutest floffiest doggo I have seen he hikes and loves nature just like his owner :D
Now, once you really get into pixel art research, there are certain rules when it comes to this art form. For example, painting or drawing with one pixel (a teeny tiny square) at a time inherently limits the artist to somewhat geometric forms. Granularly, pixel art rules break down into lines. Forms, shading techniques, and more—way, way more when you start to include animation!
Also, it’s important to note that all digital pictures are pixelated; however, this does not make them pixel art. Pixel art is the intentional and deliberate creation by pixels as a medium.
Klepto Compulsions 🖼
This semester (Spring 2016), my introduction to internet art, my personal, evolving experience with technology, and newly- learned knowledge of artworks of previous artists, have shed light on the topics of social communities, sharing online, ‘gifting’ content, and role-playing. This project, Klepto Compulsions, quite literally addresses sharing and stealing in both the real and the virtual world.
In 2014 and 2015, a handful of news outlets including Vice, Dazed (and Confused), Jezebel, Tech Insider, and Bustle published various articles on shoplifting blogger accounts exposing this online community to the public. Online ‘lifters’ document and disperse pictures of their ‘hauls,’ the fruits of their illegal behaviors on their personal Tumblr accounts, with hopes of being put up on pedestals in the community. Many of these users state that their habits are merely for roleplay purposes as somewhat ironic security measures, and yet very vividly express themselves as a part of this cult-like community. The community itself, however, is one that is very supportive, inclusive, and protective. Users feed off of each other by circulating posts, memes, and videos, and generate new content by posting their own haul pictures, narrating lifting experiences, reblogging “goal” hauls, and liking and reblogging both old and new content.
In Krasinski’s article on roleplaying in Brody Condon’s “Level5,” she confessed that through her own roleplay of another character, she was able to discover herself, reorient her meaning in life, and break out of a shell with a new and refreshed outlook. The prospect of removing oneself from one vessel and transferring to an empty one can be juxtaposed with the creation of online profiles, the fresh and empty slate we can recreate ourselves with. Readings from The Dark Net touch on various, dangerous communities of the Web. The harm and effect of interactions online are never fully fathomed because of the seemingly bulletproof partition we are all placed behind. The shoplifting community is one of those harmful communities, enabling its users rather than supporting the moral good, claiming to help its users but more likely harming them. The topics of borrowing, sharing, and stealing of content are also relevant to shoplifting, wherein the sharing of physical stealing takes place. Meaning is generated through the sharing of stealing, which provides both affirmation of deeds, and confirmation of acknowledgement.
Upon the analysis of research on active users, current posts, news articles, and Lifterblrs themselves, I have found that the lifting community is more than just a supportive one. Bonded by obsessions, compulsions, or addictions to steal, the community as a whole justifies their own actions, reveling in their criminal success. In this project, I uncover the significance of sharing stolen items on the internet, the displacement of meaning and quality in interactions in reality, and the replacement of meaning in virtual space. I organize the constituents of the community in separate idea bubbles, in efforts to condense and explain my research of shoplifters on Tumblr.
The Interactions
Throughout the course of the semester. I have been scrutinizing this enabling, highly supportive community of shoplifters online. I was immediately drawn towards creating meaningful relationships with these anonymous, faceless users online, and I wanted to explore the constraints and limitations of this community (if any). Although this project began as extensive research into the community, I wanted to test just how accepting and enabling these group of online users were. I started by direct messaging users with my personal Tumblr account, one with posts from a few years back, to gain rapport with the members of the community.
Through these interactions, my predispositions of the community were verified. First and foremost, I found that users were open to answering questions regarding the physical process of stealing. Using their firsthand experiences, they provide tips and other forms of advice to aspiring shoplifters in hopes of sharing memories and experiences with new friends.
I posed myself as a “new and fleeting lifter” and asked for advice or tips on going on my first lifting spree and creating my own hauls. Out of all three interactions, I found that the one with princessklepto was the most significant. The longest interaction with also with princessklepto, the most infamous and longlasting lifter still active on Tumblr.
Despite the media outing in the past years, princesslkepto has been more than active for the past four or so years. Disregarding her reputation, she was the most open and responsive among all the users. From her Tumblr page and my interactions, I suspected that princesskeltpo was in high school, possibly sixteen or seventeen years of age. She commits a lot of effort and time to produce original and more importantly, helpful, content for her visitors. She has a page specifically dedicated to her guides which include detailed, step-by-step directions on how to properly steal from stores. Because I was so eager to receive princessklepto’s messages, she reciprocated that eagerness with her own excitement through the exchange. Trying to examine the threshold and extent of her compassion, I tried keeping the interaction going for as long as possible.
Kleptomania
Kleptomania, an impulse disorder previously listed in the (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Mental Disorders) DSM-IV, has been removed from the DSM-V. Kleptomania, with a handful of other self-control relating behaviors because of “insufficient evidence to retain them as distinct behaviors.”
Kleptomania, or the extreme enthusiasm shared by many people for stealing or shoplifting, is very real.
The evidence?
On Tumblr.
Although operatively defined as a mental disorder, I will be using kleptomania to refer to the shoplifting culture of users on Tumblr, and their obsession of sharing the stealing.
This project’s purpose is to ethnographically study the shoplifters of Tumblr and in turn, create a Tumblr that analyzes the constituents of the community.
Users
Tumblr is a platform that allows the customization of both blogs and communities with an artistic flair. As an internet platform, the social media site allows users of all over the world to connect over shared interests, hobbies, and materials. Tumblr is most commonly associated with aesthetically pleasing pictures or words and is a tool specifically designed for the sharing of art.
Demographically, the majority of users on Tumblr between the ages of 14 to 30 and are female. The collection of shoplifters I was able to expose myself to were all female and were between the ages of 14 to the late 20s.
With the research I have done, I composited a profile of the shoplifter on Tumblr:
Name: Jane Smith
Age: 16
Weight: 100 lbs
Height: 5′5′’
Ethnicity: Caucasian/White
Occupation: Student, sophomore in high school
Personality: very likeable, charistmatic, sweet talker
Hobbies: Going to the mall
Social relations: exclusive, sticks to her clique
Dislikes: Teacher’s pets, parental authority, people
Role Playing
For security purposes, lifters state that their blogs are for roleplaying purposes only. That they are only pretending to be the individuals they collage themselves out to be: thieves.
In class, we read an article regarding Brody Condon’s art piece, “Level5,” where volunteers participated in LARP, or live action roleplay. The article touches on the processes of of self actualization through the roleplay of someone else. In order to completely look at ourselves, we must first remove the self from the body completely, we must separate the spirit from the vessel.
Being cluttered with stressors of the modern age, our lives have become cluttered with so much technology. We are constantly creating the same versions of ourselves, stamping our faces onto every social platform, and creating a virtual presence in fear of losing some degree of human interaction.
Roleplaying on Tumblr, although it is suggested that all users to decrease the chances of being caught, lifters on Tumblr are roleplaying as their true selves, and possible roleplaying as “other” in their own realities. Tumblr creates a space in which people can indulge in their vices, feed each other’s egos and addictions, and most importantly, identify with other lifters online.
#HAUL
#haul is the hashtag used social media platforms to represent the amalgam of materialistic items an individual has gained at once. It is a symbol of wealth and is used for public bragging or private inventory. #haul was and still is one of the most popular hashtags used on Tumblr, a jumbled, virtual space wherein individuals crave the tangible and the intangible. When typing in #haul on tumblr’s main page (www.tumblr.com/tagged/haul), pictures of lifter hauls outweigh real bought hauls. The lifter community on Tumblr is definitely regenerating itself and is capable of doing so for a very long time. With lifter hauls noticeably bigger and more expensive when juxtaposed to real ones, feelings of curiosity, greed, or envy are sparked within oneself. From books to bras, cameras and clothes galore, lifter hauls aren’t visual representations of socioeconomic wealth, but rather are indicative of personal crimes against the law, and are meant to show other lifters – and the public – just how much they can get away with.
The Community
Clicking through reposted pictures of hauls, memes, and questions of various lifters is how I found the community. The community is an enthusiastic one, a helpful one, a protective one, and an obnoxious one.
Shoplifters of Tumblr circulate memes, hauls, and posts to maintain interaction; the sharing of stealing is done in many ways. Veteran users post how-to guides and pro-tips, others like and reblog jaw-dropping hauls, some users even upload tag removal videos to aid newcomers and novices. Reblogging and liking posts are virtual behaviors that show appreciation and show solidarity to the community.
Users are commended for their hauls and seemingly impossible feats when they are validated through the actions of users. Most commonly through comments insinuating “goals,” social quips used to state one’s inspirations and future goals.
After the news blast in 2014-2015 of the existence of the shoplifting community online, many users backed out of the scene fear of getting caught, or because of the exposure and the attention. Some Many users deactivated their accounts, while a few kept posting regularly despite the new audience. Fear of the lifter community growing smaller and smaller exists, with a few users leaving sporadically.
Yet, it seems as if the existing users are making up for the lost presence and new and old users are interested in the scene. While haul prices were near the hundreds when the community was fledging, they are now in the thousands, per haul.
The sharing of information in the virtual is cushioned by anonymity and a sense of privacy. Users connect through processes of identifying with one another through similarities and empathy. The social interactions in the virtual space are more valuable than ones in reality to many lifters, the lifting community a cushion they can always fall back on for support, comfort, or motivation.
Lifter a la Lifter
Like any other online community, a sense of duty and protection over members is implemented. In the shoplifting community, this is done through tips & tricks on methods to cheat the law, the sharing of personal experiences and stories, and reblogging posts directly on one’s wall to share and spread random but relevant information
Such a supportive community blurs the lines between sharing, enabling, and supporting, with the sense of support convoluted with the act’s criminal nature. As a member of the online bling-ring, one must have each other’s backs to provide back.
Lifters support each other directly by participating in public debates with non-lifting strangers and wanderers. The peace of the community is disturbed, but imitating reality, the two distinct sides of the argument are present.
A sense of social activism seems to also be deeply-rooted in the community, with the moral compass turned upside down. Users feel like it not only okay to steal, but that everyone is deserving of the choice to steal. Some shoplifters steal from specific corporate companies such as one’s that test support and part take in animal testing, one’s that have enough money, and also ones that have enough supply. It is a general rule among lifters to not steal from small stores or ma & pa shops because it would be considered “wrong.”
The Void
In this virtual space, shoplifters from all over the nation feel as if they are in a safe space. Sharing pictures of hauls, guides and how-to’s, and even personal narratives on Tumblr is routine for these users. However, the virtual space is an unrealistic one. It is one that is ever-changing and is an experience in which one navigates through him or herself. Yet, lifters of Tumblr cherish this place, maybe even prefer it to reality.
There is a displacement of meaning in reality to virtuality. Stealing is not the act lifters are passionate about doing, it is sharing stories, pictures, and tips on how to steal: the sharing of stealing things is the passion.
Most, if not all, societies condemn stealing; we look down at criminals. However, the lifters of Tumblr boast about their habits, flounce their luck, and offer advice to those seeking refuge in a criminal community. It is an all-inclusive community that enables its users, that feeds on the addiction, and that constantly reminds users of endless reasons to steal.
The community itself is irreplaceable, as the sense of affirmation and likedness cannot be found anywhere else to shoplifters. Because the community is online, there is a barrier between physical contact, but no barriers between the emotional. The existence of technology unites these people who commit crimes against the law, creating an intangible space in which nothing else can duplicate.
The Glitch Between Art & Technology 🖼
It all begins with an idea.
I.
Today, technology’s dominant role in society is indisputable. From mobile phones and online dating, to virtual education and computer- based security systems, human dependence on technology has deep-rooted itself in society. As technological inventions prove to stand tests of time and utility, the application of technology --its essential integration of the arts and sciences-- is encouraged more than ever. The fusion of technology and art can be seen in everything around us; however, the use of technology in art manifests itself as a new field of interdisciplinary study. Technology is the new medium; a medium so malleable and infinite, that it is used to achieve a supernatural dimension of experience.
II.
The impacts of previous technological advancements in design can be seen through works from various art historical movements such as Dadaism, Russian Constructivism, and the Art Deco Movement. Artists from these movements explored and incorporated technology through photography and photomontage, new uses of the printing press, and direct inspiration from inventions such as railways and steamship lines. Unlike these historical examples, however, design in contemporary culture is not merely influenced by technology-- it is completely transformed. The end twentieth century and the beginning of the twenty-first experiences a Digital Revolution in design, while visual communication is wholly reconstructed with the “medium of digitality” (Giselle).
III.
As we move towards the second decade of the new millennium, artists and designers who were once novices of the medium are evolving into experts and artisans. Technology has become the “next-level” of design, attracting more prospective clients than before. Some designers such as Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama, use technology in their studies of medium exploration. Yayoi Kusama’s “Infinity Mirrored Room—Filled with the Brilliance of Life,” currently installed at the Broad Museum, is a mirrored room surrounded by a canvas painting. The myriad of tiny LED lights installed on a canvas give the illusion of stars and lights, the ground and the sky, infinite space: “Kusama has consistently explored the play of infinite repetition within infinite space, creating a continuity of images without beginning, middle, or end” (Kalter-Wasserman). This space allows an intrinsic and ephemeral experience for the viewer. He or she faces the mirror and recognizes one’s existence among infinity. The technology used in the work adds another dimension to the visual experience. The tiny LED lights shift viewing perspective while mimicking a view outside a plane window.
IV.
Technology as a medium is not only explored in the visual arts, but in the performing arts as well. Electronic music of any kind (e.g. house, dubstep, trap, tropical house, trance) has always been a genre of music devoted to the use of computer-made sounds. However, the experimentation with computer-based sounds and technical machines such as synthesizers, is not only prominent in electronic music, but also (even more so) in other genres such as pop and rap. DJ’s, or disc jockeys, are multiplying as electronic music experiences a revival in mainstream culture, also accompanied by their VJ’s, “the artists that create a harmonized, visual component to further the audio performance of the DJ” (Bach).
Technology has most profoundly impacted the direct musical experience (i.e. concerts, shows, festivals, and raves) with the use of motion graphics, stage design, interactive installations, and LED design. Iconic festivals such as Coachella and Burningman are famous for the artworks chosen to be showcased annually. While spectators appreciate the art around them, a new level of experience is truly achieved with the combination of auditory and visual-- a new kind of musical spectacle.
V.
Creative agencies and design studios are also shapeshifting to accommodate this quasi-artistic trend as it calls for more, somewhat intangible art in virtual reality rather than tangible work with traditional materials. Visual communication is redefined through technology as “designers are no longer designing a one-way communication...we are designing a two-way interactive dialogue between a person and a technology-- we are literally facilitating the relationship between man and machine” (Giselle). Creative firms such as The Meta Agency, Invisible Light Network, and Electronic Creatives are pioneers in new communication as well as expert communicators of technology, shown through the immense success of past projects as well as a loyal and expanding client base.
All three of the companies mentioned above were constituents in the production of Porter Robinson’s most recent album tour, Worlds. Working as a collaborative team with the client’s proposal in mind, the end result presented itself in a colorful music video of Robinson’s imaginary, “glitchy surrealistic” world (Pangburn). The Meta Agency’s alma is:
“[to] inspire changes in human behavior by combining intelligent ideas, beautiful artistry, spirited music, interactive technology, trending fashion, engaging virtual reality, and unforgettable spectacles. We specialize in the Art of Being There.”
The goal: to create a completely immersive, multi-sensory production, one that is dynamic in nature and (the experience) subjective to individuals.
Robinson’s show in particular, was dedicated to different worlds and “escapism,” drawing inspiration from virtual games, iconic Japanese art, and the soundtrack of the visuals (upbeat tracks with unique layers and lyrics).
VI.
Technology as a tool has brought us closer to our imaginations and the impossible. It can allow the creation of an entire illusion (Worlds) or serve as an indirect reminder of reality (Infinity Room), making the unreal real, or the real, unreal. Technology has also fostered a global network of interconnectivity, allowing users to literally connect with one another through the touch of a button. Individualism in today’s culture is highly encouraged and pressured because of this availability of information: everyone starts with a generic “profile” with the ultimate task of mimicking - or recreating - one's reality (friends, family, personality, etc.) into a virtual, simulated one.
Yet, a socio-cultural revival of humanism is apparent, which can be seen through the increase in quality of life. The celebration of man and woman is done every day, every second, as the dependency on human-made inventions (technology) exponentially increases. Through technological advancements, the upgrade of art and design, and the deemphasis of natural and visual realism, a rise in the importance of craft, form and function can be seen. Most importantly, it has created a truly unique interdisciplinary focus between the arts and sciences. Technology has the power to fuse the world of design together, the world composed of thinkers, artists, engineers, teachers, mathematicians, graphic designers, students, and all in all, creators.
References
Bach, Nastasia. “Top 10 VJs in Underground Electronic Music.” DJBroadcast. Blueprint Media, 7 Oct 2015.Web. 5 Dec 2015.
Davis, Meredith. Graphic Design Theory. London: Thames & Hudson, 2012.
Giselle, Eva. “The Digital Revolution of Design.” The Loop. The Loop Media, 5 Jun 2013. Web. 5 Dec 2015.
Kalter-Wasserman, Sasha. “From Zero to Infinity: Yayoi Kusama at the Guggenheim.” Guggenheim. The Solomon R. Guggenheim, 5 Jan 2015. Web. 2 Nov 2015. <http://blogs.guggenheim.org/>.
Meggs, Philip B, Alston W. Purvis, and Philip B. Meggs. Meggs' History of Graphic
Design. Hoboken, N.J: J. Wiley & Sons, 2006. Print.
Pangburn, DJ. “An Inside Look at Porter Robinson’s Electrifying ‘Worlds’ Tour Visuals.” The Creators Project. Vice, 24 Sep 2014. Web. 5 Dec 2015.
“Porter Robinson ‘Worlds’ Tour Visuals.” META. The Meta Agency, 2015. Web. 5 Dec 2015.
“The History of MTV.” TimetoToast. Time to Toast, 2015. Web. 5 Dec 2015.
The Dark Net Part II 🖼
It all begins with an idea.
These sections of the book focus on the topics of child pornography, the Silk Road, and cam girls on the Dark Net. Through these chapters, the author successfully cements the permanence and weightiness of a single click online. From purchasing illicit drugs, to accidentally consuming child pornography, to endless donations of tokens of sorts to girls between a screen, Bartlett successfully examines the mysterious link between customers and content-providers in addition to the dissociative effect of all users in crevices of the Dark Net. With this juxtaposition of the real and the digital, readers are allowed to part take in the observations of the very real relationships and interactions in the virtual world to the ultimate and permanent consequences that result in some alliances. Stories of real people such as “Michael” and “Vex” not only create pathological connections to the audience, but also allow readers to imagine themselves in these character’s IRL people’s situations. Beginning with the strenuous topic of child pornography, Bartlett uses chapters in his book to create a balance of the benefits of the risk of the Dark Net. The Internet is changing the world of business through the accessibility of certain/all/illegal things, creating opportunities to every kind of entrepreneur. For example, the chapter regarding the Silk Road provides endless data proving the capitalistic success of the online black market. Although the dealing of drugs is all in all is illegal (drugs are bad, change people, etc), the creation of an website that makes “untraceable” transactions that not only attract more customers, but also compel online sellers to be more and do more. This is manifested through excellent customer service, something the existing drug business does not (and will never?) have. With the internet comes a slew of new money-making opportunities like the online drug trade, such as the evolution of porn through cybersex (compu-sex) and cam porn. Virtuality is completely bleeding into our reality, we, as users, are only feeding this process indefinitely. However, it is important to note that the internet, in conjunction with all its online services, are available to anyone and everyone. Children and teenagers are not only susceptible to ending up on a wrong site and seeing the wrong thing, but they can also unknowingly become victims and be exploited through the screen.
The Internet’s Own Boy 🖼
It all begins with an idea.
After watching this documentary, I felt more than a sense of appreciation for such an intelligent individual. I remember news of a “reddit co-founder’s” death spreading across the news and social media outlets and remember thinking, “Huh, I wonder who that is.” The documentary on the boy genius is so well made that by the end of the film, the viewer is left with a vague outline of what Aaron Swartz was (through what he did) and a vivid image of what kind of person he could have been (when standing in his presence). He embodied the Enlightened individual and used his powers, his intelligence, his steadfastness, and his morality for good. Swartz’ was superior to the machine through intelligence and was proof of a quality most users do not have today: the physical power over technology, man winning over machine. Being the forefront of social activism in technology, fighting for things like the modification of outmoded laws, the right to privacy, and deleting censorship, Swartz was truly an inspiring leader and trailblazer of all sorts. Aside from credibility, Swartz was a transparent individual, adamantly sticking to his moral compass in all situations. Applying existing rules and laws to the evolving contemporary society is proving to be exponentially difficult each day: with more people, there are more ideas, more money, and endless amounts of egocentric or capitalistic claims. Watching this documentary, snippets “The Gift” reading resonated with me. As Hyde mentions in his book, everything is a binary, and opposing art is capitalism. Technology, connectivity, and accessibility were all viewed as art Swartz’ eyes, with capitalism and the government tainting this art in some way. Without Swartz, no individual would have gone to such lengths to break the law in order to fix it, to make known that it needs to be changed, it was his “moral imperative.” The internet would not be as “free” and accessible today if it weren’t for one boy who dreamed of a world with no limitations and restrictions in terms of intelligence and creation.
On the Writings of Troemel 🖼
It all begins with an idea.
Brad Troemel’s article regarding the concept of Relational Aesthetics and applying them to contemporary, virtual communities is an in-depth analysis of the nifty art practice in comparison to sensational social media sites such as 4chan. Troemel’s perspective on the fusion of art and technology is unique, as he takes on a more social approach by applying the idea of Relational Aesthetics, the art and study of human relations in specific social contexts to internet communities such as 4chan. The internet exists today as a portal to a virtual reality– an infinite platform created to make accomodate every and any type of user. The byproducts of the world wide web therefore hold the secrets and inner workings of contemporary culture due to its accessibility and availability. The internet however, although infinite in terms of pixels, bytes, and intangible space, is a dog-eat-dog world. Although it can accommodate all it’s users, a sense of survival of the fittest among its most prolific users. The constituents of the internet can be categorized into the users and the content. The users of the net are a unanimous, collective identity. Although no hierarchy blatantly exists, a cult-like operating system is created by veterans of the internet language, those who know the unspoken rules of the culture and push the limits. The internet uses a never before seen communication model and language, one with possible the most abstract “semiotics of communication” the public has ever seen, a decoding game of marco polo between faceless numbers. Why not take Relational Aesthetics and apply them online? 4chan, an anonymous platform and form of social media, represents the extent of freedom of expression online. Troemel uses various sources to accurately define Relational Aesthetics, “the art of appropriation” and progressively moving towards “sharing as the collective ideal.” Although Troemel uses 4chan as his primary evidence, all users of social media sites across the spectrum identify with simplified symbols and messages of culture, and then choose to participate in the sharing of them (in various forms) as a validation of the message. The internet is undeniably an important (if not the most crucial) component of contemporary society. Innovations in technology have manifested a tangible culture that transcends time, place, and people. The internet and everything on it will be there forever– it is a permanent part of the now and will always be in our future. Users online perceive a sense of identification with other users, with people like themselves. Everyone is (virtually but) physically in the same place, creating the illusion of a collective identity, sense of self, and the same type of person. Therefore, it is an environment where, Troemel argues, concepts such as Relational Aesthetics could and should thrive. As the separation between virtual reality and physical reality becomes fuzzier, it won’t be soon before long until virtual realities overtake our physical realities.