We often think of digital art as this ethereal thing, code and pixels floating around with no grounding in the real world. But the more I work with this medium, the more I find a surprising tangibility in the pixels I manipulate, and in the act of coding itself.
I mix light instead of pigments to create color, shape and form. The soothing, staccato sensations of typing, although different from holding a paintbrush, allows me to create rich and expressive work. Using transparency, I layer pieces together to create depth and texture on my canvas. Though the work can disappear at the press of a power button, it feels like I’m using a more physical material than I originally thought.
‘Figs.’ immerses you into these thoughts by examining them through the perspective of digital expression and daily communication. Vivid, juicy fruit is presented as pixels on a digital canvas. Layers of text build up like paint strokes, each word triggering a different sensory experience.
The fruits, symbols of themselves, are then revealed as shadowy letters roll down the screen. This act simultaneously brings the fruit into being and conceals parts of the text, prompting thoughts on hidden meanings and nuance.
I’ve chosen to use the fruit emojis in this work as a representation of all emojis, and how we use these symbols to add emotion and subtle detail to our written communications. Although existing solely in the digital realm, they serve as a bridge between the physical and digital dimensions of human expression, sometimes revealing and at times concealing the true meaning behind our words.
Figs. is part of the Bright Moments Paris Collection.