"ESPILX"

ARTIST	Alice Kim
YEAR	2011
MATERIAL	Digital Prints, Paper, Foamcore
DIMENSIONS	11" x 11"
DESCRIPTION	Pixels have served as the basic unit of visual representation in video games for decades. Pixels are arranged in a certain manner that, combined with a large number of others, create a recognizable image for the viewer. Close up, these pixels appear abstracted, but when viewed from a further distance they contribute to a greater picture. MORE... ESPILX serves to draw attention to the pixel's function as a building block, but refuses to satisfy the viewer with an image of representation. What is given to the audience is an isolated, out of context, and thus somewhat nonsensical arrangement of pixels that merely refer to video games, but do not represent them. Early video games often required the player to interpret a real world representation out of the the implied pixel shapes given on the screen. The further abstraction of something already simplified studies video game culture, as the use of pixels commonly implies nostalgia, and the color palettes suggest relations to certain games, which can cause the viewer to make associations to specific games depending on their contact with video games. It is interesting to see that it is possible to make such strong and vivid connections given a minimal amount of information, and conversely to see the pieces as completely abstract and meaningless. << BACK