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I entered grad school struggling to figure out how to reproduce images created with analog video synthesis and signal processing. I was in a phase of painting full room murals drawing inspiration from the patterns I was generating from my simple analog setup. While at Alfred I tested various ways of trying to replicate the images created in the analog video realm. I initially tried upscaling an NTSC image from 480p to an image 200x its original size trying to make a custom wallpaper using photo tex. However, the upscaling created tons of unintentional artifacting. After that I took a step away from trying to reproduce images with large scale print falling back onto painting until I could figure out a better way. I spent that time learning touchdesigner and bending neon tubes.
When I decided to create a pattern generator to replicate/simulate the aesthetics of an analog video pattern generator I knew I needed to design it in such a way that the image can be set to any desired resolution;
within the hardware limitations of the computer running it of course. Doing this created a whole new world of possibilities. The images were no longer constrained to a predetermined resolution. I was enabled to seamlessly go from SD to HD to 4k and beyond while maintaining the same parameters for the patterns being generated.
Having the Resolution unlocked is especially useful when wanting to export stills for print because it enables you to have a much higher pixels per inch (ppi) then what is normally available when taking a still from a video. An image taken from a video is typically only 72ppi, whereas
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First Semester Instillation Process of Installing Photo Tex printed with upscaled Analog Video images. (2020)
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First Semester Instillation final install shot. (2020)
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Studio Mural work in Progress. drawing inspiration from analog video synths. (2020)
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Instillation shot of three prints from a series of canvas prints streched on found wood. (2022)
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with VideoDrugz you can export a 300ppi image if you’d prefer, allowing for better quality images for prints.
Every canvas print in my thesis show was designed as a custom size based on the measurements from found wood panels and using basic math to ensure the image was at least 250ppi or higher depending on whether the computer could handle the image size without crashing.
As this series progressed I started getting a deeper understanding for the instrument I had built. I started mixing multiple patches together even using some as strictly a key source, layering another pattern on top of the key. Trying to compose images for prints enabled me to approach image generation differently than I had previously experimented with. In my early video making with VideoDrugz I primarily focused on what could it do on its own. The real discovery I found in the process of making prints was what two or three VideoDrugz could do in concert with each other, because I constructed VideoDrugz in a modular way, with an UI that made it easy to connect multiple copies of my systems together.
While I was making these discoveries I also returned
to this want for objects to be layered on top of paintings.
I had experimented in the past with layering physical objects onto the walls of murals I’ve painted. I also experimented with ideas of painting on canvas, though those never saw the light outside of my studio.
I had a few acrylic panels lying around that I wanted to laser cut but hadn’t figured out what to do with them.
I had a vague idea to cut an image from an analog synth still image but realized I could make the design with VideoDrugz and it would be a way clearer image, making it better to convert to a vector image for laser cutting.
I decided to layer the cut panels on top of some of the prints with it elevated a few inches from the canvas for the colored acrylic to cast a colored shadow. I also found it interesting how the colored acrylic shifted and defused the colors of the print.
As a kid from Southern California neon was everywhere and during my time at Alfred I was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to learn how to bend and pump neon tubes. I can’t help but associate neon with video. I remember the neon in the movie theaters
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or in the video rental stores of my childhood. Through my research I also realized the close relationship the CRT shares with neon since the bulbs are processed in a similar manner.
As this series of prints progressed I knew I wanted to incorporate neon with the canvas as an added ascent, a leading line that emanated light. I wanted to incorporate
some form of electricity to the prints since electricity plays an important role in the generation of the images.
This interesting relationship develops as I layer various materials with images generated with a single instrument of my own imagination and form complex abstract compositions that evoke nostalgic memories from the past.
Instillation shot of three prints from a series of canvas prints streched on found wood. (2022)
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One of the seminal prints in the series is a piece titled Racing on Rainbow Road to Valhalla in that it was the first print I decided to layer acrylic and neon on top of a digital canvas print. The next print I decided To layer is the print titled Late Night Drive on the 405 which pushed this use of mix media further since I also attached plastic road lane markers I found a few years earlier.
Late Night Drive on the 405 is an obvious reference to a common experience that any Southern California resident can instantly identify with. A ubiquitous experience that is also personal. For me this piece harkens back to late night drives home reflecting on the day’s experiences. While some of those memories have faded the experience of the car ride home hasn’t.
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49 in X 36 in
Archival Print on Canvas, Neon, Laser-cut Acrylic streched on found wood
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Pineapple 48 in X 42 in
Archival Print on Canvas streched on found wood
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79 Burning Rosebud
32 in X 49 in
Archival Print on Canvas streched on found wood
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81 Flushing Pills
48 in X 24 in
Archival Print on Canvas streched on found wood
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Late Night Drive on the 405 48 in X 24 in
Archival Print on Canvas, Neon, Laser-cut Acrylic, Plastic Pavement Markers, streched on found wood
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85 Untitled
48 in X 24 in
Archival Print on Canvas streched on found wood
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Abducted by an Alien Virus 120 in X 36 in
Archival Print on Canvas, Acrylic Paint, Neon, Lasercut Acrylic, streched on found wood
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Early sketches for neon layered onto canvas print (2022)
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In the tiki room 36 in X 36 in
Archival Print on Canvas streched on found wood
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99 Untitled
36 in X 28 in
Archival Print on Canvas streched on found wood
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Untitled 30 in X 30 in
Archival Print on Canvas streched on found wood
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