It’s possible to approach things from different perspectives.
Take this little tidbit plucked from Neatorama. Helmut Smits, a conceptual artist, decided to create a new work based on a nuance of Google Earth. He has burned an 82 x 82 cm square in an open field, the exact size of one pixel from an altitude of 1km. The piece is meant to emulate a “dead pixel”.
Which is where perspectives come in. See, to Helmut Smits, this razed patch of earth represents a flicker of imperfection in a global surveillance project. A giggling brown “fuck you” borne skywards. Yes. It could be that. Or, it could be a square of grass prised up and rationalised by a postgrad who wanted to smoke it.
Though to be fair, isn’t that how all great works of art are created? From a desire to get high and/or impress people whilst high? That’s the Dutch for you! Getting high and faking art! Fuck you, you clog-wearing fucknuts!
…And that, my friends, is how to alienate the Dutch.*
/Paul
(link via Neatorama)
*I’m Dutch, so it’s sort of ok. Also, I had a dream I was raped by a windmill last night. Still a wee bit on edge.
10 responses so far ↓
1 obsidiantears83 // Apr 17, 2009 at 12:24 pm
this is actually making a lot of sense to me right now.. however, this may be because I didnt get any sleep last night… V-infused fumes are wafting around my office right now.
Its also days like this that Fight Club makes a LOT of sense…. I am Jack’s smirking revenge….
I now want to go out and make a gigantic pixelated design for the next time google is updating their maps…… I wonder how many squares I would have to burn to make a dragon or a smiley face? My parents have 120 acres – i think that is my big project when next I fly home!
2 Fiona // Apr 17, 2009 at 12:36 pm
liking the pixel
3 Pedantic Bob // Apr 17, 2009 at 12:37 pm
Sir,
I do believe that you are Dutch only in the same sense that I am Ethiopian.
Yours Faithfully,
Mum
xxx
4 Broccolini // Apr 17, 2009 at 12:38 pm
I imagine this will be as annoying to Google Earth as it is when you get a pixel burnout on your monitor. Once you’ve noticed it you see it all the time. and thus it irritates the fuck out of you.
5 Andrew McMillen // Apr 17, 2009 at 12:59 pm
Maybe they’ll just airbrush over it.
6 Beaudacious // Apr 17, 2009 at 2:05 pm
Has anyone gone to Google Earth and checked?
7 paul // Apr 17, 2009 at 3:33 pm
Haven’t checked Google Earth yet, no. But I do know there’s a cover of Maxim magazine somewhere in the Las Vegas desert. Eva Longoria… Ew.
8 foges // Apr 17, 2009 at 7:11 pm
Is it art, or is it the Coming of Basement Horse?
9 Jay // Apr 17, 2009 at 9:38 pm
hehehehe
i think this is great.
i thought privacy issues meant that google earth couldn’t publish new photos/images until a certain period of time has passed ???
10 Nerds of a Feather wrap-up, April 21st! // Apr 21, 2009 at 8:56 am
[...] Helmut Smitts has recreated a dead pixel on Google Earth, and we had a chat about… stuff. At this point in the show I seem to recall having some sort [...]
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