To create glitch art is to stumble upon it. The spontaneous nature of the glitch gives little leeway to creation, leading artists towards methods to induce them in their work. This process is called “databending”. The very term reflects the user’s knowledge of digital technology, which glitch artist Benjamin Berg (a.k.a. stAllio!) utilizes to a surprising level of sophistication. Exploring the mechanisms of “The Wordpad Effect” influenced his resulting body of work.
“The Wordpad Effect” is a method of corrupting an image file by simply opening the file in Microsoft Wordpad and saving it out. Wordpad is a word processor that will convert the image into text. Re-opening the file as an image produces an image not unlike a glitch. It seemed simple enough, though to Berg there was more to the process than meets the eye. The last part of his three-part blog entry on the effect reveals the coding involved. Essentially, every dark pixel is replaced with an added byte.
“[Wordpad] just replaces an almost-totally-black pixel with a slightly-less-black pixel, but every time Wordpad replaces a 0A, 0B, or 0D with 0D 0A, it adds one byte to the file.” (his emphasis)1
This explains how the effect functions, specifically why color shifts to the right of the image and why darker images exaggerates this effect. Menkman, a theorist and a glitch artist, researched the existing file formats and documented her results in “A Vernacular of File Formats”. She achieved similar results using stAllio’s method of the Wordpad Effect, adding that the altered RAW image “shows by abrupt discolorations and general image shifts”.2 More importantly, stAllio! found that uncompressed RAW and BMP image files withstands the process better than the compressed JPEGs.3 Non-interweaved images sets the color layers apart and splays out according to the amount of dark pixels are present in the original image.
Knowing the mechanics that creates the Wordpad Effect gave stAllio! some control over the glitched image. The gallery below displays the tight control he gains over the image data, from experimental works to making specific statements in later ones. Utilizing a hex editor and applied math to locate part of a photo allows the artist to channel the effect in a specific area. stAllio!’s head is the only piece of an otherwise ordinary picture that is affected, narrowing the interpretation of the piece from the fragility of digital technology to one of identity. Manipulating the data in such a way allows an artist to make certain statements, rather than leaving the entire picture distorted and the piece speak of the general dissaray of data.
“The Wordpad Effect” is not only used for recreational purposes. It can also be a tool to explore image files properties via reverse engineering. Manipulating data embedded in image files allows the artist to peek into the computer’s internal structure. The artist can strip the image like a demolitionist strips down the walls of a house and the foundations of the structure peek through. What stAllio! and other artists will make of such knowledge has yet to be seen.
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| Girlputer Bent Raw. stAllio! |
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| Getting ahead of myself. stAllio!. |
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| Modesty. stAllio! |
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| My mind is blown. stAllio! |
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1. stAllio! “stAllio!’s Way: Advanced Wordpad Editing Explained.” stAlio’s Way, October 8,
2010. http://blog.animalswithinanimals.com/2010/10/advanced-wordpad-editing-explained.html.
2. Menkman, Rosa. “|| | Bitsbits Bits____________________ ///////////////ЯOSΛ MEИKMΛN~~~@~~~DIRDIRDIR A:??blogspot? ____________________________________| ||.” || | Bitsbits Bits____________________ ///////////////ЯOSΛ MEИKMΛN~~~@~~~DIRDIRDIR A, August 8, 2010. http://rosa-menkman.blogspot.com/2010/08/vernacular-of-file-formats-2-workshop.html.
3. stAllio! “stAllio!’s Way: Databending and Glitch Art Primer, Part 1: The Wordpad Effect.” stAlio’s Way, August 7, 2008. http://blog.animalswithinanimals.com/2008/08/databending-and-glitch-art-primer-part.html
Interesting article. I never knew that this was considered art until being introduced to this reading, and I have much respect for the process behind it.--McKel
ReplyDeleteBeing that I do not have the most intimate knowledge of technology, I find this post very interesting. I would never think to even try this, but people have managed to make a complete art form out of it. I think his explanation is great and dumbs it down enough for the rest of us. His work is really interesting, especially the blend of CMYK coloring in My Mind is Blown.
ReplyDeleteThe use of colors and the way is used is very interesting and mind boggling when it comes to this form of Glitch art. My favorite picture is "My Mind Is Blown". Not only compositionally is it enticing but the use of colors and expression draw me to this picture.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Emily, your explanation on how we can make a glitch art helps me to understand the art. I am sure stAllio! spends a lot of time on his art, and not only that he is diligent and smart, he also has a sense of humor. The way he name his art shows how he is enjoying what he is doing, and this feeling transfers over to his viewer. Very interesting article, thank you for educating me on how to do glitch art!
ReplyDeleteI think stAllio really helps create a guideline between what should and what should not be considered art. While all of it is replicating a glitched image, taking the time and the effort to really become precise with how that glitch is performed is what makes it artistic in my personal opinion.
ReplyDelete- Jon Bayens