Timeless Icons in a Digital World: The "LOADING" Series

Icons of art and culture, such as those highlighted in my pixelated "LOADING" series, endure the test of time only to be incessantly repackaged and displayed on tiny screens to an audience that often barely recognizes or comprehends them. Through a digitally distorted yet hyper-real lens, I scrutinize these icons, inviting viewers to examine them closely while playing with perspective.

These pixelated images offer at least two distinct readings: they appear jumbled and incomprehensible up-close, yet nearly complete from afar. However, no matter how long a viewer examines them, the images in my drawings will never fully "load" and, therefore, can never be entirely consumed.

The inspiration for this series arose from my recent immigration to the United States. During this time, a terrible phone plan frequently disrupted my attempts to consume digital media. This experience made my life feel perpetually "loading," much like my phone screen, and my spatial instability in the real world seemed tied to an insatiable hunger for digital distractions.

Each original pixelated drawing in this series serves as the basis for its own digital cityscape, divided into bite-sized plots of art real estate. Though the image behind the pixelation remains inconceivable, its pixelated form is readily parceled out and "printed" into physical existence as sculpture.