Grid-14

Grid-14 uses over 10 different shapes reflected over the y axis, which is notably more than most gridz we've seen so far.

In Grid-13 we talked about the pareidolia phenomenon and its leak over to the world of artificial intelligence.  Facial recognition is a very specific sub-set of objects our minds are able to identify.  As I revisited this piece in order to write this description, two images quickly came to mind: the first being a lion's face and the second being Baphomet, a 19th century image of a "Sabbatic Goat" created by Eliphas Lévi and adopted by many cults and traditions as a satanic idol.

Both of these images are very powerful; one is a top predator in the animal kingdom while the other represents evil in most western Christian traditions.  It came to no surprise that my brain found these images and quickly plugged them in to Grid-13--what was surprising was how fitting they actually were:

The match between the lion and Grid-14 is, in my opinion, easier to process as it relies heavily on facial-recognition, which is one of the most common image-recognition processes for the human brain.

 

The match between Eliphas Lévi's Baphomet and Grid-14 is more complex and probably harder to correlate even though the match is clear when the images are superimposed.  The face fits the triangular center in a similar fashion as the Pentagram.  The horns, chest, wings, legs, and even feet happen to fall in seemingly matching sections of Grid-14.

tags: 
visual, gallery, art, design, gridz

Add new comment

CAPTCHA
This question is for testing whether or not you are a human visitor and to prevent automated spam submissions.

Introducing Gridz

Gridz are abstract art pieces with the following characteristics:

  • Have a minimalist design
  • Are drawn using a grid as aguide (usually from 8x8 up to 20x20)
  • Use only staringht lines that start and end at grid crossings
  • Use repetition and space creatively and thoughtfully
  • May implement familiar/thought-provoking shapes and symbols
  • Do not use suggestive titles
I created gridz sometime around November 8, 2013, which is Hermann Rorschach's birthday.  Rorschach was a psychologist that developed the famous "inkblots test" as a psychoanalysis method.  The idea of something so seemingly-simple as an inkblot provoking such deep-rooted thoughts to surface fascinated me.
 
Another concept behind gridz is Piet Mondrian’s style of abstraction (i.e. Broadway Boogie-Woogie).  Mondrian abstracted or “simplified” his compositions to the extent of reducing elements to vertical and horizontal lines and primary colors.  Similarly, gridz are highly abstracted and limited which makes creating them a straight-forward and relatively simple process (like inkblots!).   Ironically, this abstraction and simplicity are what allow gridz to serve as windows to deeper and more complex ideas.  In other words, gridz speak directly and clearly, with minimal interference so that the minds of both creators and viewers can take the spotlight.
 
Gridz share many similarities with mandalas: spiritual and ritual symbols used in Hinduism and Buddhism for meditation and trance induction.  Mandalas are generally square-shaped and use symmetry, repetition, radial balance, and many other elements that are also common in gridz.  These stylistic elements in combination with a variety of shapes can make gridz highly meditative, taking both the creator and viewer on a journey of self-discovery through association.  This process of meditation and discovery is very personal and can differ greatly between viewer and creator.
 
Other styles of art using similar elements to gridz are:
 
Regarding the use of descriptive/creative gridz titles: Initially, before completing the 30 Gridz Series, I had envisioned eliminating the use of creative/descriptive names for gridz and adding this restriction to the list of characteristics listed above.  The intention behind this restriciton was to extend the minimalist nature of gridz and prevent any additional influence that the title may cause on the observer.  For instance, if I called a grid "Bird", the viewer would immediatly think of a bird before even experiencing the piece.  Instead, for the 30 Gridz Series I used a sequence of title names in the follwoing format: "Grid-XX".  After completing the 30 Gridz Series and experimentally tagging them with descriptive names, I noticed the pieces were instantly more popular--people liked being guided by the title.  I decided to make the use of suggestive titles optional, but in its purest form girdz will have non-descriptive titles.
tags: 
visual, gallery, art, design, gridz

Gridz

Grid-30 - 05/05/14
Grid-29 - 05/02/14
Grid-28 - 05/01/14
Grid-27 - 04/29/14
Grid-26 - 04/25/14
Grid-25 - 04/24/14
Grid-24 - 04/23/14
Grid-23 - 04/09/14
Grid-22 - 03/24/14
Grid-21 - 03/14/14
Grid-20 - 03/11/14
Grid-19 - 03/05/14
Grid-18 - 03/04/14
Grid-17 - 02/28/14
Grid-16 - 02/21/14
Grid-15 - 02/19/14
Grid-14 - 02/14/14
Grid-13 - 02/10/14
Grid-12 - 02/08/14
Grid-11 - 02/05/14
Grid-10 - 01/30/14
Grid-09 - 01/28/14
Grid-08 - 01/17/14
Grid-07 - 01/17/14
Grid-06 - 01/15/14
Grid-05 - 01/14/14
Grid-04 - 01/06/14
Grid-03 - 01/01/14
Grid-02 - 01/01/14
Grid-01 - 01/01/14