Phogotraphy

Perfection is so 2007. Unless you’re still stuck in the ever turning escalator of commercialism you’ll have noticed these days imperfections are very much in vogue. So when ultra-hip blog ‘The Rescued Film Project’ started experiencing technical glitches with their scanner, it was like churning out instant art.

In what looks like a malfunction capturing the higher end of the dynamic range in each scan, the near to over exposed objects have been replaced with wildly coloured psychedelic diamond shapes. Clouds have been transformed into fractal patterns along with bright clothing that now resembles the Fear and Loathing wardrobe.

There is an instant connection to be made – at least visually – between these and the Google Deep Dream project. However, the fact that an algorithm hasn’t been intentionally used to create the striking glitches is all the more reason to relish them. The best part to take away from this though, is a genuine hope that digital photography has some of those wonderful flaws to discover too.

The guys behind the scans sure know how to rifle through their archive and choose the most aesthetically pleasing mistakes. Here’s the remainder of the collection for you to enjoy.

Phogotraphy reached out to the guys behind the project to find out if they’d isolated the glitching bug and determined if it was hardware or software. We can imagine, despite the abstract and unintended results it would be welcomed in some digital artist circles. When we know more we’ll post a write-up.

Via The Rescued Film Project. All images used with their permission