Maggie Orth
Art, Technology, Design

Blip, 2010

Media: Hand-woven cotton, conductive yarns, silver ink, silk-screen ink, thermochromic ink, drive electronics, electrical parts, and expressive software. 16 textile pixels. 28" x 32" x 6"

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Blip is one of seven pieces in my "moving toward stillness" series. Color-change textiles have a finite working life. Over time, as the piece runs, the bright colors are burned onto its the surface, creating a permanent record of software and physical artifact acting together. I call this process evolving toward stillness.

As it's title suggests, this piece is a Blip of action or life surrounded by an infinity of stillness. All technology art fails. All life fails. We are all moving toward stillness.

The electrical materials of the piece have symbolic and magical properties as well as functional ones. Here they bring life, energy and motion to what is normally still.

Blip uses a minimalist vocabulary and presents the electronics and wires as sculptural elements. This 16 pixel piece is printed on a grey and white double weave. Large yarns are bundled with conductive threads to give texture to the surface and changing color areas.

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