I’ve been pretty busy lately pursuing glitch art. I’ve been trying out different techniques (though, not a hex editor JUST yet) and seeing what I can come up with. It’s been getting pretty interesting now.

I spent some time looking in to the different file types and how they can be manipulated and discovered something very fascinating about files that can be either interleaved or non-interleaved. TIFF files can be non-interleaved which saves the red, blue and green values of the image in to separate ‘layers’ of the file, if you want to call them that. When I open the file up in Audacity the sound wave is a series that is almost identically repeated three times. These three iterations are the three sections of the file, so I can cut a section out and move it to the front of the file. This will entirely shift the RGB values of the image. Cutting and pasting smaller sections will shift it around even more. Cutting and pasting LOADS of sections will make an image that makes me feel like I’m on LSD.

Of course, as always, I love some of the raw, gritty looking images that the echo effect can create. That’s the last two images here. It pretty much copies the layer but somehow applies this grain effect that just finishes the look off.

But as much fun as it is to experiment, I’ve just now started to branch in to possible uses glitch art has that would be something I can make money from. Everyone’s got to put bread on their table. I asked myself what applications it has, and really I think it has all the applications that any other image has. But just like every other image it’s all about the context. For most of the things I have in mind subject matter varies hugely; albums, books, film, posters, editorial, etc. So just like how quirky, Jon Burgerman style monsters have a place in the world, so does glitch art. Both as a method of creation and an aesthetic for expression.

I started by thinking of cyberpunk. The style definitely fits. Sitting on my shelf are two different copies of the Blade Runner DVD and a paperback of Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep. I felt that was a good place to start.

And here you are. Three iterations of covers made using the techniques I’ve picked up the past while. I won’t say that there wasn’t any Photoshop involved, they’re not raw glitch. The base photographs are stock photos from stock.xchng, a surprisingly good source of free stock. The male is a middle aged man, represending Deckard himself. The female examples are both mannequins. I based these images on the Rachel’s character. The android with the implanted memories.

I think that the style really works for this book, it really fits with the sci-fi theme and is different from the usual noir style that accompanies Blade Runner.

More to come.