Diskt Painting by Nick Gentry

Nick Gentry (Nick Gentry) is an aspiring British artist who declared himself amazing paintings from old used floppy disks, audio and video cassettes. It would be more correct to say that outdated media serve as canvases, and at the same time complement the drawings. Influenced by consumerism and cyberculture, recycling and reusing things, Nick puts a philosophical emphasis on the personal life of the multifaceted “user.”

In 2006, he graduated from St. Martin’s Central College in London. Gentry explored the impact of technological progress on our society. At this stage, he came up with the idea of using outdated personal media as canvases for his paintings: it is a vivid and clear way to tell about the evolution of information.









In the past, it was, to put it mildly, inaccessible: During my childhood, in the 80s and 90s, these media media played a huge role in my life, in my way of knowing the world. Popular movies, music, games and even their own notes were stored on them.

For many people, all these things are not of interest today: even if the tape contains recordings of important family events or, say, live reports from concerts of favorite musicians, they prefer to digitize.

About floppy disks and talk not necessary - because they fit only some two megabytes, which by modern standards is no more than "pshick".





But the loss of “authority” in the eyes of humanity is not the only problem of material data carriers: now environmentalists are most concerned about how to get rid of them without harming the environment.

Nick Gentry knows how to solve at least some of these problems, and is ready to help: I appeal to people to donate their floppy disks and films, explaining that their “thing with history” will be in the gallery, not in the trash can. But most often I have to buy them online, the artist sighs.

The master spent his own reserves a long time ago, still being a beginner in his unusual business. But the fact that his personal information was on the floppy disks served “to bring the author of texts and the artist closer to the audience.”

Of course, these excerpts from life will never be read again, but this does not negate the profound symbolism of such a creative time machine.

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A couple of decades can dramatically change the fate of technical “new products”: today they are in demand, and tomorrow they turned from a useful invention into unknown junk in a landfill. However, Nick Gentry believes that in the life cycle of floppy disks comes a new round.

This happens with most things: first they become obsolete, and then turn into precious “rarity”, “vintage” and “collection lots”. And floppy disks are no longer needed in the computer world, but they open the doors of the art world.

About the young promising artist today writes not only the British press, because his artwork was shown outside the UK – in galleries in the United States and individual cities around the world.

Perhaps Nick makes only his contribution to the care of the planet, but by his example, the artist inspires people every day: to think and analyze, succumb to nostalgia and boldly look to the future, protect nature and find new uses for everyday things.





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Source: /users/104