The following is an interview with a digital artist from Argentina, who goes by the name of Pixelis. He was kind enough to provide the Spanish version, which was posted earlier, below.
Drew:
I have known you virtually as Pixelis but your real name is Roberto. Is Pixelis just your online identity or is it a moniker you have adopted to identify yourself as an artist who manipulates pixels? Please explain how the name came about.
Pixelis:
The name was created for social networking and comes from the term Pixelismofotografico; a chaotic method for new creations, which is a technique I use for my work, developed from a set of programs and ideas intertwined so that through the destruction of an image arises a new aesthetic.
Drew:
During the day you work in a bank. How does that environment influence your artwork? Would you be doing different kind of art if you were, for example, a mailman?
Pixelis:
No, I do not think my work has helped me. It just gives me a broader view of life and the ephemeral nature of money and its impact on human beings, which is sometimes dehumanizing and insensitive, like during an economic crash, when there is no regard for the fellow citizen. I will entertain the idea of being a postman. That would be more in touch with people and nature. Thanks for the idea Drew.
Drew:
You are from and live in Argentina. What influence does that have on what you do?
Pixelis:
Argentina is a large country, geographically speaking, with vast natural resources and with a lot of people who are intellectual, artistic and scientific. A critical analysis of my country would point to the fragility of memory; quickly fading without political and social continuity. There are huge social differences and little support to make lasting changes. History tells us that the dreams of the citizens are always out of reach and never realized. All of this influences my work; change and chaos.
Drew:
You were born in 1962 so you really got to see computers take over the world from their infancy. Do you think, because of the fact that you speak Spanish that the idea of social networking is a more natural fit for you? What I mean by this is that Spanish is the national language in most countries of South America, and is spoken everywhere in Central America and in much of North America: Mexico and by a large population in the United States. And...it all originated from Spain, so there is a European/international connection. Speaking a world language assumes a very different perspective than being from a small country with a local language.
Pixelis:
Perhaps social networks will save mankind. Networks are the magical invention of the 21st century and for years to come, thanks to which, we can approach and establish human relationships like never before. You can immediately share a work of art; music, painting, or any other manifestation and have a wonderful and sensitive exchange between people online. Spanish is a great language because of the range of places it is spoken and its roots. Every day we are enriched by the history of the international Hispanic community and its great contributions to the world.
Drew:
I have seen some of the pictures from your cyclops series. Do you take the original images or are they lifted from the Internet?
Pixelis:
All images are taken by me at different times of my life. I save them to use later, for the right moment.
Drew:
How has the history of the cyclops in Greek mythology and Homer's Odyssey been an influence on your work? Do you know if the beast was something people actually once feared or was it always a bit of fun, in a fantasy way?
Pixelis:
It is referencing the mythological story of the cyclops, as Homer tells us in his masterful Odyssey, but my take on it is something much deeper. It is a desire to stop being a Cyclops Society and to control the dominant eye, the eye of selfishness. It’s the eye of the social insensibilities and the eye of dehumanizing policies. We should stop having one way of looking at things and adopt a broader view, which is more diverse and can comprehend all our differences as a society.
Drew:
Personally, it's hard for me to look at these pictures. The cyclops is an odd image. On one hand, humans find symmetry naturally attractive in others, but the cyclops is a real mutant and the singularity of the lone eye references the orifices of the male and female reproductive organs and the anus. Although your images are clean and proportional, I read the "defacement" with a kind of repulsion at a gut level. The subject matter makes me feel a bit sick. Is this something you are open to, perhaps even trying for, or do you want everyone to find them pleasant to look at and "cool"?
Pixelis:
Yes, they are strong images that have an impact on the senses, but I think art should grab someone's attention and not be overlooked. The viewer should observe, analyze and consume it. What I want is that each experience is a personal, critical analysis, which starts from the bottom of the senses; from the heart and with love for human beings. It is like looking at ourselves and asking, "I'm doing this for me and for others to leave behind a better world"
Drew:
What other projects are you working on now and what are you most proud of with your achievements?
Pixels:
Right now I'm working on a series called "The Migrants of Dreams”. These pictures are torn from my subconscious to speak of all the people who, in one way or another, must leave their homeland. This migration is not only of the people but how their dreams migrate in order to achieve their desires.
Drew:
Thank you for your time.
Drew:I have known you virtually as Pixelis but your real name is Roberto. Is Pixelis just your online identity or is it a moniker you have adopted to identify yourself as an artist who manipulates pixels? Please explain how the name came about.
Pixelis:
The name was created for social networking and comes from the term Pixelismofotografico; a chaotic method for new creations, which is a technique I use for my work, developed from a set of programs and ideas intertwined so that through the destruction of an image arises a new aesthetic.
Drew:
During the day you work in a bank. How does that environment influence your artwork? Would you be doing different kind of art if you were, for example, a mailman?
Pixelis:
No, I do not think my work has helped me. It just gives me a broader view of life and the ephemeral nature of money and its impact on human beings, which is sometimes dehumanizing and insensitive, like during an economic crash, when there is no regard for the fellow citizen. I will entertain the idea of being a postman. That would be more in touch with people and nature. Thanks for the idea Drew.
Drew:
You are from and live in Argentina. What influence does that have on what you do?
Pixelis:
Argentina is a large country, geographically speaking, with vast natural resources and with a lot of people who are intellectual, artistic and scientific. A critical analysis of my country would point to the fragility of memory; quickly fading without political and social continuity. There are huge social differences and little support to make lasting changes. History tells us that the dreams of the citizens are always out of reach and never realized. All of this influences my work; change and chaos.
Drew:
You were born in 1962 so you really got to see computers take over the world from their infancy. Do you think, because of the fact that you speak Spanish that the idea of social networking is a more natural fit for you? What I mean by this is that Spanish is the national language in most countries of South America, and is spoken everywhere in Central America and in much of North America: Mexico and by a large population in the United States. And...it all originated from Spain, so there is a European/international connection. Speaking a world language assumes a very different perspective than being from a small country with a local language.
Pixelis:Perhaps social networks will save mankind. Networks are the magical invention of the 21st century and for years to come, thanks to which, we can approach and establish human relationships like never before. You can immediately share a work of art; music, painting, or any other manifestation and have a wonderful and sensitive exchange between people online. Spanish is a great language because of the range of places it is spoken and its roots. Every day we are enriched by the history of the international Hispanic community and its great contributions to the world.
Drew:
I have seen some of the pictures from your cyclops series. Do you take the original images or are they lifted from the Internet?
Pixelis:
All images are taken by me at different times of my life. I save them to use later, for the right moment.
Drew:
How has the history of the cyclops in Greek mythology and Homer's Odyssey been an influence on your work? Do you know if the beast was something people actually once feared or was it always a bit of fun, in a fantasy way?
Pixelis:
It is referencing the mythological story of the cyclops, as Homer tells us in his masterful Odyssey, but my take on it is something much deeper. It is a desire to stop being a Cyclops Society and to control the dominant eye, the eye of selfishness. It’s the eye of the social insensibilities and the eye of dehumanizing policies. We should stop having one way of looking at things and adopt a broader view, which is more diverse and can comprehend all our differences as a society.
Drew:
Personally, it's hard for me to look at these pictures. The cyclops is an odd image. On one hand, humans find symmetry naturally attractive in others, but the cyclops is a real mutant and the singularity of the lone eye references the orifices of the male and female reproductive organs and the anus. Although your images are clean and proportional, I read the "defacement" with a kind of repulsion at a gut level. The subject matter makes me feel a bit sick. Is this something you are open to, perhaps even trying for, or do you want everyone to find them pleasant to look at and "cool"?
Pixelis:Yes, they are strong images that have an impact on the senses, but I think art should grab someone's attention and not be overlooked. The viewer should observe, analyze and consume it. What I want is that each experience is a personal, critical analysis, which starts from the bottom of the senses; from the heart and with love for human beings. It is like looking at ourselves and asking, "I'm doing this for me and for others to leave behind a better world"
Drew:
What other projects are you working on now and what are you most proud of with your achievements?
Pixels:
Right now I'm working on a series called "The Migrants of Dreams”. These pictures are torn from my subconscious to speak of all the people who, in one way or another, must leave their homeland. This migration is not only of the people but how their dreams migrate in order to achieve their desires.
Drew:
Thank you for your time.