I met Kirk Crippens at the Photo Alliance portfolio review in San Francisco a few weeks back, and was psyched to view his project Pixel Nation. I liked that the images in this series isolate everyday textures we take for granted, revealing the unexpected.

Crippens reports that while photographing pixels he discovered an ornate world of color and structure that he photographed at varying magnifications. Crippens: “Many of the photographs were taken with long exposures while the images on the screen were changing. This process meant that I did not know what the photo would look like until after the image was captured. With analog television ending in 2009, I decided to include the patterns of older screens, the pre-pixel screens. Changes have occurred in pixel design over the years – from the simple dashes and dots of early color TVs and computer monitors to plasma’s gaseous pixels and HD television’s intricately designed pixels. The ubiquitous pixel has been transforming just under our gaze.” Behold, the lowly pixel!

Sony Trinitron

Images courtesy Kirk Crippens