This piece is an abstraction and a reflection on the last era, on all that we have built and become. Are we proud of it or has it just been the result of iterating through the days? Since the technology boom, we have experienced great improvements, but perhaps also massive …mistakes?

Inspired by textbooks of the 80s, with elements that remind us of industry, technology, networks and systems, “Unsolicited abstraction of modern times” invites us to question our work to date. Has everything really changed?

Unsolicited abstraction of modern times #2

Tux, the Linux mascot

“The meaning of Modernity basically resides in a new behavior of the man in front of his life. This new ethos resides in man’s confidence in appropriating nature by scientific-technological productive means.” – Bolívar Echeverría

We have witnessed amazing technological advances in recent times, science and technology have allowed us to go where we have never gone before. Specifically, computing makes giant leaps every day and allows us to access almost everything at any time. There is no doubt about all the incredible achivements, but perhaps we should also focus on the other side. We live divided by a fine line between connection - alienation and knowledge - disinformation. Are all the questions still the same ones? This work invites us to marvel at the latest advances, to focus on beauty and comfort, but also to be critical and subject them to strong questioning.

Elements

UAMT borrows elements from Computing History such as geoemtry from early computing graphics and color palettes from industrial design.

Computer Graphics

Tux, the Linux mascot

Industrial Design and Translucency

Thanks to the accessibility of computing, it has become an object of consumption and fashion. The wonderful industrial design with translucent colors of the iMac is an icon of the aforementioned ideas that also turned the personal computer into an object of desire.

Tux, the Linux mascot [CC Wikipedia]

Color palettes

The “Modern Computing” color palette pays homage to the iMac design and its legacy.

Technique

Unsquare composition was made with ❤️ and p5.js

Unsolicited abstraction of modern times #96

Tux, the Linux mascot

Some of my favourite editions:

Unsolicited abstraction of modern times on FxHash