Quayola-Looking Outwards-02

Strata#3

The Strata series by Quayola is a form of digital art combining custom-prgrammed algorithms and traditional cathedral paintings. To be specific, Quayola creates three-dimensional art with layers built up out of “The Triumph of the Name of Jesus”. The process is that the artist would film a cathedral painting in a very high resolution. Then, he will use custom-programmed algorithms to fracture the image in parts and fill color.

At first, the color choice of the geometric shapes prevent me from realizing the essence of the piece; I was attracted to its vintage look. The matching color of the original work, the correspondence of the background music, and the pattern of the geometric shapes, all build up a harmony that admires the feature of the Ancient Rome and also delivers the geometry and iconography of perfection. Continue exploring the piece, I found that this creates a visual metaphor for history. “Strata” here refers to the layers of stones. Although the method of building the algorithms here is not explicitly stated, I observed that the size, color, and the location of the geometric shape is related to the background music and the historical understanding of baroque and renaissance periods. I assume that the artists determine the sizes of each fold and layer first and program them in a way that the shapes interact with other elements. The relationship between complex algorithm and the painterly traditions is most effectively represented in Strata #3 where the geometric shapes are first drawn on the painting, according to the structure of the subjects, the folds of clothes, and the concentration of movements.

Together, Quayola built a successful bridge between the conceptual and philosophical spirits with the scientific and numerical combination of geometric shapes. While the two subjects may seem to be unrelated to each other, they correspond and echo from each other.

Strata #1
(HD Video on 1-ch projection with 2-ch sound, Edition of 6, 2008)

Strata #3
(HD Video on 1-ch projection with 2-ch sound, Edition of 6, 2009)