TzAR: Pixel Art Profiles #7 – time, Kit Valo, Mariana Ju
Kyle Flemmer profiles three composers of abstract pixel artworks included in the forthcoming Tezos Art Review (TzAR): Pixel Art Anthology.
Speaking generally, abstract art is based on simplified or schematized forms, texture, and the materials of creation. In painting, for example, abstract art sacrifices figurative representation in favor of attention to paint as a medium of pigment on canvas. The mark itself takes center stage rather than what the mark supposedly depicts. Abstraction exists in pixel art too and, as you might expect, foregrounds the mechanics of the medium. These mechanics can include the rectilinear grid of the pixels, the pixel as an individual unit of composition, a restricted color palette, the close proximity of these solid cells of color, the gestural movement of the mouse, or even the specific quirks of the software used for illustration.
The TzAR: Pixel Art Anthology would be incomplete without a healthy dose of abstraction. A major driving force behind this book is the need to re-evaluate what the pixel is capable of and how it works as a medium across a wide variety of creative practices. Given what I have said above, abstract art is one of the best places to look for artists who are asking these very questions. Of course, the line between abstract and representational art is blurry and must remain so by necessity. In my own practice I’ll oftentimes use character sprites—i.e., the individual frames of animated pixel art characters used in video games—as rubber stamps or individual units in a larger composition, and I would still consider this abstract pixel art. Ultimately, what interests me most about abstraction is its experimentation with form at the margins of the medium.
“For this edition of Pixel Art Profiles, I’m highlighting three artists who push pixels into abstract realms. Do not look for familiar faces or objects here. Instead, look for the ways that pixels share space on the canvas and consider how the marks themselves engage your eye.”
time
song for the missing map to sentient bird lighter than it seems by time, minted June 26, 2023
Artist statement: “I make art since I was a child and I have stopped to think and consider what could it mean to me to make art or what does it mean universally if there's a possibility for an answer to that and to think if there is any chance of any answer about art. Most is my work is abstract but this isn't a rule. I think of communication in art as a field were a shared experience happens more than the delivery of an information item from a creator to a consumer.”
Kit Valo
Oceans Fall by Kit Valo, minted March 17, 2024
Artist statement: “I use ProPaint and Deluxe Paint in ways beyond their intended purpose, merging retro digital tools with contemporary abstract art. My process is spontaneous, intuitive, and guided by flow and curiosity. I create without fixed intentions, allowing each piece to unfold naturally through exploration. The result is an unpredictable and playful interaction between digital precision and human imperfection, bridging past technologies with present-day abstraction. By surrendering control to the creative process, my work embraces the unexpected, offering a visual dialogue on chaos, spontaneity, and beauty in imperfection.”
Mariana Ju
𝖌𝖆𝖗𝖉𝖊𝖓 by Mariana Ju, minted April 4, 2022
Artist statement: “The works presented in this anthology are part of my Digital Collage collection, created entirely using KidPix.app. My artistic journey begins with writing, often short poems, which serve as the foundation for exploring visual forms through pixel art. What captivates me about KidPix is its unique limitation on undo actions, which allows me to embrace and learn from mistakes as integral elements of the creative process. My aim is to create a space where the boundaries between the digital and physical worlds blur, allowing my works to exist and interact in both realms. I explore the role of mistakes in creativity and how imperfections can become essential components of both the final piece and the creative process.”
TzAR: Pixel Art Anthology will be published by The Blasted Tree Publishing Co. in August 2025. Stay tuned for more Pixel Art Profiles in the coming weeks as we prepare the book for publication!