Basic Information

Title: Dither Studies #33
Artist(s): Daniel Temkin
Date Created: 2011
Framed Dimensions: 18 x 25.75 in.
Unframed Dimensions: 15.75 x 23.5 in.
Medium: inkjet print on paper
Inventory ID: Temkin-2011-01

Description

signed and numbered 1/1 on the back of the paper

Dither Studies began with an accident in Photoshop: applying a small color palette to what should have been an empty field of color created instead a complex, seemingly irrational pattern. This was an error diffusion dither: perhaps the fundamental algorithm of digital photography. Applied to a lack of content: a solid color or gradient, and using sharply contrasting colors, these patterns designed to be hidden are revealed. These images are the original version of Dither Studies, still images shown on-screen or as inkjet prints

Dithering allows an image to be represented by a smaller number of colors. Each pixel is rounded to the closest color from the given palette, and the error is rounded to the surrounding pixels. Ordinarily, this process is invisible. Dither Studies makes it as visible as possible by dithering images with no content: either solid colors or simple gradients. A color palette of complementary colors is used so they never visually recombine. Although the dithering algorithms are simple to understand and rooted in a simple logical process, the resulting patterns feel complex and irrational.

 

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