Many of us have been on a phone call that suddenly drops. This simple flaw in technology is a glitch. This wild glitch happens without outside intervention. Artists have now purposefully started to glitch digital files to create distortions in images. Jeff Donaldson describes this process as the reorganization of existing material- pixels, image data, code, and script. This method heavily relies on concept and places less value on the outcome of the image. For example, some artists who do glitch art insert song lyrics in the script to convey meaning, or may insert the script of another image withing their own to create comentary.
I created glitch art with the use of my own pictures. I support many green movements and being eco-friendly is a large part of my identity. I am constantly making choices that will benefit the planet and I hope that others will do the same. I decided to make a statement by glitching "green" photos I have taken in multiple scenarios. To glitch these photos, I deleted script from the images. This method was used to create commentary on the way we are slowly deleting the natural world around us. See images below.
Donaldson makes an interesting point by claiming that the artists hand no longer dictates the outcome. Glitch art heavily relies on concept and removes much of the technical abilities needed in art making. For that reason, I would not recommend that art teachers include this type of project into their curriculum. High quality art is the combination of technique and content. Although there is a strong emphasis on content, I believe that students also need to learn how to manipulate the media they are using. Embracing the flaws and mistakes in art can be helpful to some degree, but the reliance on repetitive unpredictability does not seem fulfilling to me. Valuing our mistakes allows for helpful reflection and growth, but it will not make you a reliable artist if you constantly lack control.
SOURCE: "Glossing over Thoughts on Glitch. A Poetry of Error" by Jeff Donaldson. Art Pulse.