Discrete Data Easy to Digitize
•If picture (or other data) is already in discrete, separable units, it’s much easier to represent with numbers (i.e., digitize)
–E.g., text is easy to digitize
•Digital processes used in weaving, needlepoint, with colors and locations indicated numerically
•Digital is not same as computer…
http://www.ericdoeringer.com/portraits/paint.html
This piece is a paint-by-number kit that allows the owner to paint a portrait of me with my cat Mingus. The kit includes a pre-marked canvas, a brush, and eight colors of paint.
I was interested in whether collectors would choose to paint the canvas or leave it in it's original state. Would it have an impact on the value (aesthetic or monetary). If the image was colored in, who would be the author of the piece -- the painter, me, or both of us?
Despite the apparent rigidity of the paint-by-number medium, the artist does have some control over the final image. The paint may be applied in different thicknesses and the lines between colors can be painted over or left intact. The artist's skill with a brush also plays a large role. Different people's versions of the painting are, in fact, quite different.