OB_002 — Loss_Of_Resolution_Compression
Status
Status:: Finished
1. Operation data
Internal number: OB_002
Operational regime: Algorithmic Transformation
Source image: Photograph taken from life
Operational description:
Through a script that gradually compresses the file, the image lost resolution until it became pixelated.
2. Tools and procedure
Tools / medium:
- Macbook Pro 2018
- Terminal App / Script
- ChatGPT / Code
Script (2026-09 audit): Lost (not recovered in 2026-09 audit) — the file indicates that a script was created and executed in Terminal with the help of ChatGPT/Code, but the file was not saved in the Atlas.
Technical procedure:
- Script was created
3. Variables
Controlled variables:
- Number of steps that can be performed
Uncontrolled / accidental variables:
- Number of pixels
- Image size
4. Visual sequence
Initial image
Step 01
Step 02
Step 03
Step 04
Step 05
Step 06
Step 07
Step 08
Step 09
Step 10
Step 11
Step 12
5. Visual selection
Crisis / threshold according to AI-assisted reading / ChatGPT
Crisis / threshold according to my perception
6. Crisis and formal-perceptual reading
Main crisis: resolution - technique
The operation affects the visual grammar of the image: shape, contour, color, figure/ground relationship, legibility, recognition, and support.
Shape / contour / figure-ground:
The image loses its shape rapidly, but the background is not lost until the image is completely destroyed.
Color / tone:
The colors remain mostly stable.
Legibility / recognition:
Legibility is what is most affected; recognition is lost due to the lack of contours.
Material / support:
The materiality and support are not visible, however, it is easily noticeable as a digital aesthetic or process.
Perceptual effect:
If you squint your eyes, it is easier to recognize the object.
7. Final evaluation and artistic reference
Does this operation truly put the image into crisis, or does it function merely as an aesthetic effect?
It puts the image into crisis
Operation notes / what I learned:
It works, but it is an operation that can be understood as mannerism. What surprised me was that the AI was able to recognize objects in low resolution better than I could. It puts the image into crisis while opening up pictorial possibilities at first glance.
Final_status:
Works:: YES
How it destroys the image:
Works_on:: Formal
Level and richness of crisis:
Crisis:: Medium
Decision:
Selection:: Combinable / Save
Possible artistic reference
Reference:: Thomas Ruff Rosa Menkman
Possible works:
- Thomas Ruff — jpeg
- Rosa Menkman — https://www.buzdokuz.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/1-Rosa-Menkman-A-Vernacular-of-File-Formats_compressed.pdf
Possible artistic reference
Reference:
Thomas Ruff — jpeg
Cory Arcangel
Rosa Menkman — glitch/compression artifacts
Andy Denzler