I’ve been thinking about how we make things appear more genuine than they are – not because they’re inherently false, but because they deserve the attention of something tangible and real. It’s difficult to capture the abstract, the grey, the fuzzing edges of nuance and human experience.
I use the term Digital Wabi-Sabi to refer to the intentional usage of archaic effects, such as grain or light leaks. These imperfections once signaled the limits of our own technology – and now we leverage them give to mechanical truth to our digital works.
It took me a while to embrace Digital Wabi-Sabi in my own work. I still remember the signs of a worn-out VHS, the faded pictures from disposable cameras, light leaks, and the skipping CDs. I can’t say that I miss it, but there’s something there…
