PIXELFONT

When you read a book, you only see a small portion of its content at a time. Pixelfont allows you to view the full book—all of it, complete and unabridged—at a glance.

Each type of character in a text is mapped to a pixel with a certain colour shade and printed in a 2D shape (square, rectangle, circle, etc). This way, very large texts fit in a small area, while the pixels remain large enough to be individually 'readable'.

Pixelfont also exposes underlying structures: the pixels form abstract patterns that are mostly random, but if you look closely you can recognise structural characteristics of the text.

Furthermore Pixelfont allows for an additional visual layer that emphasises the essence of the underlying text. For example, the colours used in 'I Have a Dream' are a statistically correct representation of current homo sapiens skin colours.

Several other decisions have to be made when a text is converted to Pixelfont: the shape of the work, the size of the work (incl. the resulting pixel size), the material it is printed on, the frame (if any), and so on. When these choices fit the (con)text well, the final work adds an enriching visual dimension to the original text.

I have converted the following texts to Pixelfont (the Original Editions, new ones will be added over time):

Click the images below to view the Original Editions in full size.

Besides the limited Original Editions, you can order a Custom Edition of your favourite text. We will dive in and decide together on the best colour scheme, shape, size, material, and frame.

Example Custom Editions:


Each printed work is numbered & signed and includes a legend of the colour mapping used. Hooks to hang the work on the wall are attached to the back. (Note that the frames and lighting are for illustration purposes.)

For inquiries or to place an order, please send an email to contact@petermanuel.com.

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