Blog Archive

Tuesday, September 16, 2008

Scott Blake's Fascinating Barcode Portraits of Famous People Such as Oprah, Marilyn Monroe, Elvis, Madonna and Others

Scott Blake makes beautiful art using a strange medium:barcodes. Below, in no particular order, are the portraits of some famous and infamous people such as Oprah, Bruce Lee, O.J Simpson, Marilyn Manson, Marilyn Monroe, Charles Manson, Madonna, Andy Warhol, Mao Tse Tung, Elvis, Ozzie Osbourne and Governor Arnold. Lean back in your chair or take a step back for a better viewing experience.

There are also 3 fascinating videos showing how the barcode portraits work.

"Scott Blake takes barcodes and turns them into art - art that is simultaneously pop and op, intellectual and personal, minimal and ocular. Blake uses the black and white icon of our data-drenched existence to stimulate thought on topics from consumerism to religion and individual identity. He urges the viewer to consider the limitations of digitized human expression and to appropriate these symbols of commodity"(Scott Blake's website).










Scanning Bruce Lee






Scanning Ozzie Osborne


Scanning Marylin Monroe


Scanning Jane Fonda
Scott Blake