a commentary on technology and culture

Show at Hexa Headquarters, Richardson, TX was originally to run December 2023 through January 2024. But was extended through June 2024. A coworking space such as this houses many tech-oriented people.

As usual, they are surprised to see art that speaks vividly to their world with awareness of tech subject matter. — It’s eerie, almost as if the artist were someone from the world of tech, commentary on tech culture from deep in the heart of it. Naw, that couldn’t be. Everyone knows artists and techies cannot be the same people.

TechXpressionism

Many of you have followed these journeys since the start. That week of Big design 2011 in Dallas when I debuted My Favorite Machine at the conference. The following year, you saw My Phonehenge and years after you bought icons celebrating tech culture.

Fast Forward

Now, Big Design is no more and the world is in turmoil. Universal truths of Human factors in design remain largely unchanged. Principles of human interaction learned during the era of digital transformation, we realize, are not unique to software but describe the essential dynamics of all human engagement with their environment, whether digital, physical or other.

Digital Everywhere

Digital experiences can no longer be compartmentalized to a overt encounters with devices or what is called software. Ubiquity has been achieved. Talking about computers and digital realms things separate from the rest of the world is an obsolete concept reflecting a lack of awareness of the present reality. It’s all one, albeit kludgy.

Excuses are obsolete

Sadly, there is still terrible design all around us. In the past it could be blamed on ignorance. Now that’s hard to do. Knowledge of good design principles is available. However, the will to use this knowledge and use it for good purposes, this is not everywhere. For this reason, some of my TechXpressionist work has turned from celebration of great technology design toward commentary on deliberately bad design and what we call Dark Patterns.

Making it real

You will probably notice that I like to take concepts that are intrinsically virtual and give hem an overtly physical form, I did it with blockchain and with crypto, Really it’s what I di for three decades in software UX design, giving a visual identity to theoretical concepts and abstract data and features.. But I can say this is more fun. Many of these icons are on display at Hexa. And they are for sale!

anything non-techy?

Yes! You’ll also see some metal figures along with some study models for high end trophies and awards.

Iconic memories

You’ll see familiar objects and have moments of past experiences interacting with the now.

What do these mean to you?

The mind and heart are the real canvas, The art the brush. Why create just images when we can use images to create whole experiences?

My Fav Machine #1

My Favorite Machine #1 was very first large art piece anywhere resembling a smartphone of any type. See it here fitting in with the business tech community at Hexa Coworking.

The happening place

HEXA is a place of creative excitement. There’s always something exciting happening there. What a perfect place for displaying creative art with a serious tech dimension.

Monolithic Progression

You can see the progression of the monolith and other works at Hexa Coworking Headquarters in Richardson, TX. https://hexatx.com/

Second Generation

One of the first changes between the first and second generation of the giant steel phone frame was to enable each icon to be a separate module to answer this request.

Gen 3

Created specifically for Blockchain Conference in Frisco 2018. These consisted of several variations.

Gen 5

In the third generation design it became even easier with the metal Icon the black plate I designed to work with various types of standard fixtures repurposed for art. Copyright r.e.belveal 2016.

Just in case

The metal icon sandwich case with the six bolt pattern was my design from two years earlier. Many of you cool kids own icons made with these components and design. (c) 2014

Gen 4

The fourth generation design was about lightening up and pushed the minimalist envelope and enabling easier use of a large monitor.

Gen 5

The fifth gen design has ben in work a long time with so many in-between iterations I have lost count. The aim is at maximum portability and versatility while still keeping the early twentieth century heavy industrial motif mixed with contemporary minimalism, ultra-practical usability, low cost and easy manufacturability, and add a touch of 1950s sci-fi. That's a very tough combination to reach, but I am on track. It is also a key element in Roundavu. So stay tuned.