• Alphabetics (Infected by PostScript Viruses)
  • Alphabetics (Infected by PostScript Viruses)
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Alphabetics (Infected by PostScript Viruses), 1993 - 2023

by Rhea Myers

Commissionable work using PostScript code

Dimensions variable

$3,000.00
$3,000.00
“We would now call this glitch art, or culture hacking.”

— Rhea Myers —

PostScript Viruses exploited a strategic point for critical intervention in the smooth circulation of the signs of the mass media via printing technology.

In the mid-1990s, printing used the “PostScript” programming language to turn page descriptions into ink or toner on paper. Text and images all represented as files of computer code. A computer virus that redefined how this code worked could copy itself into these files and then
infect other files to spread itself across the Internet and sneakernet. By doing so it could make strange the smooth signs that circulated in mass media, which was also a key strategy of net.art. Both the glitch payload body and a sketch of the virus header were produced, but they were not
combined for safety reasons. The payload was however used to corrupt example files to print and display.

The image you see here has been generated by infecting a PostScript file of the kind available in 1995 with the virus body (with one contemporary bug fix) then printing the results.
About Rhea Myers

Rhea Myers is an artist, hacker, and writer. She skillfully intertwines technology and culture, prompting them to question and interact with each other. The driving force behind Myers' artistic endeavors is her desire to comprehend the changing world that surrounds her. Since 2014, her focus has been on producing art centered around the concept of the blockchain. As a medium, the blockchain serves both as a reflection of and an alternative to the societal landscape following the financial crisis of 2008. Myers views the blockchain as a subject that resonates uniquely, embodying the centuries-old cryptographic imagery deeply rooted in Western political thought. Myers' exploration of the blockchain as a subject for artmaking began with the creation of raw transactions, simulating intangible forms. Over time, her artistic journey led her to delve into crafting smart contracts and subsequently ERC-721 tokens. These ERC-721 tokens, in particular, create forms of property and control infused with a sense of irony. Throughout this artistic evolution, Myers' focus shifted increasingly towards the emotions tied to ownership anxiety that the concept of blockchain property evokes.

From the UK and currently residing in British Columbia, Canada, Myers has exhibited internationally at venues including: ArtScience Museum, Singapore; Kunsthalle, Zürich; Sotheby’s, London; Chronus Art Centre, Shanghai; CADAF, New York; Jerwood Visual Arts, London.

Alphabetics (Infected by PostScript Viruses)
Alphabetics (Infected by PostScript Viruses)