I’ve been exploring databending for awhile now and whilst I quite like it I do wonder where it can go next, or rather, where I can take it next. Whilst I like the chaos and apparent random results achieved in opening up an image file in a hex/text editor and mucking around I feel that more could be done with the result. I feel that the modified image (or sound) should part of a design, not the design itself. With that in mind I’ve been doing an experiment mixing the chaotic but more controlled output of Alchemy and several modified images
Essentially what I have done with the images is applied a clipping path to them using a few of the shapes present in the original image. There of course is then scope for editing the SVG in similar ways.
This is a very similar technique to preparing a .psd with many layers and then modifying it. It has been discussed whether this way of using the resultant image constitutes databentbending, but you could argue that with databending you’re attempting to reproduce and control the output of a glitch or error and so if you’re then able to control it it is no longer an error.
Regardless of classifications I’d really like to see where I can take databending next and how I can incorporate errors into design.
2 Responses to “Databending: Where next?”
These images are fab. can you teach me how to do it?
Hey Brendan!
I wrote a short tutorial for fizzPOP on databending and there’s also the one that’s linked in this blog post.
Once I feel comfortable with this new method I’ll write a tutorial.