Brian Khek for STATE
sublime collection
Glossy advertising engages in an industry of commodified desire. We all want what we can’t have and the best sellers bring us closer to the impossible. They propose utopias of post-human materials. It is the perpetually wet and slick, ecstasy to the touch surface. These visual cues we take from car ads, computer commercials, and photos of liquor attempt to embody an unreal desire. A want we can’t even imagine.
Ubiquitous graphic interface design follows this visual model of desire. Shiny icons solicit interaction. The activity these tools allow surpass the metaphors suggested originally by office productivity.
Our activity online is a metaphysical experience that we attempt to understand through simulation. These virtual realities are often mild: a comprehensive wash of user interface icons, images, text and maybe sound.
New indescribable experiences allowed by the internet demand a less literal representation than a folder icon. We meditate and scry to reach some vision at the end of a journey online. The computer becomes a spiritual experience when allowed.
“sublime collection” is an ongoing series. These icons propose interactions, ideas, metaphysical experiences and emotions in technology.
