Dresden-based artist André Schulze specializes in modifying vintage paintings and turning them into something new. He selects old German paintings from the early to mid-20th century and reworks them with “precision and subtle irony to give them a new life.” His latest body of work transforms these art pieces of yesteryear into partially pixelated paintings.
Schulze's contemporary intervention is selective. Instead of completely pixelating the entire image, he only reimagines sections of a painting with pixel-like abstraction. For instance, with many of his reinterpreted floral paintings, Schulze only pixelates the flowers. He leaves the vase and the background of the painting unaltered. This methodic choice seamlessly combines the past and the present, and it creates a visual connection between the digital world and the real world.
Though some may argue that the pixelation obstructs the original work, Schulze makes it clear that he respects art and how it can evolve to connect with contemporary and even future generations. The artist's intention is to “enrich the paintings with his art and associate them with our present time.” Many of Schulze's younger fans have even noted the similarities between his pixelated flower paintings and the in-game paintings of the popular video game Minecraft.
To keep up with Schulze's creative journey, you can follow him on Instagram. And if you're interested in purchasing his work, he puts pieces for sale on Etsy.
Painter André Schulze is known for taking vintage paintings and revamping them with a modern twist.
In a recent ongoing series, the artist merges the digital age with the past by covering sections of old paintings with abstracted “pixels.”
One of Shulze's favorite subjects is flowers, which he brilliantly reimagines as a colorful grid of squares.
The artist doesn't simply pixelate the entire painting though. He is selective and usually leaves parts of it untouched.
By doing this, he breathes new life into vintage pieces and smoothly merges the past and the present.
Schulze also often shares videos of his creative process on Instagram.
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Each piece of footage shows how the artist meticulously transforms the old artworks into seamlessly semi-pixelated paintings.
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My Modern Met granted permission to feature photos by André Schulze.
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