co~dec

Michael Takeo Magruder

co~dec project page

*subversion of copyrighted media information for the creation of artworks which reflect upon the dualistic nature of media as both information source and cultural stimulant.

With "co~dec," M. Takeo Magruder continues his quest to create art/media hybrids for the net. It is a "translation" of a one hour CNN news broadcast that has been dissected, compressed - in time, space, and color - then decompressed to its original length. In ambiguous silence "co~dec" slows the net to a crawl (and probably your computer as well, since the piece is very processor intensive). Takeo's grids, calculations, and crafted methodologies morph into organic, meditative spaces. Stripped of "facts" the linear structure of the piece softens into blurred faces, billowing clouds, shifting sands, and remote explosions. While Takeo transforms television noise into tranquil reflection, his work by no means encourages passivity. Peering into our screens, we are compelled to search for those "facts": who's face? which desert? what explosion?
(text by Jo-Anne Green, Turbulence.org - Press Release)