Despite the insistence of some, vinyl records haven’t undergone a resurgence because of their supposed superior sound quality. Instead, the impractical medium remains cherished for its quirk and ambiguity. As of late, the collage has made a has made a comeback as a representational strategy for the very same reason, sparking a recent debate around the potential emergence of "post-digital drawing."
Intentionally fantastical compilations empower architects to create clear narratives to supplement their work. In response to this growing popularity, a number of websites have popped up to bolster the trend. Image hosting hub ARTCUTOUT is a curated collection of meticulously detailed, public domain .PNGs nabbed from works of art that were “mostly created several centuries ago by European painters and cartographers.” Serving as a something akin to a “post-digital” version of famed render hub SKALGUBBAR, ARTCUTOUT has the potential to be a go-to resource for the next wave of designers.
But despite the usefulness of these isolated illustrations in furthering the popularity of this representation style, some prominent members of the "post-digital drawing" movement might be skeptical about this easy access. In a recent interview with Metropolis Magazine, Federica Sofia Zambeletti, the co-founder of architecture blog KoozA/rch and a major driving force behind the movement's popularity, insists that she’s “not against the re-appropriation of previous narratives so long they hold a specific position,” lamenting that for many new people adopting this style, this position is lacking. As the medium gains legitimacy, perhaps we will see that just like fumbling around with a delicate vinyl, much of the joy of collage lies in its haphazard and often unjustified nature.
Check out some of ARTCUTOUT's images below, and visit the website here to see all their downloadable .PNGs:
