by Agape Charmani
Giacomo Carmagnola is an Italian-born artist who likes to experiment with vintage images and old photos, by altering them on Photoshop. The digital artist uses images from pop culture, religion as well as photographs from real events and he gives them a new, different purpose through his digital manipulation. His glitches become his characters words, ideas and surroundings, while combined they create a series of symbols with which the viewer can relate with and translate easily.
“I’m completely absorbed by glitch art. I’ve always been attracted to its aesthetics; I’m not talking about philosophy or higher concepts, but just its plain visual pleasure. From the burning monk in “Saigon” to Jesus’s crucifixion in “Meltchrist”. I see these images as an alternative beauty. I find it extremely fascinating how the same image can change so much by keeping its original ‘skeleton’. Of course they’re also visually impactful. But before this, I find them simply beautiful. I don’t think that being born in Italy influenced me in any way; I mean, every other country would have been the same for me. The Internet helped ‘open my mind.’ I had something like an ‘image overload’, which then permitted me to express my ideas,” explains the artist.
