Artists in Disguise

Do you like 'photo-resist' art? Let me guess... you are trying to figure out what a photo-resist work of art is, aren't you? Here are some hints. They are drawings realised with special brushes whose bristles are made of pure beams of light. As with watercolor or ink paintings, they can be created using different drawing techniques, each needing a specific brush and canvas. The most astonishing feature of photo-resist works of art is that they can hold within them the live streaming of any kind of information, whether text, images or sounds.

Maybe something that fits that description springs to mind? Maybe you would like to learn how to create such an amazing artwork? Here is another hint: a photo-resist artwork is probably right in-front of you, but you didn't notice it because photo-resist artists generally prefer to hide their art inside objects like music players or laptops!

Think about the core of a technological gadget. It is made of electronic components connected through communication lines. Think now about the contours of those components, and the communication lines between them. Suppose we think of those components' contours and communication lines as drawings but drawn on foils of conductive material, such as copper, instead of regular paper. Maybe the drawing can be turned into a miniaturised world of cities and highways? Let science fiction movies, such as The Matrix and Tron, push your imagination. Let electrons move on the highways. Let them carry your music, your movies, your text. (Don't limit your imagination.) Each technological gadget is a different world, with its own cities and highways. Each city has a role and a function. Connect the cities in different ways, and you will end up with different overall behaviour - designing photo-resist works of art is about creativity. Connect the cities in a wrong way, and the world will break down - designing photo-resist works of art is also about knowledge.

Don't stop your imagination, and you will get a glimpse of the incredible vision that Paul Eisler, a researcher in the field of electronics, had about sixty years ago. He was right in the heart of London when he created the first photo-resist work of art. Photo-resist artists are in fact electronic engineers, and their photo-resist works of art are known as printed circuit boards. The patterns that make up the circuits are both beautiful and complex. They are 'drawn' using lasers, but unlike the drawings of a regular artist the precise pattern drawn matters if they are to come to life and do something useful. An entire functioning world in the palm of your hand. Just amazing.