Sensation
Meets Software:
A Conversation
with p1xelfool
Sensation
Meets Software:
A Conversation
with p1xelfool
Sensation
Meets Software:
A Conversation
with p1xelfool
Sensation
Meets Software:
A Conversation
with p1xelfool
Written by
Elle Bland
Interview
2023
Introduction
p1xelfool is an anonymous digital artist based in Sao Paulo, Brasil, who challenges the conventional notion that light and color are just pixels on a screen. Instead, p1xelfool creates a sensorial experience by merging sensations with software. The artist entered the NFT environment in April 2021, using his trademark black backgrounds, low-resolution graphics, and generative animations that loop endlessly. By reappropriating pixels, light, and code, p1xelfool highlights the spiritual and meaning-making experiences they can offer. In this interview, p1xelfool talks about his creative journey, merging sensations and software, and the philosophy behind his latest collection, lūmen.
p1xelfool is an anonymous digital artist based in Sao Paulo, Brasil, who challenges the conventional notion that light and color are just pixels on a screen. Instead, p1xelfool creates a sensorial experience by merging sensations with software. The artist entered the NFT environment in April 2021, using his trademark black backgrounds, low-resolution graphics, and generative animations that loop endlessly. By reappropriating pixels, light, and code, p1xelfool highlights the spiritual and meaning-making experiences they can offer. In this interview, p1xelfool talks about his creative journey, merging sensations and software, and the philosophy behind his latest collection, lūmen.
p1xelfool is an anonymous digital artist based in Sao Paulo, Brasil, who challenges the conventional notion that light and color are just pixels on a screen. Instead, p1xelfool creates a sensorial experience by merging sensations with software. The artist entered the NFT environment in April 2021, using his trademark black backgrounds, low-resolution graphics, and generative animations that loop endlessly. By reappropriating pixels, light, and code, p1xelfool highlights the spiritual and meaning-making experiences they can offer. In this interview, p1xelfool talks about his creative journey, merging sensations and software, and the philosophy behind his latest collection, lūmen.
Elle
Thank you for sitting down with me. Let’s start at the top. Tell me about your first creative experience.
Thank you for sitting down with me. Let’s start at the top. Tell me about your first creative experience.
Thank you for sitting down with me. Let’s start at the top. Tell me about your first creative experience.
p1xelfool
Everything started with music.
When I was a child, my grandfather was the choir conductor at church. I remember seeing instruments in every corner of his home — harps, guitars, violins…
But out of all the options, my eyes always wandered to the piano. I could spend hours listening to people play it. Once I had the piano to myself, I would try my best to reproduce what I heard.
I’m sure I sounded horrible — pressing random keys and praying they’d sound good. But accuracy didn’t matter. All that mattered was the music — the ability to express myself in a brand-new way. I forced myself to learn by ear until I could play an entire song — and I haven’t stopped playing since.
Everything started with music.
When I was a child, my grandfather was the choir conductor at church. I remember seeing instruments in every corner of his home — harps, guitars, violins…
But out of all the options, my eyes always wandered to the piano. I could spend hours listening to people play it. Once I had the piano to myself, I would try my best to reproduce what I heard.
I’m sure I sounded horrible — pressing random keys and praying they’d sound good. But accuracy didn’t matter. All that mattered was the music — the ability to express myself in a brand-new way. I forced myself to learn by ear until I could play an entire song — and I haven’t stopped playing since.
Everything started with music.
When I was a child, my grandfather was the choir conductor at church. I remember seeing instruments in every corner of his home — harps, guitars, violins…
But out of all the options, my eyes always wandered to the piano. I could spend hours listening to people play it. Once I had the piano to myself, I would try my best to reproduce what I heard.
I’m sure I sounded horrible — pressing random keys and praying they’d sound good. But accuracy didn’t matter. All that mattered was the music — the ability to express myself in a brand-new way. I forced myself to learn by ear until I could play an entire song — and I haven’t stopped playing since.
p1xelfool
Now that I’m an adult, I’ve had the time to explore other artistic mediums like painting, photography, and digital art — but music was the genesis of it all. Before that, expressing my feelings relied on my ability to find the words — which I don’t think is fair. Words are tethered to a definition — and we can’t expect all of our emotions to fit in the dictionary. Our feelings have layers, and when we rely on traditional language, we can only see what’s on the surface. Music has no meaning until we give it one. It’s open for interpretation, and it leaves room for all of the interpretations that may arise. The same thing applies to all art forms — painting, taking pictures, engineering pixels…
Art is an opportunity to create meaning for ourselves.
Now that I’m an adult, I’ve had the time to explore other artistic mediums like painting, photography, and digital art — but music was the genesis of it all. Before that, expressing my feelings relied on my ability to find the words — which I don’t think is fair. Words are tethered to a definition — and we can’t expect all of our emotions to fit in the dictionary. Our feelings have layers, and when we rely on traditional language, we can only see what’s on the surface. Music has no meaning until we give it one. It’s open for interpretation, and it leaves room for all of the interpretations that may arise. The same thing applies to all art forms — painting, taking pictures, engineering pixels…
Art is an opportunity to create meaning for ourselves.
Now that I’m an adult, I’ve had the time to explore other artistic mediums like painting, photography, and digital art — but music was the genesis of it all. Before that, expressing my feelings relied on my ability to find the words — which I don’t think is fair. Words are tethered to a definition — and we can’t expect all of our emotions to fit in the dictionary. Our feelings have layers, and when we rely on traditional language, we can only see what’s on the surface. Music has no meaning until we give it one. It’s open for interpretation, and it leaves room for all of the interpretations that may arise. The same thing applies to all art forms — painting, taking pictures, engineering pixels…
Art is an opportunity to create meaning for ourselves.
Elle
Let’s dive deeper into your journey from piano to p1xelfool. How did life lead you here?
Let’s dive deeper into your journey from piano to p1xelfool. How did life lead you here?
Let’s dive deeper into your journey from piano to p1xelfool. How did life lead you here?
p1xelfool
I went wherever creativity took me.
As I said, I spent my childhood exploring any art form that came my way. So, once I reached adulthood, I knew I wanted a creative career. In 2005 I applied to art school, and in 2007 I graduated with a major in graphic design.
Graphic design was how I paid my bills, but I never stopped exploring other mediums. During art school I spent a lot of time drawing.
I went wherever creativity took me.
As I said, I spent my childhood exploring any art form that came my way. So, once I reached adulthood, I knew I wanted a creative career. In 2005 I applied to art school, and in 2007 I graduated with a major in graphic design.
Graphic design was how I paid my bills, but I never stopped exploring other mediums. During art school I spent a lot of time drawing.
I went wherever creativity took me.
As I said, I spent my childhood exploring any art form that came my way. So, once I reached adulthood, I knew I wanted a creative career. In 2005 I applied to art school, and in 2007 I graduated with a major in graphic design.
Graphic design was how I paid my bills, but I never stopped exploring other mediums. During art school I spent a lot of time drawing.
Drawings by p1xelfool. Personal archive.
p1xelfool
In 2012, I started experimenting with generative art — using computer software to create designs and images. And in 2018, I learned how to paint.
In 2012, I started experimenting with generative art — using computer software to create designs and images. And in 2018, I learned how to paint.
In 2012, I started experimenting with generative art — using computer software to create designs and images. And in 2018, I learned how to paint.
Painting by p1xelfool. Personal archive.
p1xelfool
From 2018 to 2020, oil painting was my number one priority. I almost abandoned generative art entirely — convinced I should focus on getting my paintings into galleries and institutions. But I was also traveling fairly often during this time, and I started to notice that people were always looking at their phones — letting social media know where they were and what it looked like. Nobody stopped to take in the moment for themselves. No matter how beautiful the place, or how novel the experience — people picked their screens over the scenery.
It was a sad realization, but I also had to be realistic. Technology is really important right now. We are not going to stop the growth of social media, screens, and software. Instead of trying to stop the inevitable, I wondered how computers could be a source of real experiences. By “real experiences” I mean the philosophical and existential experiences we can only get from things like nature. For example, when we stand in front of the ocean, we feel something powerful — something impossible to explain. The same can be said for the sunrise, the sunset, or the sound of rain. There’s a simple sort of joy that comes from seeing a rainbow.
But what if there was a way for sensory experiences to exist on the internet? What if computers could create the same feeling as waterfalls or walks on the beach? It sounds controversial, but I think it’s important that we try.
From 2018 to 2020, oil painting was my number one priority. I almost abandoned generative art entirely — convinced I should focus on getting my paintings into galleries and institutions. But I was also traveling fairly often during this time, and I started to notice that people were always looking at their phones — letting social media know where they were and what it looked like. Nobody stopped to take in the moment for themselves. No matter how beautiful the place, or how novel the experience — people picked their screens over the scenery.
It was a sad realization, but I also had to be realistic. Technology is really important right now. We are not going to stop the growth of social media, screens, and software. Instead of trying to stop the inevitable, I wondered how computers could be a source of real experiences. By “real experiences” I mean the philosophical and existential experiences we can only get from things like nature. For example, when we stand in front of the ocean, we feel something powerful — something impossible to explain. The same can be said for the sunrise, the sunset, or the sound of rain. There’s a simple sort of joy that comes from seeing a rainbow.
But what if there was a way for sensory experiences to exist on the internet? What if computers could create the same feeling as waterfalls or walks on the beach? It sounds controversial, but I think it’s important that we try.
From 2018 to 2020, oil painting was my number one priority. I almost abandoned generative art entirely — convinced I should focus on getting my paintings into galleries and institutions. But I was also traveling fairly often during this time, and I started to notice that people were always looking at their phones — letting social media know where they were and what it looked like. Nobody stopped to take in the moment for themselves. No matter how beautiful the place, or how novel the experience — people picked their screens over the scenery.
It was a sad realization, but I also had to be realistic. Technology is really important right now. We are not going to stop the growth of social media, screens, and software. Instead of trying to stop the inevitable, I wondered how computers could be a source of real experiences. By “real experiences” I mean the philosophical and existential experiences we can only get from things like nature. For example, when we stand in front of the ocean, we feel something powerful — something impossible to explain. The same can be said for the sunrise, the sunset, or the sound of rain. There’s a simple sort of joy that comes from seeing a rainbow.
But what if there was a way for sensory experiences to exist on the internet? What if computers could create the same feeling as waterfalls or walks on the beach? It sounds controversial, but I think it’s important that we try.
p1xelfool
That’s how p1xelfool came to be. It was my attempt to take that hypothesis to the extreme. I wanted to merge sensations with software.
That’s how p1xelfool came to be. It was my attempt to take that hypothesis to the extreme. I wanted to merge sensations with software.
That’s how p1xelfool came to be. It was my attempt to take that hypothesis to the extreme. I wanted to merge sensations with software.
Elle
How have you merged sensation and software?
How have you merged sensation and software?
How have you merged sensation and software?
p1xelfool
Art can be inherently abstract — but there can be physical elements to it. I think that for digital art especially, people have a hard time comprehending how it can create a physical experience. That’s why I focused on pixels — chunky, colorful pixels contrasted against a black background.
Art can be inherently abstract — but there can be physical elements to it. I think that for digital art especially, people have a hard time comprehending how it can create a physical experience. That’s why I focused on pixels — chunky, colorful pixels contrasted against a black background.
Art can be inherently abstract — but there can be physical elements to it. I think that for digital art especially, people have a hard time comprehending how it can create a physical experience. That’s why I focused on pixels — chunky, colorful pixels contrasted against a black background.
p1xelfool
The light from these pixels are real — like sun rays spilling into a dark space. The colors on your screen emit rays of light from your computer. What you see is not only an image — it’s light manifesting in your room.
My latest collection, lūmen, is a great example of that. A lumen is a unit of measurement for the brightness of light, and when you sit in front of one of these pieces, my intention is that bright, bold rays of light will be cast out of the computer. I can create a physical phenomenon through code.
The light from these pixels are real — like sun rays spilling into a dark space. The colors on your screen emit rays of light from your computer. What you see is not only an image — it’s light manifesting in your room.
My latest collection, lūmen, is a great example of that. A lumen is a unit of measurement for the brightness of light, and when you sit in front of one of these pieces, my intention is that bright, bold rays of light will be cast out of the computer. I can create a physical phenomenon through code.
The light from these pixels are real — like sun rays spilling into a dark space. The colors on your screen emit rays of light from your computer. What you see is not only an image — it’s light manifesting in your room.
My latest collection, lūmen, is a great example of that. A lumen is a unit of measurement for the brightness of light, and when you sit in front of one of these pieces, my intention is that bright, bold rays of light will be cast out of the computer. I can create a physical phenomenon through code.
“lūmen” #0, November 21, 2022. View collection on ArtBlocks
“lūmen” #0, November 21, 2022. View collection on ArtBlocks
p1xelfool
Not only are these light rays real, but they are also organized in a way that represents a natural phenomenon. I'm not just opening Photoshop and clicking something. I'm actually writing the software to generate the images. My process is basically opening a text editor and starting to code until things appear. But before I start to code, I contemplate. I read I research, and I reflect. Eventually, a question will come to me that I might be able to answer — or at least articulate — through art. For example, I think a lot about the concept of time. Time never stops moving — which is why all of my art is set in a constant loop.
Not only are these light rays real, but they are also organized in a way that represents a natural phenomenon. I'm not just opening Photoshop and clicking something. I'm actually writing the software to generate the images. My process is basically opening a text editor and starting to code until things appear. But before I start to code, I contemplate. I read I research, and I reflect. Eventually, a question will come to me that I might be able to answer — or at least articulate — through art. For example, I think a lot about the concept of time. Time never stops moving — which is why all of my art is set in a constant loop.
Not only are these light rays real, but they are also organized in a way that represents a natural phenomenon. I'm not just opening Photoshop and clicking something. I'm actually writing the software to generate the images. My process is basically opening a text editor and starting to code until things appear. But before I start to code, I contemplate. I read I research, and I reflect. Eventually, a question will come to me that I might be able to answer — or at least articulate — through art. For example, I think a lot about the concept of time. Time never stops moving — which is why all of my art is set in a constant loop.
p1xelfool
Of course, I explore other phenomena. My work is based on questions about aesthetics, consciousness, and the human condition. But that is the inspiration behind my art — it’s not the definition of it. I might make a piece to represent internal turmoil — another person might look at it and see a representation of self-love. Both art and sensory experiences have no singular perspective. There are a million ways to see a sunset, depending on where you stand. And there are endless ways to interpret art, depending on who’s looking. In this way, all art is a sensory experience. It forces us to feel. I just wanted to take it one step further, and apply a physical element. That way, sensation, and software are completely intertwined.
Of course, I explore other phenomena. My work is based on questions about aesthetics, consciousness, and the human condition. But that is the inspiration behind my art — it’s not the definition of it. I might make a piece to represent internal turmoil — another person might look at it and see a representation of self-love. Both art and sensory experiences have no singular perspective. There are a million ways to see a sunset, depending on where you stand. And there are endless ways to interpret art, depending on who’s looking. In this way, all art is a sensory experience. It forces us to feel. I just wanted to take it one step further, and apply a physical element. That way, sensation, and software are completely intertwined.
Of course, I explore other phenomena. My work is based on questions about aesthetics, consciousness, and the human condition. But that is the inspiration behind my art — it’s not the definition of it. I might make a piece to represent internal turmoil — another person might look at it and see a representation of self-love. Both art and sensory experiences have no singular perspective. There are a million ways to see a sunset, depending on where you stand. And there are endless ways to interpret art, depending on who’s looking. In this way, all art is a sensory experience. It forces us to feel. I just wanted to take it one step further, and apply a physical element. That way, sensation, and software are completely intertwined.
Elle
Moving forward, what more do you hope to accomplish?
Moving forward, what more do you hope to accomplish?
Moving forward, what more do you hope to accomplish?
p1xelfool
I’ve already accomplished more than I can believe. I started at zero — zero followers, zero fans. But once I started feeding art into the ecosystem, I made a lot of great connections — mostly with other artists. The biggest thing I hope to accomplish moving forward is…more of that.
I’ve already accomplished more than I can believe. I started at zero — zero followers, zero fans. But once I started feeding art into the ecosystem, I made a lot of great connections — mostly with other artists. The biggest thing I hope to accomplish moving forward is…more of that.
I’ve already accomplished more than I can believe. I started at zero — zero followers, zero fans. But once I started feeding art into the ecosystem, I made a lot of great connections — mostly with other artists. The biggest thing I hope to accomplish moving forward is…more of that.
p1xelfool
I love the opportunity I have to connect, collect art, and collaborate. I would hate to be here alone, selling art all by myself. So I try to support people that I want to see thriving. If I click “purchase”, it means I’m passionate about what’s there. I’ve never collected art I wasn’t sincerely interested in. Which is why it feels amazing when someone does the same for me. My goal is to continue that trend — to be around creative minds and collect art that I love. That being said, I’m excited to see what Layer has in store.
I love the opportunity I have to connect, collect art, and collaborate. I would hate to be here alone, selling art all by myself. So I try to support people that I want to see thriving. If I click “purchase”, it means I’m passionate about what’s there. I’ve never collected art I wasn’t sincerely interested in. Which is why it feels amazing when someone does the same for me. My goal is to continue that trend — to be around creative minds and collect art that I love. That being said, I’m excited to see what Layer has in store.
I love the opportunity I have to connect, collect art, and collaborate. I would hate to be here alone, selling art all by myself. So I try to support people that I want to see thriving. If I click “purchase”, it means I’m passionate about what’s there. I’ve never collected art I wasn’t sincerely interested in. Which is why it feels amazing when someone does the same for me. My goal is to continue that trend — to be around creative minds and collect art that I love. That being said, I’m excited to see what Layer has in store.
Elle
So am I. Thank you, again.
So am I. Thank you, again.
So am I. Thank you, again.
p1xelfool
Thank you.
Thank you.
Thank you.
p1xelfool’s
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About
Welcome to Subject Matter, a publication from Layer, where art and purpose intersect.
Art is a reflection of the human experience — a medium through which we explore our thoughts, emotions, and ideas. But in the fast-paced world of social media and NFT marketplaces, it's easy to forget the value of art beyond it’s aesthetic appeal. Subject Matter aims to remind us.
Stay updated
© Layer, Inc
2023
About
Welcome to Subject Matter, a publication from Layer, where art and purpose intersect.
Art is a reflection of the human experience — a medium through which we explore our thoughts, emotions, and ideas. But in the fast-paced world of social media and NFT marketplaces, it's easy to forget the value of art beyond it’s aesthetic appeal. Subject Matter aims to remind us.
Stay updated
© Layer, Inc
2023
About
Welcome to Subject Matter, a publication from Layer, where art and purpose intersect.
Art is a reflection of the human experience — a medium through which we explore our thoughts, emotions, and ideas. But in the fast-paced world of social media and NFT marketplaces, it's easy to forget the value of art beyond it’s aesthetic appeal. Subject Matter aims to remind us.
Stay updated
© Layer, Inc
2023