Binary Portraits of Famous DJs

As many a frustrated portrait painter knows, capturing an entire person in a single image is one of art’s toughest challenges. In response, Spanish designer and illustrator Alex Trochut has developed a new technique. He’s invented a way of including two different pictures on the same surface. One can be seen only when the lights are on; the other is visible in the dark.

The fruits of Trochut’s work are on show in his new exhibition, Binary Prints, which explores the dual nature of some of the electronic music industry’s most famous faces. Last month, he told the creators’ project, ‘People are always a multifaceted polygon with many sides . . . Working on the duality and covering the two extremes of any spectrum creates a sequence, a change, a short narrative and hidden side that reveals what is not obvious behind the surface.’

So, we see James Murphy (LCD Soundsystem) illuminated in drowsy mode, yawning and scruffy-haired; then donning reflective glasses, a collar and tie once the lights are out. John Talabot appears concealing his face with his hands, as though seeking to block out the light, but peeking at us from the cover of darkness. Other DJs who sat for portraits include Caribou, Damian Lazarus, Four Tet, Acid Pauli and Lucy.

‘It was like a dream come true to be able to express myself through the artists that have fuelled my imagination countless times,’ Trochut explains. ‘Some connections were made in clubs, just by passing my cell phone to the DJ booth with a text on the screen saying: "Hi, my name is Alex, I'd like to invite you to a personal project, can I get your email?"’

Binary Prints made its debut at Barcelona’s Sonar Music Festival last month and is set to embark on an ongoing international journey to various galleries, art fairs and festivals.

[via the creators' project]