ZX8BIT

Always on the search for a good, pristine wall, Middlesbrough UK street artist ZX8BIT draws from the robust world of late 80s/early 90s video games, highlighting a cast of well-known (and some not so well-known) characters and iconic objects. The artist also finds inspiration from beloved pop culture institutions such as The Simpsons and Star Wars, faithfully rendering everything in full pixelated glory.

In the field, ZX8BIT prefers to match the image with the location, saying, “The idea of incorporating the landscapes is a real part of the art for me. I think the pieces that work best are the images that interact in some way with their environment.” Oftentimes isolated on top of spare, bright backdrops, the characters and icons are pre-loaded with significance, whether heroic or villainous, playful or sinister, accompanied with inside jokes and a wink toward those steeped in pop culture and a shared love for the early days of video gaming, who know exactly their relevance.

Placing flat on top of texture, ZX8BIT’s motifs give the viewer an optical dissonance, with seemingly virtual, geometric images becoming a vibrant, analog contrast to ever-expanding ultra-high definition realms.