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An Artist's Screenshot Collages Capture Computerized Creativity

Toru Izumida creates meticulous artwork wielding the power of Command+Shift+4.

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Screenshotting has become a ubiquitous part of the Internet experience, a way to capture the ephemeral goings on of an endless overload of information. Their utility can't be denied, but besides saving the best moments of YouTube clips, can screenshotting be an art form? Toru Izumida's Screenshot series is a potent argument in favor of creative pixel preservation, arranging browser windows, Photoshop images, and iTunes libraries in meticulously organized formations for aesthetic effect.

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“I use selections of online media to create unexpected combinations that are finalized into a single screenshot,” says Izumida on his website. "The exact date and signature of the creation is recorded on every work.” Falling into categories like cellular, universe // female, and nyc, each of Izumida's works represent an arrangement of objects in a moment almost impossible to replicate—not unlike art photography as a whole.

But, is screenshotting really an art form? Last month, somebody sold a screenshot from 4chan for over $90,000 dollars, and now artists like Izumida are putting out fantastic amalgams of color through the medium—perhaps they'll make it to Sothebys before we know it.

Check out a few select screenshots from Izumida's collection below:

For more of Izumida's digital snapshots, visit his website or his Tumblr page.

h/t Spoon & Tamago

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