Modern art is often designed to challenge our sensibilities and push the envelope on the definition of art. Some people may look at a QR code--a boxy type of bar code that often leads back to a URL or message when scanned--and see a jumble of squares. Barcode Gallery looks at a QR code and sees art in action.
Barcode Gallery's custom pieces link to up to 300 characters of text when scanned. That's like having two tweets together. Write your own custom message or choose from ready-to-go college-themed works done in school colors.
I looked up my alma mater, University of Arkansas (Woo Pig Sooie!), and found a bar code that pulls up the words to the school's anthem, a slightly hokey number that mentions the mountains of God and a beacon of hope. No worries, the message can be customized if you wish to make some edits.
You're not stuck in the realm of classic black and white. Choose from an array of background and foreground colors such as cyan, goldenrod, and the ever-popular periwinkle.
A bar code on paper starts at $29.99 for an 18-inch square. Moving up to canvas starts at $49.99 for a 10-inch square piece. If you're going for scale, then check out the 40-inch canvas print for $349.99. Just make sure you have enough room to stand back to scan it on your smartphone.
Surely, it will only be a matter of time before someone proposes marriage using QR code wall art. Use it as cubicle art and share secret messages with your co-workers about your technology-clueless boss. Impress your friends at your next dinner party with wall bar code poetry readings. You are only limited by your creativity and 300 characters. Just let me know when the Smithsonian jumps on this bandwagon.
