Artist Uses Floppy Disks to Create Paintings

One man's trash is another man's treasure. So they say.

Now why didn't I think of this? As an art school graduate, it's always cool to see what other artists can create even if said creations stir a little envy. Once such works of art is Nick Gentry's use of floppy disks. Rather than using the traditional canvas, Gentry has taken the old storage format and created a makeshift canvas on which he paints whatever comes to mind.

"I looked at using the disks in a grid to create photo-fits, constructing imaginary faces and identities that could draw connections to the personal information stored on the disks," he told Wired. In the portrait shown on the website (Fossil Number 1), Gentry used the backside of a floppy-- which reveals a metal circular hub-- as the subject's eye.

According to Gentry, the number of disks needed for a paining depends on the source. A small paining can consist of up to six floppies, whereas larger paintings take up over 100 disks. Gentry said that he purchases most of the disks used in the paintings, however people also donate disks through his website.

Gentry's floppy-based paintings cost from $470 to $1,100, and can be ordered here. Gentry is based in the UK.