Last Updated on February 27, 2024
Remember those weird things called audio cassette tapes? Technology has changed so much since then. Now you can pay $10 a month and have access to 25+ million songs via Spotify. I still have to pinch myself to believe that. While we can go on and on about the evolution of physical and digital media, I would like to focus your attention on a unique artist.
Erika Iris Simmons is an internet freelance artist known as iri5. She specializes in utilizing non traditional media such as old books, audio cassettes, playing cards, magazines, credit cards, recyclable material, and anything else she can get here hands on.
One day, going through an old car, Erica Iris ran into an audio cassette of Jimi Hendrix recordings. This enticed her to draw this artist using the cassette tape, and thus her creative idea was born!
Seeing how much attention her piece received from people sharing it online, she decided to create more. The results were combined into a series she calls “Ghost in the Machine.” The series portrays celebrities/musicians such as Bob Dylan, Jimi Hendrix, Marilyn Monroe, Madonna, Bob Dylan, Robert DiNero, Paul Griffith, and more.
“It feels great to work with strange, older materials. Things that have a mind of their own. Most everything I use has been thrown away or donated at some point. Past its prime, like some of the finest things in the world.” – Erika Iris Simmons
What she managed to create with old cassette tapes and reel tapes is quite innovative. We hope her work will inspire you. Enjoy!