James Pero

Design

Watch ink drops magically transform into satellite views of Earth

Photographer Roman De Giuli uses entirely "practical" effects to create river deltas and islands made entirely of ink.

Ink imitates life in a lot of ways, via screen prints, tattoos, sketches, and of course, those amorphous spots in a Rorschach test that allegedly help reveal what's happening in our heads.

Picture of a Rorschach test

In the case of photographer Roman De Giuli, ink becomes something resembling the Earth itself.

Using a few novel methods, De Giuli is able to manipulate specially created ink in a way that morphs liquid drops into what look like aerial views of river deltas and islands.

All of De Giuli's ink creations are entirely "practical" (meaning there's no digital manipulation).

Liquid ink is let loose on coats of partially dry paint brushed onto paper and then "re-activated" so-to-speak, using a few different techniques.

"Drying the paint leads to organic structures which can be brought to life again with water, ink and sour flow release mediums."

Roman De Giuli

De Giuli says the collection, called "Satellike" is the result of four months of experimentation with ink. In some cases, the photographer says he used rare and expensive materials like jade and malachite powder to create his own pigments.

"Satellike" was born out of a commissioned piece of art for the National Palace Museum of Taipei in Taiwan that recreated iconic pieces of art from the museum. De Giuli said he decided to develop the method used in that commission to create the abstract ink flows seen here.

Though "Satellike" is a finished product, De Giuli says the creation is more of a "beginning" given that he'll likely continue to create more abstract works in the same style.

To see more...

You can visit De Giuli's Instagram, YouTube, or his personal website.

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