‘A Remix is Rebirth and Reincarnation’, visually and conceptually investigates the core fundamentals of appropriation and transformation, zeroing in on the creative expression of remixing at its purest. Known for his work in layering hidden narratives and intimate conversation with clever visual subtext, Skye Nicolas employs his signature style of sophisticated appropriation to Hackatao’s ‘Remix Me’.

The figurative form of the original artwork is untouched, yet reduced to its essential structure: its outline reveals a formidable skeletal framework, while its graphic details are streamlined into nebulous shimmering pixels. Dancing lines that accentuate fields of radiating color break up the digital canvas beautifully, giving birth to a new visual composition reminiscent of abstract expressionist paintings. A bold declarative statement (that doubles as the artwork’s title) glides across the screen, adding yet another impactful visual element to the overall composition.

A recording of the artist’s own voice is embedded onto the piece; prose comprised of carefully chosen lines from Hackatao’s original artist statement of the referenced work: 




"She holds a paintbrush in her hand

She paints herself

She gives herself possibilities of change, and of reincarnation”




This in itself is a poignant form of artistic performance; the final layer that completes the practical and metaphoric lifecycle of appropriation and transformation. The result is a stunning poetic distillation that tells the story of rebirth and reincarnation.