Xerox the Kidd – “Test Pattern #21”

Artist:  Xerox the Kidd

Although recently relocated to Oakland, California, Seth Mahern, aka Xerox the Kidd, is what we consider a Bloomington, Indiana icon for all the right reasons. Starting with his assorted musical output with groups like John Wilkes Booze, Lord Fyre, and Apache Dropout, Seth has proven himself a psychedelic savant with a huge back catalog of jams on noteworthy labels across the world. And speaking of labels, Seth also co-founded and operates Magnetic South Recordings, a local institution of analog goodness by the way of cassettes, vinyl records, and other paraphernalia of an esoteric nature.

Xerox the Kidd’s aesthetic can be seen on over a decade’s worth of black & white flyers for shows in basements and bars, each time displaying a snippet of 50’s picket-fence-era charm with the colorful vibes and stark patterns of the 60’s psychedelic movement. Mind-melting, drippy, lysergic, sensory-frying, and other far-our terms can be used to describe his art, often created on photocopiers with manually cropped & trimmed assets. Simple but full of impact, the designs of Xerox the Kidd are a acid-trip through the many shades of reality, and perfectly capture the feeling of classic pop art.

Visit Xerox the Kidd’s Website: http://www.instagram.com/xeroxthekidd

The Process: The Artist’s Thoughts

Ever since that NOLA LSD experience in March 1995, I’ve had a special affinity for patterns. It was on that glorious spring day in the Crescent City that I realized there were patterns everywhere. And you could see these beautiful displays if you just had the right perspective. There’s infinite beauty in the world if you can keep your mind’s eye open to it.

That very day twenty-one years ago is the inspiration for my test pattern series.  A collection of abstract patterns made by manipulating the process of a photo copier way beyond its intended use.