CRASH Space

A Los Angeles hackerspace

Retro•Future•Spective, a CRASH Space Art Show

December 7, 2024

Retro•Future•Spective is an art show celebrating CRASH Space’s 15th anniversary. Featuring work by CRASH Space members and friends of the space, the art on display encompasses a wide variety of media, including acrylic painting, Risograph prints, custom printed circuit boards, 3D printing, embroidery, holograms, LEDs, lasers – and more.

Featured works

Andi Aki: My spirit within

Materials used: Acrylic on canvas and mica powder inlaid and topped with a acrylic gloss varnish

This is an upcycled canvas from a dumpster I found in Denver, Colorado. The owl’s eyes were drawn out and the canvas was torn. I repaired the canvas and drew the rest of the owl and roses and then used fluorescent acrylic paint to give depth, and layered white lines to give the illusion of an owl stepping out of the painting. It glows in the dark and is UV Light reactive.

Pieces by this artist are for sale. Please inquire with the artist at @andi_n_narnia on Instagram regarding prices.


Andi Aki: When Worlds Collide

Materials used: Upcylced cotton tapestry hand dyed red and painted using acrylic. It is trimmed with a cording and hung using a wooden dowel.

This piece was created after a graphic dream I had while passed out due to an intense endometriosis flare up that left me comatose in the hospital for three days back in 2014. It has features from a class I took while in college, aspects from indigenous studies, Chart classes and reading the popal vu, stories of Catholic abuse towards the mayan communities, old Norse sagas and studying the laws that were enacted by president Jackson towards the indigenous populations of the United States of America.

Pieces by this artist are for sale. Please inquire with the artist at @andi_n_narnia on Instagram regarding prices.


Ariel Levi Simons: The mating habits of profile pics, and other stories of the ecologies of southern California.

Materials used: Risograph prints

Here are some prints from someone who lives in Los Angeles and records snippets of dumb ideas while running and/or napping.

Pieces by this artist are for sale. Please inquire with the artist at levisimons@gmail.com regarding prices.


Barb Noren: head over helios

Materials used: lasercut wood, thread, LEDs, microcontroller.

Earth still churns, the sun remains a big ball of nuclear fusion, creativity is tenacious. we persist.


Bretton Neese: PHOTO_BOOTH.EXE

Materials used: PXL 3000 camera, karaoke machine, receipt printer, raspberry pi

Description coming soon.


Chris Combs: Impressions

Materials used: Custom circuit boards, green LEDs, computer, camera, algorithms, PLA, hardware

Interactive: This artwork shows a sparkling view of viewers’ movement, using green LEDs on a hand-assembled circuit board.

Pieces by this artist are for sale. Please inquire with the artist at https://chriscombs.net/ regarding prices.

Jay Jacobs: The Third Dimension

Materials used: PLA

Two dimensional images printed in three dimensions.

Pieces by this artist are for sale. Please inquire with the artist at jacobsjd@gmail.com regarding prices.


Jeff Schulthies: Storefront Music 3.0

Materials used: Details coming soon.

2010 Art Piece Revival.


Jeff Schulthies: Fast and the Forward

Materials used: Video / LCD Monitor.

“If you want time, buy the magazine.” All the Fast and the Furious movies played at the same to save you 24 hours of viewing time.


Juan Gutierrez: The Cool S

Materials used: polyster thread/fabric, metal pins, foam board.

Learning to draw the Cool S was a rite of passage for many adolescents.

Pieces by this artist are for sale. Please inquire with the artist at @embeddedjunkie on Instagram regarding prices.


Juan Gutierrez: Tears In Rain

Materials used: polyester thread/fabric, adhesive.

“It’s too bad she won’t live! But then again, who does?”

Pieces by this artist are for sale. Please inquire with the artist at @embeddedjunkie on Instagram regarding prices.


Kyle: Catstronaut Helmet

Materials used: Asa, acrylic, RGB LEDs.

Description coming soon.

LNSY: Free Zines!

Materials used: Stable Diffusion, Giclee Print on Paper.

AI-generated zines.

Marsha Rosales: Desate

Materials used: Mixed media

Depicting the struggle of duality, this piece explores the internal battles we face and questions the righteousness or falsehoods of the beasts we create.

Pieces by this artist are for sale. Please inquire with the artist at @theviewfrommars on Instagram regarding prices.


Matt Pinner: Crash Sprite

Materials used: Ceramic + LED + uController + wiring + code.

Despite how worn out everyone is, there are glimmers of beauty we keep experiencing within our communities.

Additional photos are available here, additional videos are available here and here.

Pieces by this artist are for sale. Please inquire with the artist at https://mpinner.com/ regarding prices.


Michael Isenberg: A Frickin’ Lazer

Materials used: Mixed Media.

Description coming soon.

Michael Shaw: Essex Property Trust, apartments across Los Angeles, test grid

Materials used: cyanotype on paper.

This grid is made up of rice paper samples from Hiromi to determine the optimal paper for making cyanotypes; through that process, this work emerged.

Pieces by this artist are for sale.  Please inquire with the artist at @michaelshawstudio on Instagram regarding prices.


Mlle. Tarmac: Psychic Palmography!

Materials used: performance with laptop, webcam, printer.

The contours of your hand hold the chart of your future! Pay a visit Mademoiselle Tarmac to receive the plot of events past and yet to come.


Rachel Koukal: Hologram Girlfriend

Materials used: LED hologram display.

A series of mock ads for a virtual dating simulation. The piece challenges us to ponder: Why are we so lonely despite constant connectivity? Does the buffet-style partner search merely offer an illusion of choice?


Sarah Jane Warner: Doom and Bloom

Materials used: Synthetic flowers, glycerin, UV light, silicone, plastic, despair.

At first glance, “Doom and Bloom” presents a delicate, beautiful bouquet of flowers — the epitome of natural elegance. But look closer, and the unsettling truth emerges: eyes peer from between petals, teeth hide behind soft blooms. This piece plays on the idea that nothing is purely good or bad; even the most lovely things hold elements of fear and discomfort. It challenges the viewer to consider the complexity of beauty and horror, reminding us that life requires a second look — a deeper inspection — to truly understand what lies beneath the surface.

Pieces by this artist are for sale. Please inquire with the artist at sarahwar@gmail.com regarding prices.


Steve Goldstein: Levitating Waters

Materials used: Acrylic, Water and Magic.

Are your eyes deceiving you, or does reality suck (water up)?

Pieces by this artist are for sale. Please inquire with the artist at smartguysml@gmail.com regarding prices.


Thomas Hollier: The First Oracle

Materials used: Cement, beach wood, RAMPS, steppers.

It has the answer but can you d3code it?

Video: https://vimeo.com/949335267

Pieces by this artist are for sale. Please inquire with the artist at thomashollier@relentlessplay.com regarding prices.