Scott Blake, 'Barcode Oprah' Creator, Turns Daytime TV Queen Into Scan-Able Commodity

To Oprah Winfrey fans, the end of her show is like the end of the world.

But the fear of Doomsday is what inspired one artist to turn Oprah's image into an extraordinary piece of art -- the Barcode Oprah.

"In 1999, everyone was afraid of the Y2K bug," says Scott Blake. "So I took all those worries about zeros and ones -- computer code -- and turned it into art."

Those ISDN codes found on just about every book, magazine, appliance and packaged grocery item have since served as a medium for Blake's art, and he has used it to render the greatest icons of our time -- and of all time.

ISBN/Oprah/ Book Club/ Scaled (2000)

• • • • • • • • In 2000, Blake made a barcode portrait of Oprah Winfrey made up of codes to selections from the Oprah Book Club.

"I started with Jesus," he said. "And I knew I'd go on to all those legends whom we know just by their first name -- Elvis, Madonna, Marilyn."

"I figured you had to choose Oprah after Jesus because she's more biblical than any other celebrity."

Blakes first works were halftones in the tradition of Roy Lichtenstein, but he eventually moved on to use working barcodes. If you scan his second rendering of Winfrey, you'll see 1,824 ISBN images, each one a selection from Oprah's Book Club.

Just as Y2K passed with no big disaster, Blake feels the world will get used to TV without Oprah's show.

"I'm actually not that big of a fan," Blake says. "People think I am. But to me, my art represents how these celebrities have been turned into commodities."

Scan-able commodities.

Blake is now turning his attention to a Sept. 11 flip book and a rendering of journalist Amy Goodman in QR barcode (the next generation of ISDN).

"I haven't heard from Amy yet. But I'm a big fan of Democracy Now, and I hope she gets my work."

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Comments

[WasteNJ]

01:18 PM on 05/27/2011

Open Image

Filter, Barcode

Apply,

Save.

[toocoldout]

12:02 AM on 05/26/2011

It's beautiful, just like Oprah.

[TruthToPower20]

11:32 PM on 05/25/2011

Amy Goodman is AMAZING!

[iswideopen]

09:29 PM on 05/25/2011

It's very nice. You should be proud of yourself.

Carry on, my dearest Oprah!!!!

[PBR Street Gang]

08:38 PM on 05/25/2011

Oh, another useless reason for Oprah to exist. Well done.

[BethS]

08:48 PM on 05/25/2011

Why would any existence be useless?

[PBR Street Gang]

09:43 PM on 05/25/2011

By choice, either knowingly or not.

[CFL68]

07:35 PM on 05/25/2011

Someone please help me understand. I mean, I am all for people making money on themselves, or on others, or any other legal way.

But why is everyone buying into this 'Oprah's last show' scam?

This isn't her last show. Maybe I am misunderstanding the situation, but I thought I read that
she owns her own frikkin TV station and will now be doing her shows over there. Am I wrong?

She isn't retiring. There is now an OPRAH channel.

?!?

[BethS]

08:44 PM on 05/25/2011

Last show on a non-cable station-a 25 year run-it is the end for this medium. Why does ihave to be a scam? No one made anyone watch it for 25 years.

[CFL68]

10:21 PM on 05/25/2011

LOL ok. She is just changing tv stations.

Its being billed as if she is leaving or going somewhere or retiring etc. Tears. Celebrities lol.

People who want to watch oprah will have to memorize a new 1-3 number combo on their remotes.

But bravo to self promoters like Oprah and Madonna, etc. They are very good at what they do!

[studioh!]

07:27 PM on 05/25/2011

nothing beats barcode jesus