In July 2016, Japanese electronics company Funai Electric ceased production of videocassette recorders. It was the last known VCR manufacturer in the world. During the previous year, they had sold just 750,000 units, down from a peak of 15 million. VCR had been superseded by DVD. It had become just too difficult for Funai to source the necessary parts required to build more models.
Danil Tabacari is a 3D designer inspired by the legacy of such technologies. Shown here are images influenced by a specific VHS tape: Sony’s T-120. Its cover was visually striking – emblazoned with diagonal shades of burnt orange. “Being a teenager at the end of the 1990s and during the early 2000s, I naturally fell in love with retro designs,” Tabacari says. “I chose it for its warm colour palette and simplicity.”
In this series, Tabacari merges Sony’s vintage aesthetic with a contemporary twist, using digital rendering to create bright and satisfying worlds. The T-120 stripes appear within translucent cakes, archways and staircases. Twisting ribbons snake across 3D landscapes, ablaze with reds and yellows.
The artist utilises a variety of 3D design styles across a broad oeuvre, maintaining a balance between commissioned and personal work. Collaborators include high profile brands and agencies such as &Walsh, Microsoft, GoPro, NFL and many more. “Speaking the language of design is pure joy,” Tabacari concludes.
daniltabacari.com | @daniltabacari
Words: Eleanor Sutherland
All images courtesy Danil Tabacari.
