THE NEW AGE OF PIXELS

In the new digital age of perfection, we all have been guilty of searching for the perfect shot, the perfect lighting, or the perfect angle for our Instagram and Tik Tok pages. We long for something to get our names into the algorithm for thousands to see. We are constantly trying to find those 15 seconds of fame, but look no further because tucked away in Cambridge, MA is Go Pixel Yourself.

POLISHED sat down with John Carter, the owner and founder of Go Pixel Yourself, to discuss this modern concept. Carter has fostered this hybrid, pop art business where anyone ranging from influencers, families, and students alike can go to take professional digital content of themselves with 16 dazzling theme rooms, neon-colored backdrops, and trippy set pieces that engulf you in a truly immersive environment.

Carter discussed that ‘Go Pixel Yourself’ wasn’t his first business endeavor, but that his previous experiences were the stepping stones to this truly unique experience.

Angela Defelice: What experiences lead you to the foundation of Go Pixel Yourself, and what skills do you feel contributed to its creation?

John Carter: I was a street artist in New York City. I was a large-scale installation artist using found objects like school buses. I made found object art furniture out of bowling balls, boxing gloves, and don’t walk signs.

Not only did he spend a lot of his time creating art, but he also dabbled in working with light shows which had a big part to play in his newest business venture.

JC: I also ran an advertising agency and oversaw the design of the majority of the New York City Christmas windows for about five years. Parker 3D, (his previous business,) has done video integrated and interactive large-scale displays worldwide from Dubai to Shanghai to the Caribbean and all throughout North America. So if you take this group of skill sets, you can see most of it at Go Pixel Yourself.

AD: When you created the concept, what were your initial thoughts?

JC: As an artist, you don’t have much choice but to do something with your creative urge! I have always navigated back-and-forth between commercial and artistic endeavors... And recently recognized that

there’s a model where people will pay admission to interact with these things I’ve been building all along.

And people did exactly that. They paid for admission and entered this wonderful artistic experience. Upon their opening, their primary goal was to be more like an amusement park. Carter wanted to give people a place to pretend and let loose to just create anything they wanted.

AD: What is your business’s motto?

JC: The message is always multilevel of course. Primarily, I’ve gathered art by other artists and invited the public in to create their own art within it.

AD: Not only do influencers grace the presence of “Go Pixel Yourself,” but also photographers, and families as well, due to your rising fame on the short video platform “Tik Tok”... How does it feel being a part of something that contributes to long-lasting feelings, whether through internet fame or family memories?

JC: Our experience is more than just photography. People come out of their shells and get to know each other better. I’ve seen families interacting differently by the third room than when they came in. We also are a place where musical acts have come to shoot their videos and express themselves that way. So, while the Internet, Instagram, and Facebook can have negative connotations... We believe we are taking it out of the phone and creating real-life experiences.

As the creative director and designer, as well as an artist, it’s clear that John has a passion for the construction and thought process behind each of these interactive exhibits. I was interested to see if there was anything else he had a strong hand in creatively, like the photography in each exhibit.

JC: In general, the design process starts with an idea, then my team may come up with some of the ideas and I might as well. So for example, for the airplane room, I started thinking about the golden age of travel. And how there used to be spacious seating and luxury and a spiral staircase and a bar etc. In some rooms, I would dictate the general idea of the background and my team would create it. I was doing selfies long before anybody called them that. I used to do a lot of selfies with Polaroids. I also fell in love with Photoshop and photo editing software as soon as it came out in the 80s. So between all of those interests of mine as well as my talented designers, we tried to use everything we had in it!

AD: What would you like to see for the future of Go Pixel Yourself?

JC: We are still in the early stages, but ultimately I would like colleges to get involved with creating content and making content there. I have been talking to Harvard and local tech companies to get involved, and eventually, I’m hoping to make it a charitable outreach organization. I’m heavily influenced by Andy Warhol and his theory that in the future everyone will be famous for 15 minutes, and that future has clearly arrived.

Angela Defelice: Lastly, which of the rooms was your favorite to create?

John Carter: Probably the airplane room because I have been obsessed with flying since I was three and flew with my grandfather from Alaska to Chicago. I think it’s where you completely forget that you’re still in a shopping mall and it’s the perfect vehicle to begin your imaginary journey.

With a multitude of different, unique and galvanizing rooms to choose from, starting with the first-class “Airplane room”, express your creativity and see it for yourself!