What are piles of outdated technology like cassette tapes, 8mm film and VHS good for these days? According to Atlanta artist Erika Iris Simmons, they make stunning portraits of iconic figures. In the last two years, Simmons has been fashioning them into unforgettable renderings of celebrities including Martin Luther King Jr., Michael Jackson, Alfred Hitchcock, and Tom Waits.

Under the name iri5, she methodically removes the tape from the old school media reels and carefully constructs the portraits under a series titled, “Ghost in the Machine.” Her work has received acclaimed most from underground art communities but has been recently featured in Details magazine. “Her finished work is worthy of the most polished rooms,” Details writer Amy Prince commented. Portraits in this series now sell for up to $2000.00.

What is interesting is that most of Simmons’ materials are either donated or were discarded and recovered. “I love the nostalgia of the archaic, and I hope that not everything which has outlived its use goes to waste,” she comments on her website. She continues to take donations, and in return promises “a small thank-you gift for your kindness.”

It seems that Simmons’ art gives the world more than a new aesthetic. Implicit in her work is a valuable lesson that there is beauty buried within the most seemingly worthless artifacts. Piles of VHS and cassettes adorn the shelves of thrift stores and secondhand shops nationwide, and sell for pennies on the dollar of their original value. But Simmons saw an opportunity to redeem these goods and unleash their hidden potential. By taking these pieces for more than outdated junk, she has given us a picture of the potential for restoration that lies in the most inconspicuous places.

Do you see something deeply restorative in Simmons' work or is she just another artist? Can you share a story of a time when you took something seemingly worthless and made it beautiful again?

See more of Erika's work.

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