DPM: Pixel Bonsai Forest includes the natural forms always present in Maharishi’s house camouflage pattern, but infiltrates them with pixels of different sizes, referring to those which make up the screens to which we direct so much of our time and attention.
Through the graphic embellishments of the collection, camouflage and mimicry in the natural and digital environments are explored. Biological mimicry is the form of deception where a species takes on the appearance of another, or of its surroundings, such as caterpillars that resemble twigs, bark or leaves.
In the digital world, new technologies are often explained by illustrations of their real-world counterparts, such as the ‘desktop’ displays of most operating systems. This design practice is known as skeuomorphism. As we grow more accustomed to a life integrated with digital technology, these comparisons become less relevant, and skeuomorphs begin their decline.
Maharishi continues to examine the semiotics of camouflage in contemporary society – underpinned by the brand’s philosophy to reclaim it from its military associations and reinforce its roots in nature, natural history and art.
