I webscraped years of a message thread with a friend on facebook. I built a python script that would extract nouns or noun chunks from our respective texts, encode them into ASCII strings and perform a subtraction: my words subtracted from their words. The results of this equation are encoded into a bytearray that is then “injected” into the data of an image representative of our relationship, thus corrupting (or ‘glitching’) the file.

I performed this live. Using the same file for this data conversion and debasement, I read the words being used by the script as poems while the .jpeg progressively decayed behind me.

the depths  and university


subtracted from


our relationship and democracy's kids

too many things and my fake teeth
and Sapere (knowledge)


subtracted from


the complete opposite, McRobbie's email address
and well, the gayness

post and all the pieces
and UCAS clearing
and the distant whisper
and the dice
and the moment
and (his exact words)


subtracted from


the days  and so much magic
and party
and the advice
and a fucking screen
and a voice message
and my dashboard

a STANDARD TEST  and You beautiful thing
and revelation
and the universe
and your comfort zone
and your beautiful beautiful existence
and other currents
and lightness
and the hole
and every sense


subtracted from


your body  and a sunday morning
and NX
and My friend
and a letter
and the first times
and the NAB
and un piccolo grande miracolo
and the 10th
and i