Some of you will remember last year right around this time when I emerged from a serious bout of COVID-19 and announced that I was going to shut the PIXELS website down and quit working on the book about the early years of our movement, Pixels at an Exhibition. This upset a number of people and, when I got a little more of my strength back, I relented. I finished a slightly modified (from the original outline) version of the book and have kept the website going.
The book is in the hands of a major art publisher in London at the moment and I expect to hear if they are going to accept it for publication or not in a couple weeks. Fingers crossed.
This website is still up, obviously, but submissions have dwindled down to four or five pictures a week. Sometimes we go five or six days without a picture coming in.
I get it, people are moving on to other things. I remember when, in 2012, I was receiving 200 pictures a day and working forty hours a week on the site. I still make pictures on my phone, of course, but it’s been a very long time since I fell asleep with my phone in my hand while apping a picture.
I don’t feel like putting out the $45 a month it costs me anymore, not if there is no real interest in the site anymore. I’m on social security, which doesn’t even cover my rent.
Monthly hosting is $29. Amazon S3 Cloud, where all the pictures are is about $15/month.
It’s about $540 a year.
I’m okay if the PIXELS journey is over. I don’t take it personally. I’ve been doing it since November of 2009 and it’s been a great time and wonderful experience. I’ve gotten to know so many fascinating people from around the world. I will keep trying to get the book, which is OUR legacy, published and I am truly grateful to the artists who have been the core contributors to the site for the past few years.
At this point, I am going to put the future of PIXELS in your hands. I would like very much to raise $540 by April 27, which is the next time a payment is due for hosting. I’d like to pay for a whole year. If we make it, great. If not, it’s ok.
Please click the button below and make a donation. If you know any Pixels fans or friends, please suggest they kick in a bit, as well.
Thank you.
—Knox
Recent Comments