Depending on the type of person you are, you may find these altered photographs by Manuel Birnbacher ominous or humorous. After all, pictures with distorted faces are often used in horror movies as an omen, but the cartoony manners in which Birnbacher has altered these historical portraits leaves viewers smirking even if they don’t want to.
Manuel Birnbacher chose civil war photographs specifically for this collection, giving his work an air of authenticity since photo manipulation was more uncommon in an era without Photoshop. Many resulting images are extremely surreal to look at, from men with two faces to cookie monster-esque eyeballs being glued to a person’s ocular sockets.
Birnbacher currently works as a freelance art director and graphic designer specializing in animation, typography, print, publishing, web design and fine art.
Warped Historical Portraits
Manuel Birnbacher Modifies Old Photos in Bizarre & Humorous Ways
Trend Themes
1. Distorted Reality - Opportunities for augmented and virtual reality technologies for creating surreal, interactive digital art
2. Retro-futurism - Using modern digital tools to bring old photos back to life in a futuristic aesthetic
3. Dark Humor - Exploration of humor in horror as a way to subvert audience expectations
Industry Implications
1. Fine Art - Integrating digital art and traditional techniques to create new forms of expression
2. Graphic Design - Incorporating innovative photo manipulation techniques to create unique visual designs
3. Entertainment - Using dark humor in horror movies and games to create subversive and engaging content