Media Diet - Ade Hanft
Who is Ade Hanft?
Ade Hanft is a creator and experimental artist from Colorado who’s known for his work with non-traditional materials like receipt paper, shipping labels, cassette tapes, and even coffee stirrers. His art spans various forms including animation, printmaking, and DIY cameras. Ade is also an author and writes a newsletter called Made by Ade, where he shares thoughts on creativity, technology, and maintaining creative energy.
What Does Ade Do?
- Experimental Animation: Ade uses materials like receipt paper to create animations that loop everyday moments, like an eagle flying or a bird’s wing flapping. His animations stand out because they combine motion with textured backgrounds, often created from everyday materials.
- Innovative Materials: Ade is known for making things like giant cameras from coffee stirrers and building digital cameras using Raspberry Pi and receipt printers. He also creates prints from thermal paper using alcohol and heat.
- Writing & Storytelling: Ade writes books and essays, with titles like Art of the Living Dead and User Zero, which touch on creativity and technology. His newsletter, Made by Ade, mixes storytelling with reflections on how to stay creative.
Example: Eagle Flying Animation
In one of Ade’s animations, a looping eagle flying is shown against a textured background made from materials like receipt paper. The movement of the eagle and the shifting textures create a dynamic, almost tactile feel to the animation. The use of simple, everyday materials gives the piece a lo-fi aesthetic that makes it feel more personal and authentic.
- Eagle & Symbolism: The eagle in the animation represents freedom and strength. By animating it with such humble materials, Ade creates a unique contrast between the grand and the ordinary, which is a common theme in his work.
What’s Unique About His Work?
- Low-Fi Materials: Ade’s work often focuses on creating art with ordinary materials like receipts, labels, and coffee stirrers, showing that you don’t need expensive tools to make something meaningful.
- Finding Beauty in the Everyday: Whether it’s through his animations or prints, Ade transforms simple momentsinto something special. His work often highlights the beauty in the mundane, elevating it through repetition and focus.
- Transparency: Ade shares his process openly, giving followers a behind-the-scenes look at his creative experiments. This makes his work feel more accessible and encourages others to experiment in their own way.
Why Follow Ade?
Ade’s approach to art and creativity is refreshing and inspiring. He uses non-traditional materials and focuses on the process of making, not just the final product. His work reminds us that creativity doesn’t require perfection—it’s about being resourceful and finding inspiration in the world around us.
- Instagram: Follow Ade on Instagram (@ade3) to see his art experiments and creative journey, including animations like the eagle flying video.
- Newsletter: Subscribe to Made by Ade for insights into his thoughts on creativity and how to keep your own creative energy flowing.
In Summary
Ade Hanft is a creator who mixes art, technology, and everyday materials to produce something fresh and unique. Whether he’s creating looping animations or building DIY cameras, his work encourages us to embrace imperfectionand innovation. It’s a reminder that creativity can be found in the most ordinary things, and sometimes, all you need is the willingness to experiment.