In a project that combines electronics and aesthetics, artist Richard Parry has made incredible art prints that document the insides of different video game consoles and handhelds. In this series called Assembly Required, Parry takes apart the plastic casings of each console, exposing and displaying the fascinating insides.
Parry’s first project was the original Game Boy. He used Nintendo’s 1995 yellow model and expanded it into an exploded diagram. Everything, from the various circuit boards to the speakers to the AA batteries are on display, is separated and arranged into seven different layers. Every detail was documented, down to each screw. The exploded Game Boy was set against a blue background to contrast the yellow casing to create a compelling art piece.
Parry uploaded his work on reddit in May, to immediate popularity. The question was, how did he make them? Although they appear to be 3D models, but the truth was something completely different.
Parry uses actual video game consoles in his art. The seven layers of the yellow Game Boy diagram are actually seven layers of acrylic. Each layer of acrylic has pieces of the Game Boy laid out on it. Smaller elements like screws are glued down with a clear adhesive. Then the acrylics were stacked and photographed, haze from the acrylics were cleaned up, and some of the shadows were erased. Parry uses a similar process for most of his art in this series.
Parry has a particular process for choosing the consoles he uses in his art. He looks on Ebay for broken consoles, since most consoles that he takes apart do not go back together in working order. This is especially important for some of the older consoles he uses, since, in addition to being more expensive, some of the old consoles that still work are a rare find that he doesn’t want to destroy. He prefers Nintendo consoles the most due to Nintendo’s bold design choices. For the same reason, he avoids modern consoles, saying that “they’re all just black boxes.” This means that each art piece is a dynamic exploration of the design of the console, and they have an aesthetic quality that makes them greater than simple technical drawings.