Courtesy of Pikazo
Pikazo might seem simple. The app takes a photo and mashes it up with another image (for instance, a Picasso), remixing them into an original piece of art. But for local co-creators Noah Rosenberg and Karl Stiefvater, it’s more than that. Consider this: Rosenberg spent his childhood playing Little League baseball, but he was terrible. He has no idea what it feels like to hit a home run. He’d pay for an app that could give him that sensation.
“That’s the feeling that we’re giving people for art,” Rosenberg says. Even if you can’t draw a circle, Pikazo will show you how it feels to be Pablo Picasso (and Picasso’s subject) as your selfie’s remade in masterful brushstrokes.
How to Do It
First, download the app, which (for now) costs $2.99. Pick a photo to use as the subject and then another image with which to style it. The app includes a few preset styles, or you can upload your own. Click “Paint!” That’s it. Most people seem to start by styling their Facebook profile pictures as Vincent van Gogh’s The Starry Night.
How It Works
You’re probably better off enjoying Pikazo without trying to understand the science behind it. In basic terms, the app uses neural networks—algorithms made to think like people—to turn your photo inside out and re-create it in the style you’ve chosen. Unlike a filter, “it’s moving those brushstrokes, rearranging the painting into your image,” he says.
Applications High and Low
Pikazo is popular with fine-art aficionados—Picasso, van Gogh, and Gustav Klimt are the most popular styles. But it works just as well for creating plebeian pop art, like Snoop Dogg remixed as marijuana leaves, Abraham Lincoln as pennies, or your brother as a slice of pepperoni pizza.
Fair Use Questions
Rosenberg’s theory is that styling your photo with Mickey Mouse doesn’t infringe Disney’s copyright, whereas styling Mickey with your face might. That hasn’t been tested in court yet, of course. Our word of advice: Don’t try to sell your Pikazo images, and you’ll probably be fine.
Surprising Success
Rosenberg and Stiefvater created Pikazo as a fun pet project. They never expected its runaway success. At press time, the app had been downloaded more than 40,000 times, and more than 1 million photos had been processed.
Version 2
The app costs $2.99 for now, but Rosenberg expects that to change in May. By then, Pikazo will be free to download, but you can pay to have your images rendered in higher resolution (“which is incredibly gorgeous,” Rosenberg says), or you can buy packages of styles, including never-before-seen works from big-name artists.
Note: This story has been updated with the latest plan for current and future pricing.
