Invisible Cities: Nate Mohler

Invisible Cities: Nate Mohler

The interview is conducted as part of the SuperRare April Exhibition: Invisible Cities, curated

Invisible Cities: Nate Mohler

3 years ago

Nate Mohler is an emerging media artist who works with technology as a paint brush to build conceptual and avant-garde experiences through digital art. A 2019 UCLA graduate with a B.A. in Design | Media Arts, Mohler is intrigued with the fusion of conceptual art and technology to support connectivity and social activism with unconventional space and sound. His work focuses on eliciting action and question through digital mediums such as projection mapping, immersive installations, sculpture and video art. Mohler treats each project as an opportunity to evoke emotion, challenge thought, or support social change. 

Describe the cities in your art.

The Cities in this series include Amsterdam, Paris, Culver City, and Los Angeles. I hope to continue adding to this series, discovering the technique more, and exploring the architecture of cityscapes. 

How did you become interested in using cities as the subject of your art? Which aspects of cities fascinate you the most? 

What fascinated me most was the strong architecture found in these cities and the motion within them. The slight details of people walking, to cars, or crashing waves seemed to push the paint around and cause streaks in the video. These elements created a beautiful synergy between the paint technique I was exploring and the concept of memories and immortalizing the place. 

What do cities mean for you? 

Cities and I have a love and hate relationship, kinda like dating for an extended period of time, falling in love with them and then trying to get away. They cost lots of money but then reward you with fun times. You spend hours on the freeway contemplating your life choices, but then get exposed to new cultures and forget all about it. If there’s one thing LA has taught me, is the importance of culture and how to waste hours on the freeway.

Which are your favorite cities? How do these cities inspire you and influence your art?

My favorite city of the “Painted Cities” series is probably the first one I created, the Roman Forum. It was the first city I tested this technique with and took my breath away. It also was the perfect scene to represent this idea of immortalizing a nostalgic moment. The city’s architecture by itself reflects the history and life of its people. 

Rome
Edition 1 of 1
“Rome” — Mohler. Dec. 1, 2020. Video: 45sec. 3840px w. 2160px h. Ai neural style transfer treatment of footage of the Roman Forum taken by Mohler in 2018. First of the “Painted Cities” series which explores the subconscious of Ai and painted video.

What are you trying to express through depiction of cities? In portraying cities, what are the (bigger or personal) stories you’re trying to tell? 

The locations in the series “Painted Cities” are all places I’ve spent time in while studying media art back in 2018. They are moments filled with inspiration and personal memories. Views of each city often resurface in dreams and desires when trying to escape the mundane pattern of everyday life here in LA. The cities in my work are actual places, but also a figurative representation of them during something of a dream-like state, an imaginative moment. An Ode to the presence a city has on a person. A tribute to the architecture, the people, and the culture. 

Grunge City
Edition 1 of 1

What’s your approach to make art about cities (creative process, technique, art genre, aesthetics etc.) 

The process is not complex but requires a series of steps and lots of patience. First, I source a base video input and look for something slow with two forms of motion; a main camera movement and smaller secondary motion such as cars or people. Next, I source a series of watercolor textures or photographs from the area to use as “style” inputs. I then process the input video and style frames through a machine learning process called neural style transfer. Which attempts to identify intricacies in the input video and match textural moments in the style image. Often this experimentation takes multiple attempts to find the perfect harmony between color, motion, and texture. The result is something short of code assisted hallucinations.

Skate Grunge
Edition 1 of 1

What does your ideal city look like?

I believe cities have a responsibility to uphold a standard of human life and sustainability. My ideal city would have less freeways, have more nature, encourage discourse and art, be sustainable and energy efficient. I think of Barcelona and mid-day siestas. Or 1990’s Venice Beach with its laid back culture and fighting spirit (I was born in 1997 lol). Grungy yet beautiful. Not too rich and not too poor. Amazing architecture, amazing parks, and amazing bike paths. 

What’s the relationship between people and cities (or nature and cities) in your art? 

People play an important role as little brushes disrupting the paint in the video. In “Paris” and “Amsterdam” the people and cars seem to push the paint and leave a trail behind them. People are the life of the city, therefore integral to this series. 

What are the little things you want your viewers to notice in your art? 

I hope people notice the people, they’re hard to see but special. Maybe they can spot me? 

What’s your dream art project to do? 

Oooh this is a good question. My dream art project would be to build a massive public art sculpture that serves as a nursery for plants and animals, lights up at night, and offers research into the city and supports the community. The whole piece could use input from each of its residents to create a personal experience and reflect its community.  

28

SuperRare

SuperRare is a marketplace to collect and trade unique, single-edition digital artworks.

Art

Tech

Curators' Choice

Exhibition: Digital Realms

Exhibition: Digital Realms

Exhibition: Digital Realms

3 years ago

Digital Realms: Possible bodies and territories in cryptoart

Featured works

✋︎❍︎ ⧫︎♒︎♏︎ ❖︎□︎♓︎♎︎
instagram.com/frenetikvoid
As digital technologies change the definition of what it means to be human, the relationship between physical presence, virtual identity and digital corporeality becomes more diffuse. The work of Frenetik Void unfolds in a science-fiction environment, a post-human universe inhabited by mutating beings, hybrids in which limits are vanished. The suspended bodies in liquid natures build scenes of surrealistic airs.

ᴅɪɢɪ-ᴠɪᴇᴡ ᴍᴀᴛʀɪx
linktr.ee/kytten
ʜɪ ɪ’ᴍ ᴋʏᴛ! ・゚✧・゚:* artist and director, born online with a polyphasic mind. kyt makes art with a sharp eye for emotive body langue and colorful, bubblegum palettes. her artistic vision is to capture deep universal feelings about the human condition *:・゚✧・゚ Kyt is UCLA|𝘋𝘔𝘈 alum. She has shown work and performed visuals live internationally, including MoMA ps1 and LACMA, festivals like Coachella and Art Basel, and on [Adult Swim] for Rick and Morty, Off the Air, bumps, and pilots.

Montreal
instagram.com/aeforia
3D Illustrator and Art Director from Montreal, Canada. His work is all about colors, balance, and emotion. Blending surreal landscapes and digital portraiture, he has managed to craft a distinct style over the years and develop a keen eye for details, while focusing on the emotional impact.

Argentina
instagram.com/milton.sanz
I’m Milton Sanz, a freelance 3d artist based in Argentina!. Nowadays I’m working for the music industry in USA and Europe where my first task it’s to generate 3D videos. I’m an Illustrator, graphic designer and nowadays i’m taking courses related to 3D.

Tokyo
instagram.com/alessiodevecchi
Alessio was born in Italy and graduated from Istituto Europeo di Design. After starting his career as an industrial designer in Milan, he moved to New York in 2006. He has been working as an art director and cg artist in New York, Milan, Tokyo with clients like Adidas, Ford, LG, H&M, Margiela. His creations have earned positive attention from Vogue, ID Magazine, The Creators Project among others. He’s currently residing in Tokyo, finalizing his debut short movie as a director.

Buenos Aires
joaquina.media
Joaquina Salgado aka ‘Crypt0 Baby’ is a new media artist based in Buenos Aires specialized in 3D immersive experiences, XR/VR and live visuals. Her work is presented internationally at digital art events such as Mutek (Montréal and Buenos Aires), Mirage Festival (France)

Argentina – Buenos Aires
twitter.com/FedericoBona_

Buenos Aires, argentina
VESTIGIA NULLA RETRORSUM
Hello, my name is Octavio, I am a visual artist from Argentina. I am in the last year of Sound and Image Desing at the University of Buenos Aires. In the university I always choose the most avant-garde professorship’s, the ones that were encouraged to new things. We tried new technologies. My career was always a constant try and I think that nowadays, all that practice, all those test, are defining my style. Something that I found… and I want to do.

Nigeria
osinachiart.com
Osinachi (born 24 October 1991) is a self-taught digital artist whose work explores personal experiences within a technological environment. Born and raised in Aba, Nigeria, Osinachi is Africa’s foremost cryptoartist. In 2018, he became the first-ever Nigerian artist to showcase artworks at the Ethereal Summit in New York. He was shortlisted for the Bridgeman Studio Award 2019.

Buenos Aires, Argentina
instagram.com/vicampobello
Space distorts as human beings try to find a place to inhabit. The perception of geometry that surrounds it, is constantly building or deconstructing a different reality, where we are all trying to create our sense of place. Graphics, nature-inspired textures and futuristic worlds feature the work of Victoria Campobello; alias VXN. Abstract shapes of amorphous forms coexist in highly textured images that seem to blend into a three dimensional space.

Argentina
instagram.com/oxeegeno
I’m Dario Vilanova aka Oxeegeno, a freelance 3d artist based in Argentina!.

Melbourne, Australia
instagram.com/giantswan
Virtual Reality artist, Sculptor, Experience and Art Director. Always working on the edge of my mediums, always pushing to elevate by creating. Recently exhibited in Melbourne, Shanghai and Miami

Planet Earth
instagram.com/sven.eberwein
Works of the internet, by the internet, for the internet.

quasimondo.com
I’m an artist and a skeptic with a curious mind. My preferred tools are neural networks, code and algorithms. My interests are manifold and in constant evolution, involving artificial intelligence, generative and evolutionary art, glitch art, data classification or physical installations. If there is one common denominator it’s my desire to understand, question and subvert the inner workings of systems of any kind. I also have a deep interest in human perception and aesthetic theory.

Buenos Aires, Argentina
instagram.com/_estebandiacono
Motion graphics designer and digital artist from Buenos Aires, Argentina. interested in procedural character design, dynamic simulations, fun stuff and weird things in general. ONLY at diaconoesteban.eth

Melbourne, Australia
instagram.com/jasonebeyer
3D Artist and Art Director Jason Ebeyer is known globally for his glossy figures & sensual style of artwork. Blending elements of fashion & technology with hyper surreal alien-like plastic models, seemingly plucked from the dreams of the digital generation. He has received acclaim around the world for his works unique fusion of soft emotions & erotic ecstasy. Producing artwork for the likes of Vogue Italia, Universal Music, Warner Bros. Records, Nike, Cardi B, Troye Sivan & Nikita Dragun

twitter.com/WintEagle
SURREAL ARTIST

Vancouver
instagram.com/victormosquera
Digital Guided imagery

1

Julian Brangold

Julian Brangold is a multidisciplinary artist whose artistic research looks into the ways in which technology rewrites the definition of what it means to be human. With a background in film and video art, his work explores a wide spectrum of media including video game engines, online databases, digital imagery and artificial intelligence to create critical spaces in which technology and aesthetic production can merge to open up new pathways in thought and experience.

Art

Tech

Curators' Choice

Exhibition: Motion Design and Cryptoart

Exhibition: Motion Design and Cryptoart

Exhibition: Motion Design and Cryptoart

3 years ago

The exhibition features Gavin Shapiro, aeforia, beyondbola, Blake Kathryn, Sasha Katz, Adam Priester, Steven Baltay, James Owen, smeccea, Esteban Diacono, Alessio De Vecchi, and Render Fruit (click links to view interviews)

Co-organized by SuperRare and Motion Designers Community.

Introduction

Toward the second half of 2020, besides the rising popularity of NFTs, we see a large number of motion designers coming into the field. Before joining the new world of crypto art, these designer-artists are often already well established, both as Instagram influencers and well-known motion designers working with big clients.

Usually connected to large communities of digital artists on social media, their adoption and financial success in crypto art bring more and more motion designers into the world of NFTs & crypto art with the hope of making a living from selling their own art, as a better alternative or complementary for working solely for clients.

This large incoming of motion designers is not and should not be overlooked, not only because they occupy a large proportion of crypto artists and their work constitute an important sub-genre under crypto art, but also because of 1) these work’s distinct recognizability as a sub-genre; 2) the artists’ above average skills and crafts in aesthetically and visually powerful forms of imagery that result from decades of practice in doing commissioned work; 3) the high appreciation of motion designs in the crypto art market; and most importantly 4) the fact that these digital motion images are being unprecedentedly collected, sold, owned and invested in as if they are traditional fine art.

By giving traditional fine art’s attributes to digital art, blockchain (/crypto art) also brings motion design the status of fine art and incorporates it into the game of art market. With the advent of each art movement, the fine art canon is constantly challenged, questioned and undermined, the concept and rules of art constantly breached. Looking at these moving images with trending visual effects that one often sees in commercials or Hollywood blockbusters, art world academics are likely to question “Is this art?” while staring at their screens.

Motion design has huge artistic potential as it suits the society of our time. It’s already infiltrating our society, contemporary culture and becoming ubiquitous through mass/social media. We as audiences are trained on a daily basis to have high visual literacy to understand the world through the vocabulary of motion pictures. Art will be the next sector to reflect a trend that’s already spreading in daily lives. As popular NFTs, motion images receive ready acceptance from the collectors. By giving value to these motion designs, the crypto art market helps legitimize their significance in the context of art.

Crypto art and motion design seem to be the continuum of the art phenomenon led by Takashi Murakami and KAWS, who infuse commercial designs & entertainment culture into high art, make collectibles in parallel to fine art, and bridge the chasm between the more exclusive art world and the wider popularity, while at the same time challenge the identity of art. So it remains to be seen how together motion designs and NFTs will challenge the art of the 21st century.

Motion Design – Definition

Literally, it means moving images and animations. When working with companies/clients, motion designers create art forms that are practical, useful, serving clear purposes and audiences. It’s used as a visual tool to convey concepts and messages. It needs to be effective, so that a large target audience can understand the intended message conveyed in a short period of time.

Another important aspect of motion design results from the competition for attention (as for commercials or movie trailers) in a society where moving images proliferate and dominate our life through phones and computers, social media like Instagram, Tik Tok, YouTube etc. Artists on Instagram for example, have to catch viewers’ attention among thousands of other animations that appear in people’s feed every day. So being particularly eye-grabbing and impressive in a very efficient way is integral to motion design. There’s a constant strive to standout by being more flashy and visually/technically impressive. The fierce competition for attention leads to rise in quality from dedicated motion designers, which also results in their popularity and high sale prices in the crypto art world.

Role in contemporary culture

Through mass/social media, moving images have become ubiquitous in our lives. Social media are filled with animations, and it’s become the main way for people to share their life and companies/brands to broadcast ideas. Motion design is a contemporary language of which people have an increased visual literacy and take pleasure in when enjoying the life of the visual. Yet it’s still growing, faster and faster. The boom in artists who use motion and its popularity in audiences are hard to ignore. All these give motion design an indispensable role in contemporary culture.

Why highly valued in the crypto art market

There are several answers to this question. Besides being “a contemporary language” that has mass appeal, many motion designers have a career background that almost guarantees high qualities. To produce client work, these artists have spent years developing effective visual communications, learning latest technical skills and adapting to professional design trends. The amount of practice gives them an advantage when pivoting to crypto art, where they can now freely develop their personal work. Equipped with the sufficient skillset, they can maximize the effect of their self-expression and have the freedom to explore wide ranges of artistic ideas and emotions.

Another reason is that, closely related to commercials, motion designers are good at the smooth, perfect application of contemporary visual culture, if not the glamor of advertising and stimulating effects of Hollywood blockbusters. These increase their chance of success in appeals to larger audiences.

Technically, motion design fits perfectly with crypto art. It’s the most “true-to-medium” exchange: crypto art allows the digital motion designs to be born and crafted digitally, promoted digitally, appreciated digitally and then collected and traded digitally. The whole process realizes the full potential of the medium without compromises.

Finally, there’s still a huge mystery surrounding how such complicated visually impressive 3D motions are made. To most ordinary people, motion designers are like magic makers. This more or less contributes to its current success in the crypto art market.

Motion design, cryptoart/NFTs, fine art

Unlike traditional art galleries which have always been rather uncomfortable with digital medium art, the crypto art world accepts motion design with open arms. The crypto art market further allows this digital art genre to be collected and owned as fine arts. The values assigned can help legitimize motion design as an art genre of its own.

Outside of the art world, digital animations are already the mainstream and play significant roles in our culture. What dominates the culture of a certain time period will eventually enter the arts which bear the responsibility to record and reflect upon its own time.

For motion designers, crypto art frees them from clients and gives them time & money to invest in creating their personal work, telling their own stories, and communicating messages that are true to themselves. They can make a living as independent artists, selling digital art in a valued manner through blockchain. As these personal works are collected at respectable prices, artists receive recognition in the market that is more than just likes or reposts on social media (the life of most digital artists before crypto art). And the artist/patron relationship they find in the crypto art world is not different to what has always accompanied fine art.

Yet all these are just the beginning. As motion designs continue to evolve with the crypto art market, both will one day enter the mainstream art market as well as the fine art canon.

3

an

Curator @SuperRare

Art

Tech

Curators' Choice

Atlantis: SuperRare 3D VR Art Exhibit

Atlantis: SuperRare 3D VR Art Exhibit

Above: “data privacy” by stockcatalog licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0

Atlantis: SuperRare 3D VR Art Exhibit

4 years ago

Your content goes here. Edit or remove this text inline or in the module Content settings. You can also style every aspect of this content in the module Design settings and even apply custom CSS to this text in the module Advanced settings.

https://twitter.com/superrare.com/status/1298305601240469504?s=21

Panel – Convergence: Art & Blockchain in VR

Featured Artworks

I think it is impossible for us to ever truly know the truth of the matter where Atlantis is concerned which makes it all the more fascinating to me.

CRYPTOSPECTR

Exotic protozoa in two very distinct and tasty flavours.

Atlantis is one of those classic legends that sparks the imagination of anyone who hears the tale. Hearing Graham Hancock and Randall Carlson discuss their take on the possibility of lost civilisations on the Joe Rogan Podcast around 5 years ago, my interest in Atlantis was certainly reignited. I think it is impossible for us to ever truly know the truth of the matter where Atlantis is concerned which makes it all the more fascinating to me.

I wanted to create something both sculptural and architectural that visitors to a VR space can enjoy inside and out. My sculpts were inspired by microscopic protozoa which are abundant in the sea, but usually impossible to see with the naked eye. Visually these creatures are about as close to aliens as you could find on the planet earth. My intention with this work was to fit with the theme of the show and explore the beautiful complexity of these lifeforms.

Since first experiencing virtual reality back in 2016 I have very much enjoyed not only creating digital 3D work but also exploring it within VR environments. Most people I have introduced to VR really enjoy it which gives me the impression it will be around for the foreseeable future or at least a comparable technology. Every time I’m asked about cryptoart my response is much the same, I am so grateful to be involved in this new and fast evolving scene.

I wanted to create an Octopus sculpture which you can travel inside and dance together in its vivid dreams… thus Discopus was born.

VR_ROSIE

Discopus by VR_Rosie

I am Rosie Summers, a virtual reality artist, a creative slave to the metaverse. With VR, you have the chance to intimately connect with your digital art in revolutionary ways. This means that whatever I paint I form a strong connection to. This connection is emotional and feels physical through the tangibility of the immersive medium and allows me to transcend into what I’m painting. The meta dream becomes lucid and I start to feel things through my artwork, this allows for an interesting experimentation process as I form the digital thumbprints on my work. Recently in my virtual art, I have been drawn to exploring the cosmic realms of space and the juxtaposition of the synthetic and natural world.

Apparently only 5% of the deep sea has been explored which is a mind blowing concept, what rare finds will be discovered when humans get the ability to explore those realms? This makes Atlantis a fantastic concept for a crypto art gallery exhibition. 

My sculpture Discopus was born from the idea of collective dreaming. In these times of Covid, we have seen more frequently. Subconscious human minds intertwining, connecting, humming the same vibrations. This is something I have experienced before and became fascinated with the concept. I wanted to create a space where people can dream together. A VR exhibition is the perfect place to experiment with this concept, with us disconnected from our physical presence and immersed in the virtual, it can often feel like a dream state. It was dreams that lead me to Octopus, I had read recently a theory that Octopus change colour whilst sleeping, suspected to be dreaming. I found this amazing, not only does it show how advanced they are to ‘dream’ but it’s an example of a visible dream, observing their cognitive adventures which is fascinating. So I was inspired to recreate the Octopus dream, in Atlantis, playing with the technicolor aspects of the octopus and the abstraction of its travelling mind. I wanted to create an Octopus sculpture which you can travel inside and dance together in its vivid dreams… thus Discopus was born.

The chance to imagining possible worlds, modeling them and taking them into virtual realityI wanted to create an Octopus sculpture which you can travel inside and dance together in its vivid dreams… thus Discopus was born.

CRYPT0_BABY

Crystal Jelly by Crypt0_Baby

My cells are driven by the rhythmic contractions my body produces when I drink water.

What excites me the most about my creative work is the chance to imagining possible worlds, modeling them and taking them into virtual reality. I think of technology as a medium capable of expanding the limits of what is possible and thinkable for artistic creation. Atlantis is the perfect environment for my universe. I like to mix the sensitive world with electricity, my piece Crystal Jelly is a creature that moves its body in space using the energy of water.

As we navigate our planet’s sixth mass extinction (aka the Anthropocene extinction), we are witnessing the death of a civilization in the vein of Atlantis for all the same reasons.

BINGKOLAND

Mand(la) Ray by bingkoland

Feel your inner flow guided by these sacred creatures of the abyss.

As an artist and storyteller, the idea of Atlantis evokes a subject I’m very passionate about. As we navigate our planet’s sixth mass extinction (aka the Anthropocene extinction), we are witnessing the death of a civilization in the vein of Atlantis for all the same reasons. Lack of empathy, over consumption, and hubris all leading down the same destructive path. For me, breathing a kind of life into a vulnerable species like the manta ray was not only to showcase its gentle, majestic beauty, but to remind a viewer viscerally of what they will lose due to habitat loss unless we act. Capturing the ephemeral in the displacement of water and time, I want to bring these kinds of social and environmental issues more to the fore with VR and cryptoart because the communities that gravitate towards these platforms are already willing to think and feel outside the proverbial box. We need that kind of approach more than ever.

I like playing with the idea that Atlantis could actually be a city of the future or exist in a parallel world or dimension. I picture a sort of solar punk world filled with new technologies and renewable energy but mixed with a bit of fantasy.

MATT BUELT

Spirit of the Ocean by Matt Buelt

A chance encounter with an ethereal being.

My name is Matt Buelt and I have been working in 3D and making digital art for about three years. My main focus is in game development in Unity, and more specifically creating content for the Oculus Quest.  My earliest inspirations came from retro point and click adventure games, and I have always been fascinated with building worlds that I can explore. Beyond VR projects I enjoy making picture art and short animations as a way to work out different ideas and learn new tools.  World building and game development in general is a long process that can cause burnout so I enjoy skipping around between multiple art projects. I like experimenting with different approaches without being super committed to what I create and making art as a fun mental exercise. I generally try to create varying styles between my individual art works and also enjoy practicing other disciplines such as virtual sculpting, and character creation.

The underwater Atlantis I first think of is a greek-like city lost to modern times. However, I’ve always enjoyed seeing myths evolve and become reimagined over time. I like playing with the idea that Atlantis could actually be a city of the future or exist in a parallel world or dimension. I picture a sort of solar punk world filled with new technologies and renewable energy but mixed with a bit of fantasy.

My sculpture titled “Spirit of the Ocean” adds a bit of magic into the world of Atlantis. The artwork depicts a fictional creature, and doesn’t bear an exact resemblance to any traditional underwater animal. (Though I kind of think it looks like a shrimp wearing a bathrobe). The intention was to make a metaphysical creature that maybe is only rarely encountered, and would provide wisdom, or act as a guide. The idea of the sculpture in a sense was to embrace the unknown, and maybe draw parallels between the depths of the ocean and the depths of the human psyche. Both are not fully explored, yet there still could be some magic that has yet to reveal itself.

I’m really excited to see where cryptoart is headed and I think digital sculpture has a lot to offer in terms of pushing the boundaries of NFT’s. I can definitely see tokenized avatars, buildings, and even entire levels becoming popular items in crypto. In a lot of ways I feel like VR has reinvigorated the medium of sculpture itself.  I used to view sculpture as an outdated and primitive medium, but now it seems to be the exact opposite. I do think that VR and crypto both have a long way to go before they will be used by the majority of people, which is perfectly fine. I’d honestly prefer the technology be molded by the enthusiasts and early adopters slowly rather than have it go mainstream and fall apart.  While VR can be a temporary escape from the problems in the world,  I dont think it’s beneficial for everyone to use it all the time or for long periods of time. I think it’s important that VR is put towards creating some good in the real world too. The same could be said for crypto currency, I want it to have a positive impact on the global economy, and be more integrated with real world business.

We are living in a civilisation at a peak of technological advancement, sophistication and stability where almost anything is achievable. But we are also in the midst of challenging times and run the risk of sinking into oblivion, chaos and destruction.

MARC-O-MATIC

MetaBeast – The Junk Crown Shambler Crab by Marc-O-Matic

A meta manifestation of the growing abundance of discarded waste that populates our ocean floor.

I’m a Multidisciplinary Creator based in Melbourne, Australia. Working across Illustration, Animation, Immersive and Interactive Media, my work is centred on building storyworld narratives and explores intersections between traditional/analogue art disciplines and immersive experiential media like Augmented/Virtual Reality.

The Crypto Art I have created to this date are driven and inspired by a Storyworld Thought Process, meaning the majority of my creations are somewhat interlinked and connected in different ways and may share or be involved in similar recurring narratives. Many of the constructs and creatures that may be seen throughout my artworks are connected within my own overarching storyworld universe.

To me the idea of Atlantis is symbolic and representative of the end times of Civilisation.  According to Plato’s description of it, Atlantis represented a once utopian civilisation where its people were considered half god and half human. Living in a state of advancement, sophistication and abundance but tragically taken away in an instant by natural disasters. In many ways I see our current globalised human civilisation as a reflection of this and an indicator as to where we may be headed. We are living in a civilisation at a peak of technological advancement, sophistication and stability where almost anything is achievable. But we are also in the midst of challenging times and run the risk of sinking into oblivion, chaos and destruction.

I always find art (3D and Virtual Art especially) as an exciting opportunity to create narratives and storyworlds that audiences can be immersed into and experience up close. Works that can be traversed by users and studied. Where drawings may create shape and form, 3D creates depth and offers a multi-dimensional canvas

Mixing Analogue Ink Illustration with VR and 3D Animation, The Junk Crown Shambler Crab is a meta-manifestation. A construct representing an ever-growing abundance of discarded waste and junk that continues to populate the world’s ocean bed. This scuttling creature was designed to represent our materialistic nature and endless need to clutch and latch onto the next new thing whilst also carrying and treasuring a collection of hand-me-down items.

Crypto Art, NFTs and 3D digital/virtual content go hand in hand and I think creating virtual/3D tokenised artworks is essentially a step in the evolution of crypto art. From static art to Gifs, Gifs to videos, videos to 3d objects, 3d objects to virtual environments, thanks to blockchain technology the ability to tokenize and authenticate digital assets means that even 3d assets creations can hold their value, scarcity and worth in the digital realm.

It would be a dream come to true to descend into the depths in a submersible.

METAGEIST

Neon Anenome by Metageist

A hand sculpted radial polyp mandala.

I’m an advanced SCUBA diver with a deep love of the ocean which can be seen in my past work as well as the Neon Anenome piece I created for this show. It would be a dream come to true to descend into the depths in a submersible. Maybe one day I’ll make that happen, but until then a sunken SuperRare immersive art gallery will more than suffice. I’m very proud to be part of this group show which represents two of my biggest passions. I can’t wait to pinch my nose and roll backwards off the edge of reality and descend into the depths with some of my closest friends.

The little crab warns our dear Pen Shell of the impending dangers by advising her to close her shells by offering a caring pinch pinch. Even though they make up one of the coolest benthic combos, the Pen Shells are really, really endangered.

PIRATE_SHEEP

Pinna Nobilis Musk by pirate_sheep

Pirate Sheep (Mag. art. Marta Strazicic) is a multimedia artist from Croatia. By merging dystopian energy with robotica and speculative genetic mutation with insects​, she simulates mesmerizing ecosystems in both VR and on digital canvas.

I spent three weeks traveling around Croatia’s coastline gathering research material for a personal project. I went from the least (Pag) to the most forested island (Mljet) whereupon I learned some engaging facts from the people. They ranged from swimming wild boars to sea salt gathering with a spoon. So when the underwater theme came up I was overjoyed!

For the Atlantis exhibition, I decided to portray a special underwater combo that people living in Mljet’s National Park told me about. A Pen Shell (lat. Pinna..) is the largest known clam in the Mediterranean, but the fun fact is that they often have a friend visiting them, a little crab that we in Croatia call Cuvarkuca which when literally translated means “house guard”.

The little crab warns our dear Pen Shell of the impending dangers by advising her to close her shells by offering a caring pinch pinch.
Even though they make up one of the coolest benthic combos, the Pen Shells are really, really endangered.

This piece was created in honor of their coexistence. Firstly, I translated Pinna’s shape into that of a robot which ended up looking pretty sleek so I added Musk to the name. Then I made the crab overgrown and mutated for better protection and mobility.

The music surrounding the sculpture is by one and only Pi (Ivana Picek), so 10% of the sale goes to this magical creature.

For me, 3D digital sculptures are one of the most beautiful forms of expression. I will never forget the moment when I first saw my creature inside VR back in 2017.. Some mum genes must have kicked in, I was so proud. Since then my love for the virtual craft only grew.

I admit Cryptoart was at first puzzling since I came into it rather cluelessly, but now I proudly stand by it. The community is young and we grow together. The support I received and the people I’ve met is outstanding, honored to be aboard such an amazing and rising star. Definitely here for the long run.

See you at the Atlantis opening in VRchat! Cheers.

It is only 60 frames of animation, and it slowly turns to allow you to see all sides of it. The intent is for the viewer to sit and watch it but also feel invited to walk inside and to let the colors wash over them.

SCOBOT

Migration by Scobot

Hello, my name is scobot (Twitter/Instagram: @scobot1). I have a background in traditional art spanning a career of over thirty years. In 2000 I purchased my first computer because I wanted to make video games. Over the past 20 years, I’ve generated a lot of digital art using a variety of programs and techniques – including time spent as a professional VJ (2005-2014), where I created live “video art” for events and performances. In 2015 I bought my first virtual reality headset, an Oculus DK2, and since then, my digital work has focused on VR art experiences. The Pacific Science Center (Seattle, WA) has licensed my VR artwork for display, and I was Artist-in-Residence at the University of Washington CoMotion Labs, where I created virtual reality artwork alongside AR/VR startups (2016-2019). My VR piece “WORLD ONE” was an official selection for the 2018 Seattle International Film Festival and the 4th Ranetas VR Fest (Aragon, Spain) and is featured online in virtual reality at the “Museum of Other Realities” (2019). Large-scale archival prints from “World One” are on permanent display in the Bellevue College XR Lab (Bellevue, WA).

I am excited about this opportunity to present my work to Cryptoart collectors via NFTs as my digital artwork has never been commercially available before, anywhere. Truly super rare.

The inspiration for my piece was to create a sort of underwater “moving sculpture” that evokes the feeling of motion in water. I thought about creating something that stretched up towards the surface – maybe a volcanic vent or such. But as I was creating it, using the VR animation program Quill, I discovered I liked seeing it on its side, which triggered the idea of a “migration” of fish. It is only 60 frames of animation, and it slowly turns to allow you to see all sides of it. The intent is for the viewer to sit and watch it but also feel invited to walk inside and to let the colors wash over them. The NFT for this piece will be an HD/4K video loop, and the first collector will receive a personalized commemorative VR build for them to experience. The program will also feature a desktop mode to allow the owner to run the piece as real-time video art on their display of choice

I am excited about the future of Cryptoart as a way for digital artists to sell their work. I see Cryptoart is the “killer app” for VR as well. Artwork, especially VR artwork, should be seen at it’s intended size and scale, no longer limited to looking at something in a book and wondering how big the original is. I love that collectors are building their own VR galleries to display and share (which is very important) their collections. I think this will help drive the market for VR Art as well. I’m totally for it and honored to present my work on SuperRare.

The very Creator of Atlantis: POSEIDON! Distraught by his ruined temple, he will seek revenge in the realms of both Greek and Crypto Gods alike!

SPACED PAINTER

Poseidon by Spaced Painter

Encompassed by a gigantic cathedral of crystals, the human-sized sea-beings encourage us to reconnect with our hearts and rejoice with the wonder and beauty all around us.

TRIPPYOGI

Depth of Love by trippyogi

Trippyogi is a digital dream builder co-creating a more peaceful world through art and technology. Whether architecting new spaces in the metaverse, moving meditations, or digital designs, each creation comes from a place of peace and love.

Spanning the depths of the unknown, the magic of Atlantis is rooted in ancient knowledge that predates our current understanding of time and existence. Connecting with the wisdom of this breathtaking civilization is the key to fully understanding the multiverse, and unlocking portals to new worlds. This VR installation was an opportunity to express a deep and powerful manifestation of magic and emotion, bringing otherworldly creatures together in a beautiful space surrounded by love. Love is universal, and this immersive environment showcases the significance of this. Encompassed by a gigantic cathedral of crystals, the human-sized sea-beings encourage us to reconnect with our hearts and rejoice with the wonder and beauty all around us.

While sketching and compositing the initial space in VR, the presence of pure love encompassed the subjects and their surroundings. Similar frequencies vibrate together, and line strokes soon became shapes inspired by a beautiful emotion spanning all dimensions. Carefully placed crystals formed an underwater architecture reflecting this beauty and embracing its inhabitants with prismatic healing light. May all who enter this space feel the love and healing vibrations that reside in it.

Combining VR with blockchain technology opens up a whole new realm of possibilities for the modern digital artist, as both spaces tend to promote borderless and open experiences that empower collaboration. The advent of digital ownership presents unique opportunities for artists and collectors, and virtual spaces have become a conduit for sharing the unique emotions and perspectives that artists bring into realization. As VR significantly enhances these experiences, its proliferation will inevitably lead to more immersive artworks and worlds. The virtual spaces and the 3D sculptures that inhabit them will most likely usher us into a new era of limitless experience, enabling us to realize what might otherwise remain hidden in our heart’s abyss.

For extra fun ToxSam (Polygonal Mind) has provided two of their underwater themed Avatars (Shark person & Goldfish bag person) that players can find in the level and change into!

Shark person

Shark person

Instructions

Vrchat can be installed on a windows compatible PC off of STEAM and does not require a VR headset: https://store.steampowered.com/app/438100/VRChat/

This VRchat world is NOT compatible with Oculus Quest, or a Mac computer.

A 360 Tour of the level will be uploaded to youtube for mobile viewing, and a single player web browser tour will be available online. find these links here: https://www.illuminedomes.com/superrare

There are a few ways to find the world in VRChat.

First thing make sure that Community Labs is Turned on in your Settings menu.

Launch the SuperRare Hub world using this direct link: (VRChat must be installed on your computer and an account setup for this to work) https://vrchat.com/home/launch?worldId=wrld_fdfd9626-a10b-4239-ab11-c3dca4ea8642

Inside the hub world you will see a portal to the Atlantis world, enter the portal! Alternatively, inside VRChat users can search for “SuperRare” (one word), to find any of the SuperRare worlds. If you cannot find Atlantis or the Hub by searching, go to the Aether world and find the portal back to the hub world which will take you to Atlantis.

The event is powered by Illuminé

28

SuperRare

SuperRare is a marketplace to collect and trade unique, single-edition digital artworks.

Art

Tech

Curators' Choice

Aether: SuperRare Virtual Reality Art Show

Aether: SuperRare Virtual Reality Art Show

Aether: SuperRare Virtual Reality Art Show

4 years ago

Last Friday, June 26, 7-9pm EST, we opened SuperRare’s first virtual reality art show, Aether, in VRChat. Exhibited in the VR world were 3D sculptures by seven of our 3D/VR artists: Frenetik VoidGiant SwanGlass CraneMarc O MaticMetageistRosie Summers and Sven Eberwein. This art event aimed to explore the world of 3D and VR art, and to expand the possibilities of exhibition, experience, and meaning of art in the digital age.

Aether
The word αἰθήρ (aithḗr) in Homeric Greek means “pure, fresh air” or “clear sky”. In Greek mythology, it was thought to be the pure essence that the gods breathed, filling the space where they lived, analogous to the air breathed by mortals. It is also personified as a deity: Aether, the son of Erebus and Nyx in traditional Greek mythology.
Aether will be SuperRare’s first virtual reality art show exhibiting 3D sculptures.

People who have missed the opening, can visit the web version: https://play.illuminedomes.com/superrare

Exhibition Images:

Opening Images:

Promo Videos:

Opening Video:

3D Tokenization & Crypto-sculpture sales

Along with Aether VR Art Show, SuperRare launched support for tokenized 3D artworks on June 26, 2020, which allowed people to collect and own the sculptures that were exhibited in the VR Show.

We are thrilled to be taking 3D art to the next level by launching 3D file support and 360 display that makes the rendering of 3D artworks fully come to life.

Throughout art history, technology developments have often advanced art as they provide new media/tools supporting artists’ creativity, helping them materialize their imaginations in better ways. We believe that 3D tokenization will advance the notion of “art sculpture” by bringing it into the digital realm. 3D tokenization will not only increase the richness, variety and fun of crypto/digital art, but also expand the dimension and possibilities of what “art” is or could be, and how art will be created, exhibited, experienced, collected and interacted with in the near future. 

For more read “3D Tokenization: a Step toward VR + Blockchain” on SuperRare Editorial.

Aether is the first ever VR art exhibition featuring 3D digital sculptures by seven artists from all around the globe with the sculptures tokenized on blockchain – allowing collectors to buy the single editions directly from the artists.

Within 3 days (by June 29th), Co Ser by Frenetik Void was sold for $3,150, Daniher by Giant Swan was sold for $1,003 and Got Em’ was sold for $3,345. All of them are these artists’ first 3D artworks tokenized on blockchain.

Special thanks to the Illuminé Projection Domes team and especially Matt Buelt who’s helping us design & build the VR space!

28

SuperRare

SuperRare is a marketplace to collect and trade unique, single-edition digital artworks.

Art

Tech

Curators' Choice