How do you work with the musician to pair the appropriate music with your art?
I prefer to work alongside musicians throughout the whole process of a project rather than pull them in at the end. On some occasions, unfortunately, that isn’t possible, but I believe that the best outcome begins with everyone sat around the table at the ideation stage through to completion.
Do you see more collaborations with musicians and artists in the future?
For sure. The more people I collaborate with the better. I enjoy learning how other creatives work and problem solve. To date, I’ve been able to take a little something away from each experience to help my work.
There’s a pretty consistent color palette with these two collections. What are you trying to say with your use of color?
I prefer to use more natural tones rather than digitally native-over saturated colors. It’s one small way of connecting the digital medium to the real world.
Your work has consistently increased in value. How does that feel? How does it compare to selling physical art?
Humbling honestly. Very appreciative of all the collectors that have backed my projects to date. As much as I love physical art, there is something very pure about selling digital art in a digital currency that I find appealing.
What does it mean that artists can see residual income from their work on the secondary market?
What a shift in the history of the arts! About time, thank you technology.
Did you study classical art?
I studied photography and graphic design…but wish I had also studied classical art / art history!
You have a background in advertising and products, how do you balance that work with your more creative work?
I think of them as the same really and by that I mean I’m fortunate enough to have a commercial interest in work that I find personally interesting. So balancing them is a case of deciding where the outcome is intended for and going from there.
You mentioned that Xavier is an homage to the vibrant creative scene in Soho, London. For those readers who have never been, talk about what they might see there and how the piece is meant to convey that.
Soho, London is a melting pot of creativity, on one hand, you have all the major visual effects and motion graphics companies, recording studios, graphic design, and print studios and on the other hand, you have this bustling nightlife surrounded by boutique art galleries, fashion stores, and trendy restaurants. It really has something for everyone. I’ve always felt such a buzz wandering around the area, and for those of you who haven’t visited, I would highly recommend the trip.
You’ve quoted “Everything we see hides another thing, we always want to see what is hidden by what we see,” by Rene Magritte. How does that relate to the Xavier series?
It relates to the Xavier series in the tension that arises from the lack of understanding of who this character is at first glance. To be hidden in plain sight.
You donated your piece “Betta Ep.2” to The Museum of Crypto Art. Tell us about that.
The Museum of Crypto Art is such an amazing contributor to the whole Crypto art scene and everything that it stands for. I’ve had some really insightful conversations with the team and so around Christmas time, in the spirit of giving, I decided to donate a piece to the Museum as I know they’re good stewards of art and artists themselves.
I read that your practice is inspired by mathematical equations. Can you talk more about that? How exactly does math play into your work?
Combining visuals with technical precision is something I’ve always been drawn towards. I used to think a piece was successful when one could appreciate it visually but technically couldn’t work out how it was achieved. That approach inherently leads to researching uncommon techniques and processes and would often find myself staying up late into the night figuring out formulas and equations. It was my way of unwinding I guess. I don’t tend to focus that much on the technical side of projects anymore as I’m heavily weighted towards the visual storytelling aspect of a piece now, but interesting techniques and formulas still pop up in my mind from time to time.
