Artist Spotlight: Perfect Loop
Tell us about yourself. Where did you grow up and how did you find yourself interested in design? Was there a pivotal moment that you can remember?
I grew up in Florida in the U.S., but I’ve been living in Colorado for the past ten years. I’ve always been interested in art, games, and photography. But my dad was a lifelong musician, and I found myself naturally talented in music, so I started out working in audio.
I spent about eleven years as a composer and sound designer for games. At one point, I was looking for someone to create album cover art for my own music, and I decided to try doing it myself. I ended up really falling in love with the process. Since then, I’ve been following that path and seeing where it goes.
Why do you believe nostalgia this is such a powerful force for so many people? How do you translate that feeling into your art?
I think people often feel nostalgia for IRL places, like their hometowns, that have changed a lot since they were kids. That’s a pretty universal experience. But with the internet, software, and games, that feeling feels much more pronounced and specific.
Design changes quickly in those spaces. You can go from skeuomorphism to flat design nearly overnight, and suddenly the entire world shifts its icons and interfaces at once. That makes it easy to clearly remember how things used to look and feel, and by extension, how you felt at the age when you were interacting with them.
What inspires you the most about creating your artwork and what kind of image or idea are you ultimately trying to convey to your audience?
I have a bunch of pixel art books from Bitmap Books, as well as several books on retro computing from the ’80s and ’90s. I love looking through them and pulling all kinds of inspiration from what I see.
But what inspires me most is simply having an idea form and then seeing if it’s something I can actually make. That process feels like an adventure to me, and it’s a big part of why I enjoy creating artwork.
How do you feel like the cultural and philosophical themes of Vaporwave and retro computuing have influenced your artwork?
On a conceptual level, there’s something really amazing about the optimism of the early internet and software development. When I make something that looks like it came from the early ’90s, it reminds me of what people thought software and technology might be like in the future, and the positive ways it could change the world. There’s something about that feeling that I don’t want to let go of.
Do you have a work ritual? Take us through the process of creating your art.
I absolutely do. For the first two hours of a studio day, I try to make the stupidest, weirdest, or funniest thing I can think of - something that’s not too serious and that I’d consider an “F-yes” idea. After I get that out of my system, I either see where it goes and decide if I want to keep working on it, or I shift into projects I’ve already committed to and focus on those.
I’m pretty good at visualizing things, so a couple of times during the day, or when I’m lying in bed at night, I’ll close my eyes and see if any ideas pop up. When they do, I write a short description in my phone and try to make them the next time I get a chance.
Things like feedback, loops, and TouchDesigner feel more natural and a bit uncontrollable, so I tend to let those take their own direction and see where they lead. On the other hand, making 3D art in Blender is much more precise. When I’m working on projects like that, I usually have a more definite vision that I’m trying to bring to life.
Who are some of your favorite artists, business people, creatives or intellectuals?
I’d say the first two that always come to mind are hAyDiRoKeT, and KiM ASENDORF.
The person I’d most want to meet, alive or dead, would be Joseph Campbell, the mythologist. I love watching his old lectures and learning about cultures and rituals that I know very little about.
After that, it would be Paul McCartney. He’s such a great songwriter and musician, and he just seems like an all-around kind, loving person.
I also really love the book Ready Player One. The idea of having to play old-school games and watch classic ’80s movies in order to secure a future filled with riches, all within virtual reality, is just an all-around dope idea.
What has been the highlight of your artistic career so far?
Well, my son once walked up to another kid’s mom at the park and said, “Did you know my dad is Perfect L00p?” That was pretty cool.
Also, last year I was part of an LED billboard artist takeover in Denver, and we got to walk around the city and see my work displayed on all these massive billboards. That was definitely a highlight and really exciting to experience in person.
Please tell us something about yourself that we may not know that influences your work.
I live in the mountains, like forty minutes from town. I think living in a quiet, nature-filled place, while also being heavily online and constantly thinking about computers and games - creates an interesting contrast that influences my work.
What are your plans for the future and direction of your work? How do you see yourself growing as an artist?
I’m definitely trying to keep things fun and loose, and not let it turn into “work” in a way that makes it lose some of its excitement. Starting each day with a couple of hours focused on weird ideas really helps me thread that needle, and I hope to keep things weird for as long as I can.
Looking ahead, I want to dig more into PS1-era graphics, vector snapping, and the iconography of early Mac and Windows XP systems. I also want to find ways to bring music and sound design into my visual work in a way that feels natural and not forced. I’ve only done that once so far, with a series called 480 × 480, but I’m always looking for new ways to integrate audio and visuals together.
Do you have any advice for aspiring artists?
In the beginning, you’re usually going to be copying artists you really admire and love. You probably won’t realize how closely you’re copying them until you look back later, but that’s okay. Through experimenting and trying to replicate things you’re into, you’ll eventually develop your own style and arrive at something that feels identifiable and uniquely yours, IMO.
I’d also say it’s important to keep making things and sharing them, whether they feel perfect or not.
One of the most important things to me is being in a state of flow. If you’re working on something and forget to eat lunch, forget to use the restroom, or suddenly realize that two to four hours have passed, you’re probably headed in the right direction - and you should keep doing more of that.
I’ve been doing this for about four years now, and I honestly started out with zero knowledge of Blender, After Effects, TouchDesigner, or any of the software I use today. I used to download videos of a 3D cube rotating from YouTube because I couldn’t figure out how to do it myself. But we’re surrounded by great tutorials, forums, and now even AI to chat with, so if you keep at it, you can pretty much learn anything.
Final Thoughts?
Well, to be honest, I’m pretty surprised that people like what I make as much as they do. I’ve only been making visual art for a short time, and I never imagined that the weird ideas that pop into my head would resonate with people the way they have.
I’m really thankful for that, and I’m definitely excited to see my art show up on clothing.
