ARTIST SPOTLIGHT

Polygon

First of all, we want to let you know that we're huge fans of your style and we're more than excited to have you here on our blog! How long have you been creating your art? Can you tell us little about how you got started and how you have grown over the years?

Hey guys, excited as well, thanks for having me! Also, thank you so much for your kind words, truly means a lot to me. I started everything back in 2015. I came across a Tumblr account full of digital glitch art and it literally blew my mind at the time. I wasn’t working as an artist or anything at the time, I was focusing on taking a class to become a sound designer/sound engineer. I was also deeply in love with this VHS vibe that started to flourish on Tumblr and after some research, I found Tachyons+’s website and… it was love at first sight. As the analog side of glitch art is quite expensive, I started working on softwares like After Effects and Photoshop to create my first pieces. I was a beginner and I knew it was nowhere close to what I wanted to do. In the meantime, I met an artist who truly defines who I am today called Roberto Malano. He taught me a lot about circuit-bending (which is the process of making a glitch machine out of a video synth) and his workflow. He also introduced me to BPMC, another brand of circuit-bent gear. I decided to try it out myself and bought some pieces of gear. I graduated from my sound engineering school and, as I couldn’t find a job as a sound engineer, took a “bread and butter” job to pay my bills while starting my visual adventure. Day after day I’ve learned how to use Photoshop and all of the Adobe Softwares with tutorials on YouTube. At first it was tedious as I basically knew nothing about these softwares and the gears were quite hard to understand sometimes. But months after months, it started to become more pleasant, I posted some pictures on Instagram and it kind of blew up. In 2016 I saw that there was an opportunity for me to quit my job and do what I love : creating art. I also started to work on videos, at first as an Art Director and VFX Operator and later on as a Director… and still am today! I have the chance to do what I love the most every day, make a living out of it as an independent and work with my favorite bands, that’s truly a dream come true. 

Please tell us more about your artistic process! How do you go from concept to finished piece? What softwares do you use?

I work a lot on portraits, this is by far my favorite field of work. Depending on the project my process could be very different. If I’m directing a video I always start gathering ideas by drawing them. It helps me visualize all the camera work and what I want to show to the audience. I also start to gather ideas regarding VFX I want to include in the video and how to make them. If it’s a still image or an artwork, I first have to brainstorm with the artists what they want, contact models if needed, take pictures of them and edit everything. I mostly work with analog gears which include a big CRT TV (you know the one you used to watch in the 90s). When I started everything I wasn’t using any post-production tools like Photoshop, but I’d say it’s 70/30 now. I spend countless hours in front of my CRT TV tweaking my synths to find the right picture to capture.

Do you listen to music while you create? If so what kind and how do you see it affecting your finished product? 

I do listen to music A LOT. All the time. I think my art is truly driven to what I listen to. I perceive colors through sound so what I’m listening to when I’m creating a piece really affects the final artwork. I really feel sad when I can’t listen to some. Also, I have this monomaniac symptom of only listening to a song I like 24/7 and it could take weeks before I get bored of it… But it’s perfect when I’m working on a  piece that takes weeks to create! Usually, I start listening to Deezer in shuffle mode. Lately, it’s been mostly 90s hip hop mixed with modern metal, going from Ill Al Skratch to Code Orange, large spectrum ah!

If you werenʼt an artist, what would you do for a living? Where do you see your artistic career going? What would be your ultimate dream to accomplish with your art?

As I answered previously, I’d be probably still be that switchboard operator or maybe something else. But I know I would have found a way to express myself through art. 

I’d like to focus more on my film career as a director and start working on short films or movies. I’ve already accomplished my ultimate dream (which is crazy) which is working with my favorite band : Enter Shikari. I directed music videos for them and also designed live visuals and artworks. It’s both surreal and sad at the same time for I never ever thought that I would have the chance to collaborate with them and put my vision onto their songs. I also said sad for after working on the first music video last summer I thought to myself : “ so… what’s next now?”. I truly felt terrified at the idea of not knowing what to do next… but then it became crystal clear to me : do another one! 

I also had the chance to work with some of my favorite bands like Bring Me The Horizon, Don Broco or even Tame Impala.

Letʼs say you get full artistic freedom on a billboard on the busiest road in a huge city where millions will see your message. What would your message be? Any combo of words and images is fine.

I’d probably think of something catchy, basic and simple. With everything happening in the world right now, I’ll go with my revised version of a piece called “Losing Grip” which is a glitched hand with the new tagline “ WASH YOUR HANDS” on it, a simple task that could save a lot of lives. :)

(Or maybe a blank billboard with “STAY HOME” written on it ah!)

What would you say to up-and-coming artists who want to pursue their passion?

I’d say: fucking go for it.