UNDRGRND DIGS 016
MARCH 14TH, 2022
5 Artists From the UNDRGRND Collection
UNDRGRND DIGS is a periodical feature showcasing artists that the UNDRGRND curators dig. We sift through the social media and NFT platforms to find the best artists waiting to be discovered. UNDRGRND believes in the artists we feature and we will purchase NFTs from each artist featured. Purchases will be airdropped to reward UNDRGRND community members.
Violet Forest’s cybertwee 2077 series imagines a subgenre of sci-fi that “is an antithesis to cyberpunk.” I have completely fallen for this project as a total nerd for cyberpunk and science fiction literature. Now I can imagine a subgenre where the protagonists of Neuromancer, or literally any Philip K Dick novel, are no longer seen through the typical cis male gaze. This project is not only aesthetically gorgeous with its rich metallic pinks, purples, and silvers, but it is conceptually robust. I no longer want the same old tropes. Give me a Cyberpunk 2077 where the main character is a woman, or non-binary, or post-gender, or an AI itself whispering a fever dream of what could be.
Phantasmagorical sweetness is the best phrase I can find when thinking about Ygor Alves's work. A painter first comes across when looking at the clean lines and ornate composition in his work. The airbrushed look gives the piece a sense of polish and completeness, yet what is going on is ever more complex. The longer I look at it, the more emotional and intrigued I am. That's the way has me going on a journey that is both inward and outward. There is a universe, an expression of the psyche, and even Picasso-like elements where eyeballs maybe aren't where we would expect them.
We’ve come a long way from the days of arguing in glitch forums about “what glitch is” and “what glitch should be.” It is incredible to arrive at this place where an artist can work openly with Glitch Aesthetics. Cajabeats just launched their new series, Expected Behavior abstract works that do not contain any real glitches but move toward creating digital abstract works that honestly claim the result was in some way expected! I love this. Maybe I love it because the idea of “chance operation” and “accidents” has been overdone. As a kind of rebellion, we have been obsessed with accidents and errors for years. I love what the scope of time can do; it can bring us here, where glitch becomes something married to intention, where the new punk rock is to go on a journey of clear vision and bring it to fruition. Also, these works look sexy and colorful, and everyone should have one!
Sabato Visconti, most well known in the tezos art community for his Off Shore Firm and Pilotwing Topography series, is back at with a new series called Drawing Exercises. He learns how to use Deluxe Paint IV on a virtual Amiga machine. The work is a nod to what is retro and yet very much of the moment and reminds me of artists Dos Artifacts and Kristen Roos, who also have their take on making art with “obsolete” technology. Visconti’s Still Life with Future Fruitz has me staring at the screen for a long time. The seamless loops and gentle movement in the piece are entrancing. The color palette of soft pinks and blues gives me tropical energy. The work also hints at a future with genetically modified food, 3D printed or altered in some way through futuristic technology. I enjoy when an artist puts themselves out there, admitting to experimenting and learning as they go. It makes me feel with each new drawing Sabato drops; I am with him on his journey of learning to get better.
In my time as an artist on the tezos blockchain, I have watched many fads. Different types of art go in and out of fashion, but one thing is for sure, artists who consistently output at good quality can transcend these short-lived viral moments, whether analog or digital or a mixture of both; abstract art has undoubtedly risen to the top. Holly Herbert is someone who I believe has the potential to make waves despite the fads. Her work, Looking Out, on Teia hints at looking out a window at cityscape of some kind. As all good expressionist work does, the viewer's psyche seems superimposed on the scene itself, where the viewer and the viewed cannot be separated. The bold swift lines are emotional and express a sense of freedom and movement. The scene moves and comes alive, presenting a strong mood. I want to look out this window; I want to explore. And this is how I feel when I look at all of Holly's work. A sense of mystery and exploration tickles my senses, begging me to go deeper into the work. There is a lot here.