Academy Retrospect 2021-2022

Yet another school year has passed at my local art academy in Sint-Niklaas (Belgium).

This year I have been focusing mostly on working on my ‘March 2 Infinities - Landscapes’ art series and I began to explore the new ‘Transhumanists’ art series.

Art is created using either traditional media like charcoal / oil paintings or using purely digital means. Combinations of both occur as well. Computer AI is used sometimes to generate new reference materials based upon existing own works.

It are definitely exciting times as an artist to explore and find new creative paths.

Transhumanist - Drawing WIP
Transhumanist - Drawing WIP

March 2 Infinity - Landscapes

“The March to Infinity had departed. Will Humanity make the right choices?”

Story

Within this art series I explore the impact of technology on the future of mankind - which has made itself nearly gods by applying extensions onto their own bodies & souls.

M2I TRADQAN
M2I TRADQAN

Earth however is rampaged by centuries of exploitation and technology misusages. The lucky (wealthy) ones fled to the stars and left this barren world ages ago. The unfortunates, who were left behind, are roaming the lands in search of huge black stones which should contain the information to reach the skies and the technologies to upgrade their wrecked bodies. Or at least that’s what the prophecies claim.

Eons have since then passed …

M2I Landscapes Exposition
M2I Landscapes Exposition

Wrecked bodies scavenging the lands in search for that forgotten knowledge. Hopeful they are longing for the eternal life among their brothers & sisters at the stars.

Art Techniques

Barren landscapes are depicted using traditional oil painting inter mangled with AI driven reference generation based upon my own (traditional) works.

A new traditional work is created upon an AI generated reference on heavy gessoed paper or canvas using oil paints. The new work can then be served again to the AI for a new reference generation. And thus an unendless feedback loop is created and continued …

M2I TRADQAN WIP
M2I TRADQAN WIP

I created the term (abbreviation) ‘TRADQAN’ to indicate this kind of work progress.

Future

I created several new works within this series and I am planning to continue to explore even more.

You can discover the art series at my Contemporary website. Various works are already available as NFT on OBJKT marketplace which runs on the CleanNFT blockchain Tezos .

March 2 Infinity - Transhumanists

Story

Transhumanism’ is a philosophical and intellectual movement which advocates the enhancement of the human condition by developing and making widely available sophisticated technologies that can greatly enhance longevity and cognition. (WIKI)

Technology (mis)used to modify one owns human body to reach the status of gods.

But does unchecked, wild & dangerous changes to one self modifies ones soul as well?
Nobody knows.

Results often madly gone wrong. Only a happy few that reach the goal of eternity.

M2I Transhumanism
M2I Transhumanism

Art Techniques

This new art series depicts portraits of modified humans using a raw painting technique of oils mixed with charcoal on heavy gessoed paper.

Transhumanist - Initial drawing
Transhumanist - Initial drawing
Transhumanist - Oils WIP
Transhumanist - Oils WIP

Future

I am planning on creating an extensive range of portraits. I might consider launching these series as a new NFT collection.

Retrospect

I am quite happy with my progress and new creative paths. I am definitely looking forward to a new year to continue exploring these art series.

Steven