Post by urbancinderella on Jun 2, 2007 9:12:01 GMT
Interview with ~D-StruktIVdeviantART - Digital
Administered by Whitney.
Name? Fernando Tabanera
Age & birthday? 27 years, November 27th (1979)
Location? Copenhagen, Denmark
Website/gallery? www.d-struktiv.net
Let's start with the beginning (since it's always a good place to start): where did you begin with your art? How did you start? How long have you been working with your art?
I have always been creative in one way or another. I drew a lot when I was a kid and had a pretty wild imagination. I guess that has followed me into the digital age.
I first started out by trying my hands on a graphics application using a program called Deluxe Paint on the Amiga, which was a very simple program much like Microsoft Paint on a PC today. It was not very serious, but good fun. It was also a good basis for learning how to work with a computer graphics application. It became more serious once I was introduced to Adobe Photoshop, which, needless to say, is a whole lot more advanced and can do a lot more. In the beginning, I just played around with the various filters and tools, developing a pretty good insight into how the program works. I actually learned most I know about Photoshop today by just playing around with it.
I guess I got into actual photomanipulations about 5 or 6 years ago when I found the amazing works of Dennis Sibeijn (aka Damnengine). I was really impressed by the way he could seemlessly blend together different photographs and make them look like one. I knew I had to try making photomanipulations myself. I started out doing mostly dark art (horror themed images), mainly due to my love of horror movies. In the later years, I gradually moved into the realm of surrealism, and I have been doing primarily surreal images since then.
Do you work professionally, or is it just a hobby? Why is this?
No, my photomanipulating is only a hobby- at least for now. I have long been wanting to get some prints of my work available for the public, but I haven't gotten around to it yet. I will hopefully do that in the future.
Why is it a hobby of mine? Good question. I guess I just like being creative once in a while, and I've chosen to be so in this way. I also love working in Photoshop, so that's the tool I've chosen to use.
I'm working as a graphics and webdesigner though. I guess you could say that is pretty closely related to digital art. Both have to do with communication on a visual level, and involve some of the same software and routines.
How did you become interested in surrealism?
It was when I had first started making art myself that I got really interested in seeking out other artists and art styles. Of course I have always been somewhat aware of other artists and art styles, but didn't really make any effort myself exploring it before then. I have always been attracted to the unknown, mysterious and the strange, etc. It was only a matter of time before I started exploring surrealism. Actually, a lot of my early dark art also has a lot of surreal trades, in my own opinion- consciously or not, I can't say. At a point, I got pretty tired of the dark and macabre, so I went in the complete opposite direction. Most of the art I make today is mainly positive, I would say.
Why do you use the human body so often? Do you believe working with the human body makes your art more personal, or do you just see that the human body fits in with geometric figures?
The human form is probably the most common theme in art through history, so it's a very natural element to use I think. I wouldn't say that it makes my art more personal though, since I never (or rarely) reveal the characters faces in my artworks. One of my main focuses in my art is to maintain a sense of mystery, and one way of doing that is either concealing the face or replacing it with some other element. I work in a symbolical way, and that is also very much so when I use the human body. It is more of a symbolical representation of humankind than the individual person. Another thing is that the human form in itself is a fascinating subject, so it's hard as an artist not to be drawn by it.
You are from Denmark- do you feel that there are cultural differences that come out in your artwork?
That's a very interesting question. I haven't really thought about that before. But, no, I don't think there are many (if any) cultural differences. At least, I have not consciously tried to incorporate that into my art. You are probably more capable of answering that question than me, hehe.
Has your unique style been affected by anyone, or is it completely your own?
Well, in the beginning, I was hugely affected by the works of Dennis Sibeijn (Damnengine). However, I think my style has moved a lot since then. However, there are probably still some trades from that influence in my art now and then. I think by now I have set enough rules for myself within my art to call the style my own. Now it's just a question for me: to stick to those rules I've set for myself and slowly expand on them. Visually, I try to give my works a classic look and feel, so you could say that I have been affected by some of the old surreal masters and painters in general, as well. On a side note, I have seen a lot of artists in recent years that look to have been influenced by me, which I'm very flattered about. That means I must be doing something right.
Do you have any musical inspiration?
Yes. I love electronic music, and that has been a pretty big influence on me working on my art. Especially ambient music, as it puts me in a great mood for making surreal imagery. This type of music is very dreamy and low-key, and has little to no distractions, so it's very well suited music when working on something, in my opinion.
Do the messages within your art come from something you want to tell people, or somewhere else? (If somewhere else, then where?)
Yes, I usually try to have some sort of message in my pieces. However, I try to keep my pieces open for individual interpretation. Where the initial idea comes from is very different from time to time. Sometimes it comes from something I have experienced myself, read about, heard about, or watched somewhere. Other times the ideas just develop as I work on a piece. Most times it just comes from random ideas that for some reason or other pop up in my head, and develops from there on.
Are there any other forms of art you work with but don't usually share?
No, not really. I have, however, a few times experimented with minimalism and abstract art, which are some other art forms that I really love. It was mostly just for the fun of it. Those experiments never developed to a quality where I felt like sharing them. I experiment with different styles now and then, so maybe you will see something entirely different from me at some point.
Do you have any favorite artists? Who?
Oh yes, quite a few. Let's start with the digital artists: Damnengine, Katharien (dA, http://hippopotamouse.com), Apocryph, Robert & Shana ParkeHarrison, Fredrik Ödman. The traditional artists: Jacek Yerka, Siegfried Zademack, M.C. Escher, and too many more to mention.
These are all amazing artists with wonderful imaginations and highly developed technical skills, which are both qualities that define good art, in my opinion. I would recommend anyone with an interest in surrealism- or art in general, for that matter- to check them out.
Lastly, do you have any tips for people starting to explore surrealism?
Surrealism is a wonderful playground for the imagination. Only your own imagination sets the limits of what is possible, so don't be afraid of trying something that seems ridiculous at first. You might be onto something completely new. One of the things I love most about surrealism is that you are not restrained by the principles of reality; you can create your own world and set the rules that applies to it.
Whether you want to paint, create photomanipulations, or do something completely different, I have one very important word to say: PATIENCE. Get to learn your tools, whether it will be paintbrushes, Photoshop, or something else. If you want to be good at something, you will have to invest a lot of time in it- it's like that with most things in life.
I have spent around 6 years doing photomanipulations, and I still know that I can improve. And lastly, enjoy the trip....
