a3xprt in Alkali
Roses are design. Violets are art. And today we gona interviev a3xprt, a designer who will leave a pleasant wound on the heart of any person who loves art
A (Alkali) - What do you think about metamodernism, is that a new future for design?
A3 (a3xprt) - I really hope so, yes! One of my favourite ‘isms’ out there. Postmodern trend has become very anarchistic and aggresive, not a fan.
A - What do you call your style?
- A3 -Let’s call it Veronica!Jk, i don’t really feel like i have my own style yet.
A - What inspires you and why?
- A3 -All the designs that weren’t really created to be ‘aesthetically pleasing’ – science graphs, bad advertisements, tables and statistics. The uglier the original inspiration, the more room for experimentation. Also – visual rules of certain design areas and breaking them. All the watches ads look similar, all the periodic table designs look fairly the same, wine bottles have all similar vibes to them, there’s a certain narrative to sportswear marketing – what if a watch campaign was designed as if it was a luxurious periodic table? What if we were to design a wine company poster that’d feel like the hottest Nike shoe on a market? I try to challenge myself like this when searching for inspiration.
A - Which kind of software you use?
- A3 -Photoshop x Cinema4D squad.
A - How much you earn?
- A3 -Not much, but that will change!
A - If you got an opportunity to change something in your past, what would it be and why?
- A3 -Would’ve learned how to code.
A - Wats going to be next viral thing in desighn?
- A3 -I think having your digital avatar will be the next thing. Not among regular people though, but when it comes to celebrities. Creating an entire ‘inner-universe’ of a celeb, with his/her cartoon versions, digital versions – this can help the products range grow pretty much exponentially. It is also a nostalgic reference to 2000’s era – if you were a Hannah Montana fan as a kid, you’d have Hannah Montanna pencil case, bag – you name it. If Travis Scott did the same thing, but made it in a witty manner and was very aware of what he’s doing – that’d be super hot. Nostalgic, ironic, absurd, very gucci-like, maximalistic. The uglier the better. Plus, it’s a cheap merch to produce after all. I generally think art will be much more science-driven in a couple of years.
A - Your 3 favourite designers, and why?
- A3 -Tadanori Yokoo, Min Hee Jin, Weirdcore
- Yokoo introduced me to the posters, Min introduced me to posters x music combination, Weirdcore introduced me to posters x music x technology trio and that’s my place to stay for now.
A - You are a Hello Kitty fan?
- A3 -Absolutely, such a minimalistic approach from a Japanese designer when designing for kids remains forever refreshing to me. Hello Kitty forever ahead of her times.
A - Have you ever tried make clay sculptures?
- A3 -No, have you? :-)
A - yes in art school :-)
A - Do you prefer spend time with friends, or you are a homebody?
- A3 -H is for homebodies.
A - What did you dream of becoming in childhood?
- A3 -An architect.
A - What is your favourite cartoon, and why?
- A3 -Chowder show. Smartest trick ever to do the flat textile projection on the characters. When I was a kid i could never figure out how they did that. I also appreciate how the producers of the show went all in with the food theme. Multidimensional work.
A - Are you satisfied with what you become, or is this just the beginning?
- A3 -I’m in the earliest stage of an early stage. Never satisfied :-)
A - What annoys you more than anything and prevents you from creating?
- A3 -People.
A - Do you use any kind of presets for your artworks?
- A3 -I do work with pre-made models when it comes to 3D stuff, at times. When it comes to 2D work – as long as it’s not a tribute to a certain photographer – i don’t use presets. Still learning how to optimize my workflow.
A - Will you change your style in the future?
- A3 -Absolutely yes. Although it is probably the dumbest decision to make from an economical point of view i do plan to be capable of creating a piece of work in every possible style.
A - Your favourite book ever?
- A3 -I think “The House of Sleeping Beauties” by Kawabata Yasunari. Unlike the music, i like when it when literature is very visuals-driven. For that, Japanese prose in unlike others. I also enjoy “Suna no onna” by Kobo Abe and Murakami’s work.
A - Where did you study design?
- A3 -Never studied anything design-related. On my way to become print engineer.
A - All your arts are so unique, and remind me about cyberpunk, is that the main idea?
- A3 -That’s interesting! Not really. Never been really exposed to the cyberpunk aesthetic.
A - Your favourite artist ever, and why?
- A3 -Marcel Duchamp. More so due to his attitude and how he verbally expressed his views on what art really means than his actual works. He said once that the purpose of art making is to lessen the animalistic part within us, humans. I share his beliefs deeply – in my view true art is where the intellect meets the expression. Being ‘just’ expressive on its own is not an artistic act to me.
A - If there was a choice what exact superpower would you select?
- A3 -Being able to sleep once per week!
A - What do you think about the phrase: "All creative people are drug addicts"?
- A3 -I think it’s outdated. Nowadays if you want to be creative and stand out on social platforms, you need to be more diligent and professional. Many art collaborations are taking place online and artists never even meet in real life. Just like we have fast fashion, we also have fast graphic design now. Could the pace of events lead to new drug addiction wave? Well, maybe. Personally I’d like to believe in a concept of ‘pure’ creativity, but there’s no really such thing, is there? Everyone has his own drug, in a way.
A - Your favourite music style, and why?
- A3 -Trip hop and Bowery Electric-like post-rock. It’s a music filled with void, emphasising emptiness to me. As a person of colorful and often tacky design, this sort of ‘silent’ music really makes me feel some type of way.
Interview prepared by graphic depiction Alkali