#8 Cosmic Convos with Sailor Mars feat. Dominik Guembel

Welcome to the eighth Cosmic Convos already. Germany is nothing brief in relation to superb artists. By likelihood I found a number of artists who all come from the identical nation. This week the artist even is aware of the earlier artist I interviewed, how coincidental! Dominik is a superb instance of somebody who does what he likes and sees the place it takes him. Began with an curiosity in graffiti and road artwork, which later grew into an obsession for idea artwork and world constructing. Each step in his life has made him the impartial artist he’s right this moment. Impressed by many new sources of inspiration, his love for graffiti and road artwork can nonetheless be present in lots of his works. The dystopian world he depicts in his work all appear to be interconnected in the identical universe. I ponder how far he can take his worlds and might’t wait to see how this develops over time. I’ll now not preserve you in suspense and dive with me into the world of Dominik Guembel!

Rei: Hello Dominik! You informed me you go to the identical faculty as Felix (the earlier artist from my Cosmic Convos), which is kind of a coincidence. Am I appropriate in assuming that you’re additionally from Germany? What else are you able to inform me about your self basically?

 

Dominik: Hello Rei, it’s a pleasure to be in your Cosmic Convos. It was a humorous coincidence to see my good friend Felix being interviewed by you within the final Convo. Felix began finding out shortly after I graduated from the identical College and thru a weekly drink and draw group I as soon as organized we linked. From there on we saved chatting and drawing collectively on-line. 

 

And as Felix I’m from Germany too. I grew up in a very small village within the south of Germany and since there’s not that a lot to do and it will get boring I spent my time with video video games, skateboarding and drawing. Doing these sorts of issues weren’t that frequent for the individuals dwelling round me so I had a tough time connecting with different youngsters my age. Fortunately although via skateboarding I discovered the possibility to journey a bit bit and meet like minded folks that additionally like that sport but additionally road artwork. I assume that type of saved me from giving up on this stuff. So one factor led to a different and after ending faculty I didn’t really feel snug sufficient to start out a profession as an impartial artist and due to this fact I went for the choice and began finding out graphic design. From there after graduating I nonetheless didn’t really feel like being an artist is one thing that may work for me so I began working as an exhibition designer for museums. That was roughly 5 years in the past and looking out again at it now, this job most likely ready me a bit bit for the multidisciplinary model of labor that NFT would supply me a number of years later. Each mission I did at this job gave me the possibility to check out new media I by no means even touched earlier than. Plenty of 3D visualization, Editorial Design and most vital Animation.

 

But additionally it confirmed me how a lot I prefer to deal with doing my very own initiatives and to use all this new information. And since increasingly idea artwork alternatives got here across the nook and I began to have my first NFT gross sales I made a decision to give up my job to be a full-time artist about 5 months in the past. So now with the age of 28 I can lastly name myself an impartial artist I assume.

 

 

Rei: Inform me extra about the way you began making artwork. How would you describe your personal model and the way has your artwork advanced over time?

 

Dominik: For me in addition to for most likely most different artists the urge to attract was at all times current from a younger age on. I can bear in mind drawing stick figures battling in opposition to dragons and monsters. In some unspecified time in the future with 11 or 12 I received into contact with graffiti and dived deep into that scene. That shortly took over my life and blended with the curiosity for graphical design. For a very long time I targeted on making graffiti, took half in jams and had my first little exhibitions. In some unspecified time in the future although I type of misplaced that imaginative and prescient and targeted so much on skateboarding and traveled via Germany and France. By way of that I received uncovered to plenty of road artwork but additionally images and cinematography. My buddies and I filmed plenty of skateboarding movies of us and I did all of the chopping and movement graphics with a brilliant previous laptop that was for positive not in a position to deal with something I wished from it to do. It was a very attention-grabbing section for me since I experimented with plenty of media and failed so much however I didn’t care and simply went on. However as talked about earlier than I struggled with what I actually wished to do with my life after faculty and I went for finding out graphic design and hoped to sometime mix this with making my very own artwork. This appeared like a safer path to go since I at all times had plenty of doubt in my very own work. I discovered plenty of issues at college that for positive modified my model so much although I eventually received bored of the standard path of graphic design and a good friend of mine launched me to idea artwork. And oh my artwork god, that opened an entire new world to probe for me. I received so obsessive about this and ultimately graduated with a bachelor thesis about world constructing and idea artwork.

 

So in conclusion I’d say my artwork model is a mix of plenty of totally different media and artists I like however continues to be primarily influenced by the outlined traces and daring colours from the graffiti and road artwork scene.

 

 

Rei: You appear to be impressed by sci-fi and possibly the cyberpunk subgenre, which I personally love. What are your sources of inspiration for creating your artwork?

 

Dominik: Films and sequence are most likely the largest supply of inspiration for me. As soon as I see one thing in a sci-fi film I like I begin to dive deep into all the data, idea artwork and so forth that’s obtainable of it. However when it then involves creating my very own work I normally begin searching Pinterest so much and gather all types of stuff that appears becoming for the concept I’ve in my head. Fascinated with a particular film/sequence that has influenced me so much in latest occasions it will be AKIRA and LOKI. This 80s/90s model of sci-fi is one thing that resonates so much with my style and the affect of it may be present in my latest initiatives PAGSIRA and MAGIDELIK.

 

However aside from that I collected plenty of stuff I discover inspiring over time. For instance, in some unspecified time in the future I stumbled throughout the Design Guide of NASA which describes the best way to place textual content, logos and the best way to construct infographics of their model. I by no means wanted it to this point however I’m fairly positive there will likely be a mission in future the place this may turn out to be useful.

 

 

Rei: How a lot are you engaged on artwork every day? Does it take a very long time to make your artwork and the way precisely does this course of work? 

 

Dominik: Proper now I most likely spend between 8-10 hours a day on artwork on daily basis of the week as a result of plenty of initiatives are taking place on the similar time. However that additionally consists of analysis, writing emails and having conferences. On tough days that quantity can go as much as 14 hours although. Nothing I can suggest to do for a protracted time frame. That takes a toll in your well being even whether it is enjoyable to make plenty of artwork.

 

However usually I attempt to have a regulated „work week“ with my artwork with working 6-8 hours a day from Monday to Friday. Probably not the classical artist life but it surely helps me to maintain my thoughts refreshed and prepared for brand new cool alternatives. 

 

In relation to how lengthy my initiatives take it additionally varies so much. Every little thing between a day to a number of months is feasible. Normally I work on a number of artwork initiatives directly to not get caught with one after which having an artwork block. However normally when I’m near ending one art work I already begin a brand new one to maintain the move going and take a few of that power and inspiration over to it.

 

Rei: I see lots of the similar shades in your works. Do you wish to switch a sure message or vibe in your artworks or is that this not one thing you consciously take into consideration?

 

Dominik: Most of my artwork initiatives are born from a sense or curiosity I had at the moment. So there’s for positive a connection to present matters we take care of as a society but additionally on a person degree. Now stir that along with an curiosity for sci-fi and fantasy tales and also you get the complicated and obscure messages my photographs are sending. So proper now plenty of these artworks have a extra futuristic and grim narrative however with the hope of change for the higher ultimately. Form of the joyful ending all of us look ahead to in tales.

 

Rei: I’ve seen you’re keen on hiding Easter Eggs in your artwork. Are you able to give me an instance of how to do that? Does this imply that every one your artworks are linked ultimately?

 

Dominik: Oh this will likely be a difficult query to reply and never spoil all of the secrets and techniques. However what I can inform is that for now all my easter eggs are extra „conventional“ and don’t use the probabilities the blockchain has to supply in the mean time. Normally I attempt to give you an easter egg or riddle that additionally suits into the story of a picture and make it an extension of it. 

 

So for instance with the art work Oni&Ino Chapter 01, the primary characters examine distortions within the material of house time and located symbols scattered throughout a criminal offense scene. These symbols are given to anybody who needs to hitch the hunt as a jpeg which can be utilized to decipher codes and spotlight sure locations in my artworks. Within the case of that mission I can say that these easter eggs join all of the artworks via a secondary storyline. 

 

Normally how these easter eggs are made varies so much. It may be something that makes it potential to distort a message and wishes a sure approach to make it readable. Although I’ve to cease myself more often than not to make it not too onerous. 

 

However generally I simply conceal names of individuals I like in my artworks, so that’s fairly straight ahead.

 

Rei: Since when did you begin making NFTs of your artwork? How do you just like the journey within the NFT house to this point?

 

Dominik: NFTS first crossed my path round December 2020 once I noticed @fvckrender speak about it on Instagram. I had no clue what that’s and the place to start out with it. So I utilized at nifty gateway instantly with out understanding how massive of a deal that platform really is. In fact this didn’t work out since I had no portfolio that might match such a giant artwork platform. So I gave up for a while however round February my good friend @synticfaye and I talked about it once more and he or she invited me to an artist chat she and @TheBakaArts organized. From there on all the pieces went loopy quick and I minted and bought my first NFT on Basis. Since then I targeted increasingly on making artworks for myself and promoting them as NFT. 

 

So wanting again at that journey that’s now solely a 12 months previous I’m amazed what number of doorways it opened for me and gave me and others the possibility to pursue a life as an artist we might have by no means dreamed of earlier than. I’m excited to see what’s about to come back sooner or later and the place this path will lead.

 

Rei: Do you might have any particular objectives you wish to obtain within the NFT house?

 

Dominik: There are plenty of smaller objectives I hope to attain within the NFT house sooner or later like getting on Superare or dropping my very own small assortment (quickly). However I believe the general aim for me is to assist others dropping their fears and struggles of changing into a full-time artist and push them to success. That most likely sounds tremendous tacky however seeing others succeed makes me as a lot joyful as doing so myself.

 

Rei: Which artists do you look as much as essentially the most, within the NFT world and basically? I do know it may be many, haha!

 

Dominik: Oh you might be so proper while you say it may be many. There are such a lot of loopy proficient individuals on the market and plenty of them affect me to maintain pushing and pursuing that path. However to call a number of that most likely influenced me so much and nonetheless accomplish that: @TheBakaArts for instructing me the methods of NFT, @ashthorp1 for at all times making my jaw drop with the most recent sizzling shit I’ve by no means even seen earlier than and final @LooonaLou as a result of she is such a powerhouse of connecting and serving to individuals. I might identify a ton extra however these have been the primary that popped into my head.

Rei: I like to ask this query of all of the artists I interview. your artwork I see that you’re already considering so much about what the long run would possibly seem like. What do you assume the world will seem like within the subsequent 10/25 years? What place do you assume NFTs may have on this world?

 

Dominik: There are two futures I at all times have a look at. The one I hope we may have and the one that’s extra pessimistic given the present state of the world. 

 

I actually hope that sooner or later individuals can come collectively nearer and repair our planet and attempt to push society to a extra wholesome state. I see for positive {that a} mixture of science and artwork might obtain that. What place NFT may have in that future I’m not positive about since that know-how continues to be new to me and proper now I’m focusing extra on the artwork aspect of it. However I’m sure NFTs will play a giant half in bringing individuals from every kind of fields collectively to collaborate on initiatives for a greater trigger. Like for instance I nonetheless take into consideration how I might collaborate with engineers or different scientists in some type of means. Who is aware of what that might result in?

 

The opposite future can be that we at the moment are within the final deep breaths of society as we all know it proper now and it’ll crash within the subsequent few years. And irrespective of how onerous we attempt to change it, there isn’t a means round it. Form of a darkish tone to reply this query however I hope even on this state of affairs that there’s nonetheless hope for a brand new starting. 

 

Form of much like how I like to put in writing and illustrate my tales and artworks. A nicely balanced mixture of happiness and disappointment.

 

Rei: Lastly, the place can individuals discover extra about you and your artwork?

 

Dominik: You could find nearly all of my NFTS on my Foundation or OBJKT. If you happen to prefer to learn up on my tales and get a glance behind the scenes you may verify my work on Artstation, Instagram and most significantly Twitter. Thanks for having me in your cosmic convos!

 

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