Gather ‘round kids, it’s about to get dark in meme land and the fog is starting to circle around us so brace each other… we got Darkened_m00d in the house! An artist that shares a side in CryptoArt seldom explored and does an amazing job at it. With great pieces that make insane cards, he has also given Marble Cards a different and welcome feel in the Voting arenas!
As with most artists in CryptoArt, our past experiences may have landed us here and I like to see where we all come from. What were you creating before NFTs?
I had always doubted I could create art because I can’t draw. I initially fell in love with color and the play of it when I created web designs in ’99. After that I wrote a novel with my brother that we self published on Amazon in 2013. After that I slowly grew the confidence to start an Instagram account as a creative outlet. That’s where I was prior to finding out about NFTs.
The freedom in creating what you love is great and can serve as the proper amount of fuel to take on the rollercoaster this scene can be. Has this helped you personally and what can you share with other artists coming in?
I guess I gotta love what I create because it’s a niche (dark art) of a niche (CryptoArt). Creating has always been an outlet for me. I needed something after my book didn’t really catch on due to no marketing $. Creating my pieces gave me a chance to tell a story visually and nothing seemed to get in the way of that which was and still is wonderful. Coming into this space was like walking onto a busy highway. I could see a destination but things moved so fast around me that my work and creative process, my need to create and challenge myself, grounded me and so I walked at my own pace.
I admire your work because it has a way to separate and trap the viewer in that specific moment. Where do you mentally go or have to go when creating and where does it stem from?
You see, that description makes me proud because after all my hard work and doubts, that explanation is exactly what I go for. Trap you in a moment. It stems from missing an assignment in seventh grade. I didn’t want to say that I wasn’t prepared so I stood in front of my class and told a story about about a witch and how she cursed a traveler on a road. I started off fine but since I was unprepared I ended the story abruptly. When shook me was while I was speaking the room was filled with nothing but my voice. There was silence and my teacher said that it was great and that I had the entire classroom hanging on each word. So I try and capture a moment and leave the viewer with their own thoughts to fill the silence.
Taking the nature of your art into consideration, what type of music do you listen to when creating and does it differ when you are not?
As I do when I read and when I wrote my novel, I listen to dark ambient music. Primarily Lustmord and his whole discography. Also, soundtracks like Hereditary, It Follows, Halloween etc. When I am not creating I listen to a plethora of styles of music. Primarily I love metal Opeth, Slipknot, Meshuggah to name a few. 80s, 90s syth, Nirvana, Alice in Chains, Soundgarden, Nine Inch Nails. On some days I’ll listen to Wu-Tang and old school hip-hop. Lately I’ve been listening to some Bad Bunny and Ghost.
You’ve recently started to experiment with AI art mixed in with your signature style, has this facilitated certain ideas for you or introduced a whole new realm of possibilities?
You know, I used to have a scene in my mind, then I’d scour unsplash and pexels to find the right setting. Then I’d have to find a silhouette to also match what I wanted to create. What I love about AI or Midjourney specifically is that I can customize my scene with words then refine the image and then add my touches to the pieces. There’s so much that can be done with AI that I find it fascinating and exciting.
What’s next for you in CryptoArt and will there be a Darkened Collection in the mist?
What’s next? No idea, just creating everyday and wanting to capture certain moods in my work. A Darkened collection in the mist? Hey you never know!
What would you like to be remembered for?
That dark art can be beautiful and that’s exactly what I tried to do.
Gun to your head… Transformers or Gobots?
Transformers but only the 80s cartoon and not the horrendous movies lol.
The campfire is dying, sun’s near rising and there’s no more beers left… that means it’s time to rest. I’d like to thank Darkened_m00d for joining and sharing his beautiful art with us. Until we meet again and may the rats not eat your eyes!
Darkened_m00d links:
Twitter, Known Origin, Objkt, Async Art, Opensea