The year at the academy is progressing and the collection of new ‘March 2 Infinity’ art is taking shape.

The ‘March 2 Infinity’ art series depicts our world in a future far away. Those who could afford it, enhanced their bodies & minds and fled to the stars eons ago. The offspring of the poor souls left behind are since then scavenging the desolated earth in search of long forgotten technology in an attempt to become gods themselves and join their destiny between the stars.

The old prophecies talk about huge black stones within the landscape that should contain the secrets for a life in the clouds and beyond. Holy stories told for centuries already by the spirits healers & priests of these new religions.

Groups of damaged and broken bodies are since then forever scavenging the lands, in search of hope, between the desolated and ruined remains of what was once human society.

The ‘story’ is still being developed and I am seeing much potential for further story telling.

From a materials point of view I am trying to use a mixture of charcoal drawings and often thin downed oil painting on gessoed board & thick paper. Technique wise I am searching for an expressive tone while still maintaining readability. I experiment on smaller boards but also bigger sized canvas.

I am looking forward to further investigate this artistic path.

Kind Regards,

Steven

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.

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.

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 …

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 …

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.

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.

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

My local academy Sint-Niklaas (Belgium) is having its ‘open doors day’ this weekend. People can freely visit all the class rooms and get to know the various disciplines and look at the created art by the students.

My traditional AI based art works are on display as well. You can find them in the class room and in the hallway.

Feel free to drop by and explore the academy.

More info at the academy website (dutch).

I am participating in the exposition ‘PARADE’ at the art academy in my home town Sint-Niklaas (Belgium).

I am displaying some of my new “tradqan” oil paintings from my ‘March 2 Infinity’ art series. The art series examines the impact of technology on humankind and the quest for Transhumanism. The works themselves are created using a process of feeding my own traditional oil paintings into an AI computer model which then generates new images. Those new images are then used as a source for creating a new traditional oil painting. And then the process restarts …

Students will also work in the exposition area during normal class hours so feel free to drop by and say hello.

More info regarding the exposition at the academy website (dutch).