Artist Spotlight: Bezmiar
Weekly spotlight on a new artist in the NFT ecosystem
This is the second instalment of a new weekly series in which I am going to spotlight a brand new artist along with their works while getting to know them better and understand their creative processes behind the pieces in more detail.
The NFT ecosystem in recent memory has been heavily project orientated, where the JPEGs are bundled along with a roadmap full of promised utility and discords full of participants wondering “wen moon?”. It’s important to remember that the NFT ecosystem also encompasses extremely talented artists who specialise in creating scarce pieces (1/1s or limited editions) for curators & collectors alike to add to their collections and ultimately for everyone to enjoy visually (and often audibly too).
My name is Boffin and alongside flipping JPEGs for profit with the members of “The One” since day 1, I’ve also been collecting and connecting with these artists. The passion for their craft and the stories they have to share have been nothing but a treat to experience, and it’s with that intention that this series is being started to share those stories with the wider NFT audience.
This week the spotlight is on the Polish Artist; Bezmiar. He is a 3D collagist and I had the pleasure of chatting with him about world-building, experimenting with new styles as an artist and a small preview into his creative process. You can (and really should) browse his entire portfolio here
Boffin (Bo): Can you please introduce yourself and what style of art you like to produce/specialise in?
Bezmiar (Be): My name is Bezmiar and I’m an artist based in Poland. I think what can best describe my artistic approach is a collage. I always try to incorporate new elements, and ways to improve while expanding my artistic vision. Originally I was doing regular collages mixing vintage iconography with descriptive geometry, but now I try to combine even more mixed media. With 3d as a base, I often layer them with old video footage (from the 1920s) and music written especially for the piece.
Bo: When was the first time you heard of NFTs and why did you decide to take a leap into this world?
Be: I've been working as a graphic designer for more than 14 years, mostly working with cultural venues and museums. Back in March 2020 just as lockdowns had started, I had insane problems with finding work, so firstly I tried investing in crypto. That thankfully helped me stay above the surface for a bit. Then around the end of 2020 I heard about NFTs and thought I should give it a try and that leads us to today :)
Bo: Correct me if I’m wrong but there seems to be a big inspiration from the “noir style” of cinema in your works, especially with the sounds you create for your pieces. What about that style of cinema appeals to you both visually and audibly?
Be: I take a great inspiration not only from Film noir but rather from old cinematography in general. Early films were silent, so directors had to pay more attention to creating atmosphere by building the image. That is key. The music (which was usually played live in the cinema) was only used to enhance this effect. Film noir continued this philosophy by adding extra darkness to it. I try to recreate this old-school feeling in the modern medium.
Bo: If we look at your earliest works to some of your latest works, there are a lot of differences but mainly that it's gone from static sketch-like images to there being multiple different scenes in the same animation. How would you describe the changes in your creative process as you create newer and these increasingly complex pieces?
Be: I like to learn new things and improve myself, so with every piece I expand my perspectives on what can be done. That itself stimulates me to try new things. In every piece I want to add something new to my palette to make it more complex but at the same time coherent with everything I've done before.
Bo: I think it’s exceptionally clear that your skills as an artist have grown and you’ve honed your artistic approach a lot more since you began. With the designs now having gotten a lot more intricate with various moving parts and often a central theme in mind, firstly what is the rough mental model you follow to find not only a theme but then start the design process for the artwork?
Be: Being a graphics designer by trade, when I work I always try to follow the words of Mies van der Rohe; “Less is more”. The most important thing to me when creating a piece is the thought behind it and every single unimportant element draws us away from the clarity. My design process starts from the idea, which I dissect in my head and try to extract its core essence. I look around for the best metaphors in everything around, finding connections where no one is looking and then the collage starts to put itself together.
Bo: As you push yourself to utilise new techniques and add them to your pieces, would you say that decide on the technique you’re going to use prior to designing your piece or do you have the entire piece in mind designed prior and then research into new techniques that complements your work?
Be: I’d say one of the biggest advantages of not being an expert is that some techniques do not have any beaten paths. I see this in my day-to-day skills, using many shortcuts and known solutions. But when you have proper skills in design thinking and small knowledge about the technique, you can just imagine what you want to do or how it should look like and you will eventually get there. The form of the piece is a result of the idea, not the other way around.
I would firstly like to thank Bezmiar for giving me the time so this spotlight could be made possible! You can browse their entire portfolio here and follow them on Twitter @bezmiar1
Thank you to everyone for tuning in to read this. Hopefully, you’ve enjoyed it as much as I have to craft this. Tune in next week when there will be a new artist spotlighted and new conversations to be shared.