If you wade through a fair amount of art, you begin to categorise it in your own head or apply some label once issued by an art critic. However, the digital art of Adam Martinakis does not fit comfortably into something we have seen before. Even close relatives such as hyper- or photorealism do not exactly match. In plain English, it suggests that we might be a little daft if we are not already collecting this artist.
His art is not just pushing the boundaries of what you can do with 3d software, it also has a bizarrely poetic quality that is quite mesmerising. It addresses the human condition — except that you are tempted to think that it is set 200 years into the future.
If his art has a hint of the futuristic, his high-tech choice of reproduction is remarkably fitting. It is Dibond Sandwich panel often used on billboards and high-end trade exhibition displays. It is incredibly smooth and long lasting aluminium sheets, with synthetic core and a permanent and accurate colour reproduction. Another material he uses is plexiglas diasec. So none of that canvasey, warpy, living, and crappy stuff that keeps all art restorers busy.
Martinakis produces limited editions of ultra limited quantities. One of three prints is not uncommon. It is a wise choice to introduce some scarcity to the equation, because digital art has an even harder time than art photography, say. For very long the artistically challenged public said one of two things about photography, and that kept a tight ceiling over prices at auctions. Here goes:
1. well I’m not paying for that [thing] as long as you keep the negatives and could produce more copies.
2. I know you pressed the button – I can do that too.
In the same way, purely digital art has suffered from some of the same market forces. The upshot of this, however is that the acceptance among high-end collectors soon appeared and remains unflinching to this day. And that is no doubt a good thing, because digital art is every bit as intense as more conventional means of representation.
Art is my life now. If you take it away from me, I’m not me any more
About the artist
The artist has many influences. He draws from every day life more than anything, but the computer environment also offers a myriad of posibilities that in themselves represent useful inspiration. As a theoretical framework, the artist is informed by the art and writings of Paul Klee as well as the philosopher Heidegger.
Adam Martinakis has lived and worked in Cannock, UK since 2012, and is currently contemplating moving again. This time for a longer stay in Poland. He was born in Lubań, Poland in 1972. His genetic make-up cannot be accused of any inbreeding. His Mother is Polish and his father Greek. In 1982 and 10-year-old, he moved to Greece, where he resided until his recent move to the UK. In between that, he completed his studies at Technological Educational Institute of Athens under the faculty of Interior Architecture, Decorative Arts & Industrial Design. He has subsequently freelanced for the digital media industry as well as lectured at art institutes.
Moreover, the artist has won a string of awards for digital art and is a member of CultureInside, slashTHREE, Artia & Art.lica International Art Collectives as well as Chamber of Fine Arts of Greece. He is planning an exhibition for November 2013 in Paris, and you can find out more about Martinakis by visiting the artist’s site.
Images
All art is by courtesy of the artist, @ all rights reserved.
