“Temple II” (Martín Bruce image)
1/1: Please introduce yourself.
Martín Bruce: My name is Martín Bruce. I'm a 35-year-old visual artist from Santiago, Chile. Currently, I'm living in Porto, Portugal.
1/1: What art have you been working on lately?
Martín Bruce: For the past two years, I have been painting on canvas. I recently had my first solo show in Porto, featuring five paintings with metal objects, printed digital images, and other mixed media.
The exhibition is almost ready to be uninstalled, but you can still check out some pictures here.
Martín Bruce: Also, I just finished installing a new work in a collective show, with mixed media paintings and new materials like glitter and plastic stickers that I'd like to explore more.
“Cloudy Sun” (Martín Bruce image)
1/1: Can you describe your workspace and how it influences your art?
Martín Bruce: My workspace consists of a table and a wall in a coworking space. While having a larger space for working on bigger projects and experimenting with new materials would be great, I am content with my current setup. It allows me to create decent-sized paintings and work on my computer, positively influencing my work. When I eventually have the opportunity to display my work in a larger space, it will allow me to explore new ideas I may not have considered before.
1/1: What tools do you use?
Martín Bruce: I combine MS Paint, Photoshop, and Premiere to create digital works.
1/1: Do you work with any special devices or tools unique to your creative process?
Martín Bruce: Not really. I use familiar tools like everyone else. Also, I'm used to using the mouse.
1/1: You seem to have a pixelated aesthetic, but it moves between different aesthetics. Do you have any descriptions of your own "style" as an artist?
“Bulbasaur Rain” (Martín Bruce image)
Martín Bruce: My aesthetic realm draws inspiration from video games, nature, and the vast expanse of internet imagery. These sources undergo exposure, multiplication, distortion, and threats in various formats and temporary renditions.
This transformative process, both digital and analog, adds new depths and dimensions to my creations, contributing to crafting unique utopian concepts and resulting in an ongoing metamorphosis of images that generates multiple iterations from a single idea.
1/1: How do you approach developing an idea into a finished piece? Can you walk us through your workflow?
Martín Bruce: There is a weird moment when you say, "It's done." I don't have a very clear answer for that.
My artistic process normally involves intertwining digital art and traditional painting, influencing each other through cyclic randomness.
For example, there are times when I go to the studio to bring to life some ideas that I have been contemplating for a while on actual paintings. However, I often find myself unconsciously using images already appearing in some of my previous digital works and vice versa when I'm on the computer. All my artworks are interconnected, forming part of the same story as a workflow.
“Dino Heaven” (Martín Bruce image)
1/1: Can you describe a typical day in your artistic practice, including any rituals or habits?
Martín Bruce: I have coffee first, then normally go to my space to work on my computer to create digital artwork, which has recently become a ritual. I can do both while listening to some music. It's become a habit. But honestly, it all depends on my mood and the artistic projects I have planned for the future. Also, I like to paint on canvas, so usually, I'm doing different stuff around the place.
1/1: Do you have any thoughts on AI as it relates to art and artmaking?
Martín Bruce: Usually, I don't prefer AI for aesthetic purposes, but I saw some cool results on Stable Diffusion and Hugging Face. Still, I'm not convinced about using it as a creator. I prefer to draw on my own.
1/1: Are there any specific works of art (music, literature, film, etc.) that inspire or have significant meaning to you in your artistic practice?
“Detox from WiFi” (Martín Bruce image)
Martín Bruce: The work of Laura Brothers, AKA Out4Pizza, deeply inspired me when I was creating net art and uploading content on Flickr or Tumblr in the past. It wasn't a specific work that inspired me but the entire body of work.
1/1: How do you come up with titles for your work?
Martín Bruce: I title the work based on my interpretation because sometimes pieces could be abstract, and sometimes there are those works that you know the name from scratch.
1/1: What draws you to NFTs and do you see them as different from traditional art markets?
Martín Bruce: I got into the NFT market trying to find a new way of income with my art. Since I have been doing digital work for a long period, it fits naturally.
The difference with the traditional art markets is that it still feels like some mediums struggle with the fact that artists must be paid.
1/1: For someone just getting into NFTs, what advice would you offer?
“Tres Mil” (Martín Bruce image)
Martín Bruce: Mind the gap.
1/1: Who are some of your favorite artists in the NFT space?
Martín Bruce: @GrotesqueChiq, @out_4_pizza, @nuv1914, @elna_frederick, @ZBliatkas, @daniloxhema.
1/1: What are you working on next?
Martín Bruce: In February 2024, I have a solo show in Porto, so I'd like to work on new paintings and installation structures with lots of stickers.
Also, I'm working on a music project with a friend, and we plan to release a new album in November.
1/1: Could you show us some of your favorite work and tell us what it means to you?
Martín Bruce: "Alien bodies" by Mexican Congress.
They mean a lot; the peaceful happiness associated with those bodies is inspiring.
1/1: We commissioned a piece, "Silver Fountain." Could you tell us about it?
Martín Bruce: "Silver Fountain" is a soda cascade that always has the power to deliver cool infinite drinks in any flavor you want. You can also choose the intensity of the gas level and the sweetness it delivers.
It has an elegant look that conveys a certain mystery, inviting you to wonder what flavor you want to experience today.
“Silver Fountain” (Martín Bruce image)