Wrongbedroom: Artist Spotlight

Wrongbedroom's wonderfully strange work spans multiple disciplines and universes. Always unapologetically himself, Wrongbedroom continues to push his own artistic boundaries by creating the "weirdest avatars on the virtual block".

- zonted

By continually questioning the envelope of what people know as "traditional art", we see Wrongbedroom as a complete innovator in the digital art space. What can be done digitally becomes virtually infinite, and Wrongbedroom has no qualms diving into all the dimensions of what digital can offer (music, video, imagery) and trying all the things.

🖼 view Wrongbedroom's art in the zonted genesis exhibition: https://www.cryptovoxels.com/play?coords=W@316E,579N,1U

How did you get into crypto (NFT) art?

I was doing a lot of research into Bitcoin and Blockchain and came across an article about Cryptokitties and NFTs, which lead me to Opensea. There I found SuperRare, Makersplace and KnownOrigin. I was really amazed at how big the space was and how it made so much sense to tokenize artwork.

In the a recent SuperRare interview, you mentioned you got kicked out of painting at art school. What happened then?

After being kicked out of painting for being too experimental, rather than kowtowing to tradition, I was able to choose a different major. Although there were other disciplines, I was drawn to ceramics because it was unfamiliar to me and that made me curious.

It turned out to be the best decision that I ever made. It's a complex process that requires an understanding of chemistry, geology and mathematics. It really challenged me. This exposure to ceramic glazes and the vibrant colours has informed my current drawing style.

Were there other classes in art school outside of ceramics that caused an unexpected but good influence on your art style?

Life drawing was a game changer. It was compulsory to do one day of life drawing a week through the whole degree.

Breaking the human figure down into geometric shapes and then imbuing it with feeling so that it is not just a static form, in a short space of time is not an easy feat. The discipline of seeing and understanding negative and positive space is important and has served me well.

You’re a multidisciplinary artist who creates digital, physical, music, and video. How’d you learn all these different disciplines? Is there a particular medium that you enjoy more than the others?

I started at a young age. The local public high school had some wonderful art & music teachers who encouraged me to be multi-skilled and to be curious about all forms of creativity. From their influence, I have continued to try to take inspiration from atypical sources like mathematics, cooking and anything really. I also attended private music lessons as a teenager for a number of years.

As an adult, I went to The National Art School where I was able to develop my traditional art making skills to another level, learning from amazing lecturers who are also practicing artists. When it comes to all things digital, however, I am an autodidact. Like most people of the internet generation, I watch, listen and learn. I'm always amazed at how advanced young people are with technology. Love or hate YouTube it really has revolutionised learning and brought it to the masses.

I love all the disciplines that I engage with but drawing is something that I do on a daily basis. Whether it's digital or traditional, for me the process is meditative and fantastic for my mental well-being.

What YouTube channels would recommend folks to check out?

Your art has a certain unique flair associated with how audiences interact with it. The combination of weird characters (Mutated Filioades, Midskulrook, K Kryicha) and snake skin-like pulsating features creates a wonderfully strange perspective. Do you invent the world you create before creating the art, or do you create and invent the story afterwards?

I never start with a solid concept. For me it limits my creative process. I love being able to experiment and let my mind wander off to all sorts of weird places not just conceptually but technically as well.

It’s fun coming up with a story for the imagery at the end of the process. It's not what you’re taught at art school but traditional processes should be questioned.

What excites you most about your future with art? Where do you see yourself going?

In the future, I will continue to explore new techniques and different ways of making and showing art: both digitally and physically.

Watching technology advance and thinking about how I can apply it to my art practice is exciting for me. I'm planning on minting Video/Performance art pieces with music and incorporating my ceramics.

Blockchain technology has revolutionised art and I’m happy to be along for the ride with a wonderful community of people.

What do you think traditional fine art institutions are missing out on? What advice would you give to the artists currently in art school right now? How can they kick start their art careers and gain more exposure for their work?

I think art schools don't encourage students to question technique and experiment with technique. I think it’s important to learn traditional and digital skills and to understand where things come from but you will never create anything unique unless you push against what you have learned.

Students should focus on learning and experimenting. Don't worry about making great art, that will come later. Institutions in general have great facilities, so focus on using them as much as you can. You might not get another chance to freely use expensive equipment.

The traditional art world can be hard to break into for young artists unless you have the right connections. I got lucky and found a small family-run gallery who believed in my art for all the right reasons. It can happen but it’s rare. I would focus on the Crypto art space. It's not without problems but there is an entry point for all artists. You can also sell your physical artwork with your NFT.

Anything else you’d like to add?

Always be yourself and don’t follow trends.

Any shout outs?

Thanks to all my collectors.

Thanks to @G79Manc | Crypto Northerner for the Q & A Article for SuperRare Editorial.

Thanks to @SatsMoonSoon & @DaveGoode5 for including me in Future Art (https://futureart.io/).

Thanks to SuperRare & MakersPlace for showcasing my art.

Thanks to @zontedart for this interview and including me in the zonted Genesis Exhibition.

Notable past exhibitions / praise / press:

• zonted genesis exhibition
  1/1/2021—4/30/2021

The first ever ("genesis") digital art exhibition by zonted art gallery. The exhibition features sculptures, installations, videos, and digital creations by a wide array of notable international artists that are on the forefront of digital art.

Visit the exhibition here: https://www.cryptovoxels.com/parcels/3734

• SuperRare editorial: "Wrongbedroom: Weird Fiction and Fantasy"
  10/27/2020

• Sydney Contemporary Art Fair

• AM Gallery

• National Art School

• Newcastle

• Hazelhurst Regional Gallery

Support the artist:

• Website: https://www.wrongbedroom.com/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/BedroomWrong
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wrong_bedroom/
• SuperRare: https://superrare.co/wrongbedroom
• MakersPlace: https://makersplace.com/wrongbedroom/
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeQR3l5RH76h08y0eNWxpxQ
• bandcamp: https://wrongbedroom.bandcamp.com/