I am and have been fascinated by how the power of computers and automated industrialized art-making processes can and does compete with a skillfulness of the human hand, in the modern day of age. Often, art created wiht help of modern technologies, allows for a much greater degree of unexpected visual complexity and representations, that human hand might not be able to contemplate and represent.
The imagination, however, still remains the driving force of the creative process, and cannot be replicated by the machines as of yet. I use it to connect to the hidden areas of my imagination to uncover a beauty of an idea, or a concept, or a thought, and then it is represented visually using computer and hand drawing design techniques. The resulting image is equally a product of my imagination and experience, as well as a product of a free running computer process.
My inspiration and ideas for the creation of art are derived from the layers and years of knowledge and experiences acquired in travels, work, life as well as studies of history, philosophy, religion, art, and financial mathematics.
The start of many of the works is often a hand drawings, then it is altered using modern digital editing tools in combinations with photographs and other mediums. The resulting work is often finished by hand.
This style that i work in is called “conceptivism”. The main idea about it is that both, the concept and an idea, a philosofical postulate or a notion must be developed and then visually represented as using ful pallette of vivid colors, patterns and shapes and all components must work together harmoniously for an art peace to be complete. The aim of the artist working in this style is to present to the user a unique experience where all (or many) of her senses are stimulated and engaged.
Conceptivism - a New Aryt Style
Conceptivism is a new art style that connects several different ideas and techniques into a new art form that exposes the viewer to the visual art content generated using modern digital techniques and methods of color transformation.
Conceptivism originated from Serge Greenberg’s fascination with vivid colors and computer generated graphics and design techniques. Natural inspiration for the creation of the style came from the works of the artists of Favism, who tried to capture and paint the transformations of light in paintings (most notably Matisse). But further significant influence materialized from Serge’s former architectural education, as well as quantitative financial and computer programming background, which fueled the desire to create an art style that would incorporate computer digital designs techniques and features of financial modeling into the creative process.
Many of Serge’s works of art incorporate typical setups of a financial integral model, with its limits and goals, paths and parameters as well as subject representations identified, and the model is then set to run within a degree of freedom to produce visual representations. The model generates an image or components of an image through computer generated “magic”, with artist becoming the final approver of the ultimate visual form, which then can be used as a final product or as an intermediate step in creation of the final peace. Any number of model runs can be repeated until the artist is completely satisfied with the final output.
Conceptivism is distinctly different form conceptualism. The difference can be illustrated by the difference of black and white photography to a 3d artistic sculptural model that can change dynamically and that can be adjusted to the preferences of a spectator. Conceptivism incorporates the notion of Conceptualism that an idea in itself is beautiful and worth to be represented in art, but then it aims to elevate the art aesthetics levels to a much higher degree (as in Favism) and to engage the spectator on a much deeper level, exciting many of her senses and emotions .
Serge’s ambition is to create genuine, dramatic and provocative experience for the spectator, which would take her beyond just appreciation of the visual aspect of art, but would also
a. incite passion and altruism
b. cultivate humanity,
c. provoke thinking,
d. enrich imagination,
e. motivate curiosity.
Serge attempts to incorporate a self-synthesizing impression of an art peace that includes characteristics of the notion of the ‘absolute work of art” or “gesamtkunstwerk” (an English word adopted form German). The aim is to incorporate various forms of artistic expressions and philosophical ideas in a single art peace. The idea of gesamtkunstwerk, when applied to the execution of that concept in the modern technological and industrial state, becomes Conceptivism.
To summarize:
Conceptivism = Gesamkunstwerk + modern computer technologies + quantitative modeling + vividly colorful imagery.
The concept of of Conceptivism can be usefully explained by the architectural differences between Romanesque and Gothic style of architecture.
Romanesque style.
Romanesque style of architecture is massive self-sufficient form of architecture that is usually built on solid ascending foundation capable of supporting massive large heavy blocks of stones and walls upon it, with thick walls and massive quality. Most stones forming walls, in a typical structure, are not load bearing, incapable of carrying other weight over it, not supporting the overall structure. The structures are usually massive, heavy and frightening, inspiring the feeling of simplicity and large size and scale (that is why most of the castles and defensive fortifications are built in that style). If a block of stone or a part is removed from a Romanesque style construction (think about a typical castle like, Carcassonne Castle) nothing would happen to the entire structure – it would continue to stand relaying on its thick massive walls and not fall apart. Each stone is not connected in a net of dynamic forces and thus the building can withstand removals of many parts.
Gothic Style
Gothic style architecture is totally different. Each component of a Gothic structure (a church or a cathedral) is a dynamic energy receptacle that is built into a network of dynamically connected components that together through the forces streaming through, hold the structure together. Its distinct elements of design include pointed arches, flying buttresses, and ribbed vaults. But the most drastic distinction is that each component of a Gothic structure, each stone, is built into a dynamic supportive system that redistributes the burden and weight from the higher levels of the structure, through the system of energy and weight stabilization, created to hold the structure together. Exclusion of any of the individual components from a Gothic structure will most likely lead to a collapse of the entire structure since, because every stone has its place and purpose. Because it’s built only with load carrying and energy producing components, Gothic structures are emphasizing height and light, as if construction is flying in the air, streaming to the higher grounds. The projected sense of grace and fragility of Gothic structures is achieved, precisely because there is no excessive use of materials and components that form building are dynamically linked to transforms energy and weight.
Typical Gothic structure, like St. Peter Basilica in Manhattan on 5th avenue and 51st street, looks as if it is trying to fly up in the air, above the earth with increased sense of height and steaming fluid forms.
Conceptivism uses the same premise of Gothic architecture that every components of an Art peace must be important and must add to the overall quality and appreciation of an art peace and must be integrated into the overall experience of a spectator. An artist attempt to answer the following questions:
- why is this art peace is created?
- what major philosophical ideas are embedded and represented?
- what is being captured?
- what influences the author ?
- are there any connections to the existing trends, new ideas, etc?
