In the realm where pixels dance in discord and the old boundaries of the screen are challenged, jonCates emerges as
A hack saw, a trowel, a haxe. These are the tools that build homes, that dig into the earth to
Bleak city streets, strange noises, and the penetrating scent of garbage mix with the comforting sounds of R&B and a hope for the future that nothing can squash. Nate Santana, better known as Dead Society Poetry, brings together a unique blend of poetry, music, and film that gives voice to the often overlooked aspects of urban life, casting a spotlight on the interplay between poverty, suffering, and the vibrancy of city living.
Dead Society Poetry’s creative process is a finely tuned alchemy of different art forms. He masterfully combines the rhythmic cadence of music of varying genres and styles, the evocative power of words, and the visceral impact of film to create artworks that are deeply moving and profoundly insightful. Each piece is a reflection of the raw emotions that permeate urban life, oscillating between hope and hopelessness, color and darkness.
The city, with its stark contrasts and dichotomies, serves not just as the inspiration for his work but also as an integral part of his artistic identity. The city’s influence is palpable in his art, infusing it with a sense of authenticity and immediacy. Today, we have the opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of Dead Society Poetry’s artistic vision and the city that shaped it.
Virginia Valenzuela: So I wanted to start with the fact that this is chapter 7 of an existing series and I’d love to hear a little bit more about that series and what you’re trying to accomplish with it.
Nathan Santana: Okay, so the series is titled the “City of Dreams.” To me the City of Dreams is this sociological inquiry into the ramifications of poverty on individuals and communities. And it was this idea, the “City of Dreams” was born one day just driving around my hometown, which is Bridgeport, Connecticut. Bridgeport, Connecticut is one of the five major cities of Connecticut. Bridgeport is, historically it’s one of the worst cities in the US.
VV: Why are you smiling when you say that?
NS: Because I love Bridgeport. That’s my shit right there. I’m from the projects. [We laugh.] So yeah, Bridgeport is one of the worst. Lots of crime, lots of pain, lots of misery, and it goes on generationally.
So again, the “City of Dreams” was born from observation, but it was also inspired by one of my favorite poems, “Harlem” by Langston Hughes. Dreams deferred, what happens with a raisin in the sun, whatever is said there in that poem. But there was one profound, very poignant line where he’s asking what happens with a dream deferred. Does it explode? And so, I was just really thinking about how dreams are essentially the new opium of the masses in this neoliberal society that we live in, where people are essentially hamsters on a wheel going to work, to work for a better life. It’s almost like the myth of Sisyphus. So you’re fuckin’ working. You’re working hard, but you ain’t going anywhere, but the only things that are driving you forward, the carrot on the stick, are your fuckin’ dreams.
VV: Yeah.
NS: So what we got is motherfuckers out here just dreaming all the time, dreaming for success, dreaming to get the fuck out of the ‘hood, lottery tickets, fuckin’ menial jobs. And when nothing comes, the only thing that comes is pain and misery, it’s really the only thing that’s real. Then you have a whole bunch of other coping mechanisms and you have all these negative behavioral manifestations.
I’m an epidemiologist. My focus is HIV and STIs–or STDs, is what we still call them. I focus on syphilis and congenital syphilis and HIV investigation. But my original and main interest in epidemiology was always social epidemiology. It was always looking at the social and socioeconomics and circumstances as the actual etiology of most diseases.
VV: Yeah, totally. I mean when it’s not even about access to doctors, I mean that’s a part of it too. But it’s like…something I think about a lot with poverty–because I grew up in a below-poverty household as well–it’s the food insecurity.
NS: Right.
VV: And I don’t know. Do you know to brush your teeth for two minutes in the morning and at night, it’s the little things like that that compile year after year. And then obviously, there have been all these books and studies about how sadness and pain can cause disease, right? So, yeah, I think there’s definitely a connection here just in quality of life and what that quality is when you don’t have access to basics.
NS: Exactly.
VV: Which Latinos know very well. I grew up in a food desert. We had an Associated Marketplace and everything was canned and processed.
NS: Right, right exactly. Food, that’s one aspect. And you also have a very sort of coercive relationship with labor tied to this whole dream of success, where, the lower on the totem pole you are, the menial labor, the stress is exponential.
VV: And the money is minimal.
NS: And the money is minimal. And so you’re just living this entire life where your cortisol levels are in survival mode. So the unique thing about Bridgeport in Connecticut is that it’s surrounded by vast wealth. So then you also have an added element of knowing your socioeconomic position. Income quality, and it’s right in your face. And so you get this element of shame your entire life.
It’s almost like being this colonial subject where you’re constantly reminded of your second-class citizenship. Of how you are less than because you can’t afford things, because you can’t buy things, because you can’t consume things, and in our society, in this consumer society, being a consumer is almost tied to patriotism. It’s almost tied to your inclusion in society and it isn’t just consumption of goods, physical tangible goods; it’s also this consumption of social media, is the consumption of TV shows. You’re in this conversation with someone and they’re saying “You haven’t watched ‘Game of Thrones,’ motherfucker? You’re stupid.”
VV: And it’s like, no. I got three jobs.
NS: So now I guess I’m a fuckin’ pariah, and I gotta watch “Game of Thrones.”
VV: I haven’t watched “Game of Thrones” and I’m not interested, so…
NS: Yeah, me either, I never watched a single episode.
VV: I’m watching real life and it’s just as scary.
NS: Hell yeah real life nasty, is messy, is fucked up. I don’t need “Game of Thrones.” There are so many motherfuckers out here having sex, fuck that. [He laughs.] I don’t need “Game of Thrones” to see that shit.
VV: So I think that’s a great segue to talking about this piece, “Chapter 7: Black Plastic Bag.” It’s really packed with a lot of specific imagery both in the way that you filmed it and in the way that the poem unfolds, so I’d love to talk first about all of the multimedia that you used in it because calling this multimedia seems like a gross understatement. You’ve got layers of film, you’ve got distortion, music, throat singing, noise layers, you have the audio of the poem. I’d love to hear a bit about what each layer brings to this piece in your mind, and more importantly, what inspired you to bring so many different pieces of media together?
NS: Hmmm. I’ll answer the last part first. I’ve always wanted all of my poetry to have an audio component as opposed to just text.
VV: Yeah.
NS: Audio and visual. That’s pretty much it really, I mean for that part. It’s just that every time I wrote a poem it was always very visual, very auditory. I could hear things. I could see things happening and while I don’t have the production capability, the whole multi hundred thousand dollars to actually bring everything to life. I do what I can.
VV: You go indie!
NS: Yeah, I go super indie. Look, this is my chapter 7 fuckin’ camera, this thing right here.
VV: My God!
NS: This is from 2010. I got it for free.
NS: And it’s just me and it’s my partner, my partner just helps me, or it’s on an iPhone. It’s super low budget.
Yeah, so, everything comes together. The piece stands alone, but it’s also interwoven with themes from the rest of the series. So I always envision the “City of Dreams” to be this overarching, multi-volume thing. And this would be the first volume of the “City of Dreams.” But I always envision it to be a multi-series, multi-volume ongoing body of work that is interwoven with musical overtures with musical themes.
So you have listened to Chapter 7, but if you listen to other chapters, there’s this theme that is prominent throughout — it’s like doo-doo-do-do-do-do-do-doo — that you can hear throughout the other pieces. So I wanted it to be this grand, interwoven story with multiple themes that connect throughout the series, throughout the different chapters, almost like this book, right?
So there’s the prologue and it runs through chapter 7, and chapter 7 is the last chapter. Then you have the epilogue; the epilogue will be just music.
VV: Something I really love about it too is that for a series like this, I would expect an artist to put it all on the same marketplace in the same spot and I love that you’re putting it all over the place. You have one piece on MakersPlace and that exhibition with Whale DAO, this piece on Mint Gold Dust. And it just feels like this story deserves to be on many different platforms and all over the internet. It’s a story that speaks to not just people in Bridgeport, or me here in New York; it speaks to people out in the projects in Jersey, or like, all over California.
NS: Yeah, yeah.
VV: So I like that choice that you made of almost making it universal because the themes of it are pretty universal. There are more people who are poor than rich, right?
NS: Right exactly, and there’s the pain, misery, suffering, all that stuff is felt by everyone in almost the same way, it’s just kind of fucked up. [He laughs.]
VV: I’d love to hear a little bit more about, what made you want to pick up that camera and use film in this, because a lot of people in the NFT poetry world, I noticed they tend to do more, like, AI work, or a kind of simple background with the text on top, something a little more static or only slightly animated, and you went in the total opposite direction. You created a short film basically, so I’d love to hear about your connection to film, your connection to using that camera and moreover, I’m assuming this is footage of Bridgeport?
NS: Yeah, so a lot of my pieces include footage of Bridgeport and also footage of different areas in New York City, because I have a connection there as well.
Again, the film aspect, it’s just that I always had a visual and the visual is told through moving image, the moving image.
VV: I think you were saying something earlier about how you’re creating a specific aesthetic with the film and then obviously some of the film is distorted. There are parts in this piece where it seems like there are two different clips overlaid with each other.
NS: Yeah.
VV: Like it’s coming in and out of vision. I find it really interesting because it’s not cut and dry, like the film for you seems to be just another material.
NS: Yeah, and I mean, I’ve always wanted to tell a story, especially when it comes to film. I’ve always been influenced by very avant-garde, very weird things and I like shots that are just essentially nonsensical, in a way incoherent, non-linear and it’s just like a long, still shot and there’s a lot to take in.
But I’m also telling a story, so it’s not just the poem. The music tells a story as well. The music is trying to evoke emotion. I feel like the poem is probably the most in-your-face direct part of the piece. And it all comes together really well, but when you break each piece down, the poem, the spoken word, that’s the most direct part. What I actually enjoy the most is the stuff that you have to think about, which is the short film aspect, the music. The music is emotive. It’s trying to convey an emotion. It’s trying to tell you what the real world is like. It’s dirty. It’s disgusting. It’s sad.
But at the same time there’s a break at the end like the outro of Chapter 7 where it becomes this R&B thing, and it’s like if there’s a juxtaposition where the music in the beginning is really eerie, the visuals are really fucked up; but then there’s a juxtaposition in the mood of the music, and then the lyrics are fucked up. So there are multiple things that switch and then it goes back to just me cutting myself [out of the bag].
VV: Yeah, and that’s one of my favorite things about this piece, that you can’t really get comfortable ever. You’re either being pushed to feel uncomfortable through the music, through the imagery. And then once you do feel comfortable with the jazz at the end, then it’s like bam! You come right back, and so I think that’s a great metaphor for life. Things happen, things change. Just when you think you’re living the life, then you get laid off or your mother gets sick. And that’s so potent because it kind of shows whether you’re really affluent or just going through the motions, trying to get through, bad things happen and kind of throw you off your game and it’s not different, the money doesn’t make that part any easier.
NS: It reminds me of that meme. I don’t know if you’ve seen this, but it’s fresh in my mind. It’s like “I paid off all my bills” and then there’s somebody screaming, there’s like a video of somebody screaming, and it says my brakes, my car brakes are screaming.
VV: Yeah.
NS: So right after I paid off my bills, there’s another bill coming up.
VV: That is so true! Every time you’re like, all right, my credit card is fresh. Fuck. Now there’s a new expense. Yeah, it never ends. So, let’s talk a little bit about the imagery here and what the poem is talking about, because you start with things we might find in a garbage bag and then I think it’s kind of moving into some of the challenges of living in the modern world. And then finally we land on some amazing Puerto Rican food staples, but they are also distorted.
You say “mofongo with a side of basura [garbage].” You say “chewing on rusty nails, chicharrón sleeping on the floor with a squid in a brown paper bag.” So it feels like the speaker of this poem is talking about how sustenance, it’s important, but in this poem it’s being corrupted, and obviously without sustenance you can’t survive. So can you speak a little bit more to the idea of survival and how it’s functioning in this poem?
NS: Yeah. I’m not gonna talk about the poem specifically. There’s one thing that I don’t do, and I don’t talk about the work specifically.
VV: That’s fine.
NS: I allow people to just walk away with what they want to walk away with. The context for me is just sociological inquiry, poverty, pain, life. Whatever else you get from it is what you get from it.
VV: The only clues you’re given.
NS: Exactly, and catharsis, like the most important thing, individual catharsis, what I was feeling, what I’m trying to say, my story is being put there for all to see.
But yes, survival comes at a cost. It comes at the cost of your health. All right, we talked about the food deserts, we talked about eating food that isn’t essentially good for you, despite it being food from your homeland, from your people. It’s just like super oily, super this, super that.
VV: It’s like instead of chorizo, you’ve got those salchichas, with like 1000% of your daily salt intake.
NS: A thousand percent, maybe more.
VV: Maybe per sausage. Yeah, that’s the thing right? It’s like you get really happy because you found some tortillas? Then you’re like, what the hell is in this? It tastes chemical, like there’s something weird here and like I love that idea of the cost of connecting with your culture. You’re away from it. You get this rundown version of it that ends up, maybe it gives you a little bit of comfort when you’re eating it, but it ends up hurting you in a way, right?
NS: I also wanted to play with a lot of juxtaposition. So you’re eating this food, this mofongo, you have this momentary comfort, but you’re surrounded by, essentially, basura [garbage]. You’re surrounded by hurt, you’re surrounded by pain, you’re surrounded by an environment that is covered literally with garbage. You walk out of your house and all you see is fuckin’ trash, flattened out McDonald’s cups–
VV: Heroin needles–
NS: Two condoms on the corner–
VV: Blood! I’ve seen blood on my street, and more than once.
NS: You see everything. You get a momentary comfort and after that momentary sort of amnesia, you wake up and there’s a side of basura [garbage]. And if there’s one thing about your sides, they’re always there on the side on your plate. You’re always reminded of your side. [He laughs.] There’s always the main course, but the sides, fuck!
VV: They’re not so great. Excuse me, can I send this back? [She laughs.]
NS: Yeah, I don’t want this fuckin’ broccoli. Get this broccoli out of here.
VV: Alright, I’ll skip this next question because we’re not gonna talk about the poem. I was really interested in the way the poem uses color because we start with this really dark black-and-white glitchy aesthetic, and then the poem happens and then you ask the viewer “do you feel me?” And then we switch to the jazz and the color comes on and now we’re seeing film in color and interestingly enough because of what you chose, it’s like now we’re seeing graffiti in color. So it’s like you’ve put us from black and white to color but the images that you’re showing are melancholy. I’m still feeling this darkness from it, even though you’ve turned the lights on. So I’d love to hear a little bit more about that choice. And yeah, how do you view color in this?
NS: That’s not something I think about.
VV: [She laughs.] Of course not.
NS: I’m not consciously thinking about color in that way. To me, my process is very much mimicking the chaos of everyday life. It’s experimental. It’s improvisational. It’s chaotic. This is what comes next. This influenced that, so this will come next.
VV: Yeah.
NS: I always find it very silly, in a way, and I don’t really mean to talk shit about artists, but, when all those fuckers are out here talking about practice and discipline and it’s like, okay you turning this shit into a fuckin’ job, fuck off, just express yourself. So to me that’s how I approach things, so if it comes out in a sort of way like that, it wasn’t really conscious. There’s this maybe subconscious effort to experiment, and if it comes out that way it’s because perhaps it was…I don’t know, I can’t really describe what I’m saying here, but…
VV: Yeah, I get you. That’s fascinating because the only part that has color really is the jazz. Most of the other one with the darker music and covering of the face with the plastic bag, all of that is so dark and the black and white fits so perfectly and that’s so amazing, especially as I’m thinking about your musician brain, right, that’s in the background, is probably what was working there. And so I find that fascinating because earlier in the piece, there are a couple of flashes of light and there are little tiny bits of color and so it actually made me think of “The Wizard of Oz.”
She starts in black and white, goes to the Land of Oz and it’s color, and then goes back home and it’s black and white again, and your piece did the same transition and it just made me think so much about–you mentioned catharsis. And so I was thinking about how the subject of this poem is living this dark life and then finally states this poem and then we go into a world of color. It almost to me felt like the power of catharsis, the fact that maybe after you get something off your chest that changes the way you see the world. But then he goes right back into the darkness. The catharsis is momentary. It doesn’t help, you still find your way back to the shit that you were dealing with beforehand.
NS: Right. I wrote a poem about this a few years ago and there’s a section in that poem where you’re in a labyrinth and you see this crack in the wall and you squeeze through like a tiny mouse, and then you’re outside of the labyrinth. There’s a moment of joy and celebration that then gets sequestered because the labyrinth isn’t just a stagnant labyrinth. It’s this moving, breathing machine inside of a machine that creates itself, that reproduces itself and it actually uses your brain, your thoughts to create more elaborate labyrinths to keep you inside of it.
VV: It’s like, you leveled up? Me, too.
NS: But it’s already 50 steps ahead of you.
VV: Yeah.
NS: So, in my mind that is always what’s happening. I’m breaking through and it’s the same thing with when you clean out your credit card and then your brakes are squealing. It’s just like, how is this always the case? Why is this always happening?
VV: Can’t catch a break ever.
NS: Why can I not break free without being put right back in? And I always think of fuckin’ “Godfather 3.” They keep pulling me back! Or even “Carlito’s Way.” I don’t know if you’ve seen “Carlito’s Way.”
VV: Of course. Yeah.
NS: And you block over the Bronx? Carlito is trying to get out, but, he can’t.
VV: Yeah, exactly. So before we go, let’s talk about the music a bit. There are a lot of pieces here, including jazz, R&B, and more. What was the process of bringing all of these pieces together?
NS: As I mentioned previously with my sort of experimental improvisational process, the music actually came together in the same way that “Oceans of Pain” came together.
I asked Greg Wilcox, who is a bassist, multi-instrumentalist, and throat singer, to contribute some throat singing. And he had no idea what the music was going to be like, and I basically just gave him a prompt. Do something inspired by black plastic bag. Think about that, and just whatever it is you do, think about that.
VV: Channel it.
NS: Yeah. Don’t worry about the key. Don’t worry about tempo. Don’t worry about rhythm. Just in your head, think about this, and let it out. And then there was also the trumpet player. His name is Ni!
I did the same thing. I was just like, think about this. Don’t worry about anything else. And I like that when it comes to music, that’s my approach. It’s just like the birds, the insects, the deer, the other animals, they don’t work. They’re not planning what they’re doing. They’re just going by their own tune.
VV: Just making a symphony, just like that.
NS: It comes together in this super harmonious thing. If you are ever in the forest and you hear the birds chirping, you hear the trees swaying, you hear the river going over fuckin’ rocks and shit. It’s like, these motherfuckers ain’t talking. They’re just doing what they’re doing. And so what I did was I just put everything together as if we were disparate components, but we fit so harmoniously.
VV: I see you. I see what’s going on.
NS: Yeah, the jazzy R&B part too, I remember creating that and I was like wow, this is fuckin’ amazing. [He laughs.] And my partner sang on it and she wrote the lyrics to that. I was just like “City of Dreams,” black plastic bag. Think about it. But yeah, the rest of the music, it was all me. The piano, my opera singing.
VV: Incredible.
Your introduction to new art available on
Mint Gold Dust.
A gust of color, a stroke, a line, a glimmer in the eye, almost imperceptible. The work of an abstract artist is complex. It combines the use of color, form and texture, with a touch of mystery and ambiguity. It asks us to see art, and by extension, the world, in a different way.
Liceoty is a digital painter who works with light and color in order to tell stories of people and places, some that feel familiar, and others, totally alien. His pieces are like snapshots of a dream, where the colors blend and merge in unexpected ways. Though brought to life by a vivid color palette, upon further inspection we can see shadows, facial expressions, and smudged edges that pulse with a sense of mystery.
Liceoty’s work is heavily influenced by abstract expressionism and his pieces often have an emotional intensity that draws the viewer in. He uses bold brushstrokes and vibrant hues to convey feelings of joy, sadness, anger, and everything in between. His paintings are a reflection of the human experience, capturing the complexities and fluctuations of human emotions.
The Art of Lasting Impressions
Like many practicing artists, Liceoty grew up with an artist in the family. His grandfather was a painter whose impressionist works really influenced him, both in the embrace of painting and in style. “La capacidad es ilimitada,” he says. “Tengo mucha libertad en lo que puedo hacer.” With unlimited capabilities and the freedom to create whatever he wants, he can create scenes “sin atarme a nada en concreto,” or without being tied to anything concrete.
Liceoty is also drawn to the work of de Chirico, Rembrandt, and Goya painters who were masters at utilizing contrast with color and light in order to create dramatic effect, to tell stories through light and shadow. But our conversation continues to return to Goya, and Liceoty notes his fascination with Goya’s ability to tell stories through the faces of the figures in his paintings, and the impressions of the decrepit. Goya creates a world that Liceoty likes exploring.
And that is perhaps why so many of Liceoty’s paintings are brimming with the details of life. A dining room with paintings hanging on the walls, a crowd of people entering a plaza, each with their own expression. Each scene peers into a different universe, and contemplates the relationship between subjects and their surroundings.
A World of Color
After making the initial sketch, Liceoty paints with greens and grays. It is a neutralizing color palette, one that welcomes other colors into the picture. “Verde, que te quiero verde,” wrote the Spanish poet Federico Garcia Lorca, ruminating on the entrancing effect of the color green. It is a color that calls to Liceoty, that shows him the first steps into the work.
“Cuando tengo ese verde, o un azul muy apagado,” he said, “pues, le intento meter un contraste de un color más puro, con más…con más ficha.” A calm green, or a pale blue, invites Liceoty to add colors to contrast it with, a purer color, a color with more…depth. He cultivates this same sense of curiosity and thoughtful discovery to his entire practice.
“Lo voy haciendo sobre la marcha,” he told me. “I’m doing it as I go.” From the start, he doesn’t have a specific idea of what he wants to create, what colors he wants to use. He begins with the sketch, and follows the colors. Forms begin to take shape, and characters emerge. The scene comes to life through the conjuring of colors and brush strokes.
His artworks are colorful, playful even, but they carry a darker side, a sense of mystery humming just below the surface: an elongated shadow, a mysterious glint in the eye, a heavy sense of waiting. “El contraste lo que quiero es hacer que el color que yo quiera destaque,” he said, “y digamos los oscuros, pues siempre tiendan a neutralizar un poco la composición, no?”
He is speaking quite literally about color, how darker colors tend to neutralize the composition and how he wants certain colors to stand out, yet his words also apply to the themes of his work. Using color, he illuminates the darkness within his characters, bringing their true colors to light.
“Lo que quiero yo intentar expresar con eso, con los colores esos oscuros, es establecer un límite en el paisaje,” he said. “No una especie como de pared, algo que termine ahí y entonces pues por eso me gustan.” For Liceoty, the darker parts of the painting act as edges, or limits, but ones that are more flexible, not like a wall, he says. Instead a line, a smudge, a sort of opening between light and dark.
The Story of “The Monk”
Liceoty has been interested in monks for some time. “Me gustan mucho los monjes,” he said. “Uno tanto por la religión y por la espiritualidad, por la estética de las capas de los monjes, los atuendos que llevan.” There is something to their religion, to their spirituality, as well as the aesthetic of their robes, the layers.
For Liceoty, “The Monk” was its own medication, a move away from what had become comfortable. “Quería romper con lo que llevo haciendo durante un año que es lo que llevo pintando,” he said. “Quería romper, pues con la tendencia esa siempre de tener que dibujar muchos personajes, dibujar muchas escenas secundarias y, como te digo yo, a los lejos no hacer escenas a lo lejos.” For this piece, Liceoty wanted to break with what he had been doing for the previous year.
Instead of having many people in the scene, he focused on a singular subject. Instead of creating multiple scenes in one piece, or depicting scenes from a distance, he focused in on one person, and let him take up the entire canvas. He played with greens and violets, and utilized more light than usual. That was part of the experiment as well, reaching for colors that are different from those that he usually calls his own.
“Quiero trabajar más la luz,” he told me, “porque es verdad que en muchos de mis cuadros la luz se deja de lado y importa más el escenario el color y la expresión, que la luz no la trabajo mucho.” In the past, he feels like more of his attention was put onto the setting, color, and the expression of the characters, but the light wasn’t as prominent.
“Y lo que quiero es empezar a trabajar la luz. En los personajes, en los ropajes…una pintura abstracta o que dibuja personaje y a la vez le mete luz, pues algo bastante interesante. Quiero llegar a eso.” He wants to explore light in his abstract work, in the characters, the clothing. A painting that draws and character and also shines light onto it, that seems quite interesting. He wants to reach towards that.
Art is the Journey, Not the Destination
Liceoty’s work is a testament to how an artist can transcend traditional boundaries and create a new form of expression. Through his abstract paintings, he invites viewers to see the world through his eyes, where the ordinary becomes extraordinary and the mundane is infused with magic.
One of Liceoty’s greatest strengths as an artist is his ability to find beauty in the most unexpected places. His keen eye and attention to detail allow him to uncover the hidden gems in everyday scenes, whether it’s a bustling plaza or a quiet dining room.
But what sets Liceoty apart from other digital painters is his unique style and technique. He combines traditional painting techniques with cutting-edge technology, using digital tools to enhance and add depth to his pieces. This fusion of old and new creates a mesmerizing effect, captivating viewers and inviting them into Liceoty’s world.
In a time where technology dominates the conversations around art, Liceoty stands out as an artist who embraces innovation while staying true to the essence of traditional art forms. His work serves as a reminder that art knows no boundaries and can be constantly redefined and reinvented.
Immerse yourself in a world where digital art meets human experience, identity, and connection. “We Are The Vibists” is a piercing and heartfelt curation by Jen Panepinto, AKA QuantumSpirit, set to take center stage at Muscle Beach during this year’s Art Basel Miami from December 8-10. Brought to life by Illust, this innovative AR art walk seeks to provoke thought and spark conversations about our rapidly evolving cyber world.
Introducing the Vibists
The “Vibists” represent a modern movement of digital artists who push the boundaries of traditional art forms. They are not just creators; they are connectors, using digital media as a bridge to unite disparate ideas and people. According to the curator Jen Panepinto, she came up with this concept in one of those rare moments when she was in between projects and had time to reflect on the last year in web3. “I finally had a moment to sit back and look at the space as a whole, and look at kind of what makes us who we are, and what’s important to me is that I wanted to make sure that I re-introduced who we are as ‘1 of 1’ artists in web3.”
These artists, brought together by Jen’s vision, challenge the status quo and inspire audiences to view the world through a different lens. By exploring ideas that are inherently intangible, they help us to understand the in-betweenness of life in an increasingly digital world.
Featured Artists and Their Works
“We Are The Vibists” showcases a wide array of artists, each with a unique style and themes. These artists use digital media to explore the question of what it means to be human in a world where the lines between reality and online worlds continue to blur. Each piece of art will serve as a testament to the artists’ creativity and their ability to reflect the human experience in the digital age.
“When I think about the concept of being ‘in between,’ specifically in terms of the way this was curated, looking at more surreal and metaphysical things, vibey things, I really wanted to capture that transformative moment when you’re going through a change, and reality becomes surreal for a moment, you’re not quite one thing or another.”
–Illustrata
“In a weird way I think [my photographic process] is my way of tapping into alternate ways of thinking and being and turning over power to forces that are far more interesting than what I could have planned out by myself.”
–Jim Roll
“We’re able to break apart from ourselves. There is this sense of self beneath ourselves, and we are intertwined with it, we are united with it, and the only real way, in my opinion, to ignite a path of passion or realization or enlightenment is to kind of deunite from that self.”
–BLAC
“At first glance it’s just a messy collage, but I actually put a ton of time into it, and for me, it’s kind of the reality of all the ideas that are bouncing around in my brain constantly. I have a hard time sitting down and focusing on just one thing, and it’s like that psychedelic reset, the control-alt-delete, where I can look at all the files and try to make sense of them and pull the beauty out.”
–friskyfoxtrot
“I can still feel the heat from the glass that this piece originated from. I can remember making the glass and imagining the digital life of it. The soft pauses represent those moment of mental drift when living in between different mediums, different worlds.”
–p0ng
“Imagine being surrounded by a whirl of events, like sparks flying in all directions. In that mix, there’s a smile that stays put. It’s about not just getting by, but shining through tough times, because sometimes the chaos is what gets us moving.”
–Emaweird
“In my work I’ve always been really fascinated with the universe…I always was really into space movies and what was out there, and I wanted to be moving through the cosmos.”
–Infinite Mantra
“UNUM VIS invites contemplation on the interconnected nature of our existence, where the lines between self and other blur into a harmonious unity. This is not merely a representation; it is a visual exploration of the profound interplay of identity and connection in the grand tapestry of human oneness.”
–FARRAH CARBONELL
“I like things to have a handmade feel even if it is AI. I do enjoy film, shooting on film, and that sort of thing, and I like that kind of vintagey, nostalgic kind of feel you get with this sort of process, the one that I like to work with, and the whole thing about having your family connections and how that affects your whole life, your mental state, you know, in some ways. Yeah, it’s kinda about how your past can shape you, and how your connections, with family, with friends, with people that you vibe with on X, how all of that can affect your work and your life.”
–Weird Momma
“The piece depicts the subject in a state of substance induced introspection; journeying through the intricate landscapes of the subconscious and exploring the boundaries between reality and the fantastical realms of the mind.”
–Moba
“There’s always something bad happening and always something good happening, and it’s really about the way that we manage to exist within that illusion of happiness, that illusion of the moment we create.”
–Nuclear Samurai
“Your pain is also other people’s pain, and there is a collectiveness to sharing that, so I guess it’s sort of like the dissolution of illusion in terms of individuality, but also of whether you’re fine or not…there’s the realization of what humanity is, but also trying to be at peace with and sharing that desire to find stillness.”
–KEZIAI
BASKING IN EPHEMERA
–ABCDJ
“At certain points in my life I’ve felt far away from myself, like, being on the outside and just watching how everything goes, and this piece speaks about it. I’m kind of in-between; I’m in a surreal place, like everything is kind of foggy and I’m just contemplating all of the messy stuff and chaos that’s going on in your head. But in my pieces I try to find a certain calmness…layers and the complexity of thoughts…and balance in the overall picture.”
–Hanne Van Briel
“Are we all replaceable?”
–kapstone
“Beneath the surface of things seen, there lie deeper truths concealed, veiled by the senses’ narrow sheen, yet real as rock. The unseen mystical woven strands are hidden in the wonderlands of the mind. We deftly leave the shackles of this place and soar on gossamer wings, encountering Beauty in realms only known in the unconscious.”
–Neal
What Makes “We Are The Vibists” Stand Out?
Unlike other curations, “We Are The Vibists” leverages the power of digital media to create an immersive experience. The curation embraces the digital revolution, highlighting its impact on art and how we perceive it. It’s not just about viewing art; it’s about experiencing it, engaging with it, and understanding its relevance in our contemporary world.
The AR Gallery Experience
Attendees can expect an interactive experience at the AR gallery in Miami. The exhibit, powered by Illust, aims to engage art enthusiasts and collectors alike, offering a unique opportunity to delve into the world of digital art. From experimental photography to digital collage to artificial intelligence, the curation promises to be a visual feast that will stimulate the senses and challenge conventional thinking.
Art Basel Miami has always been a platform for showcasing groundbreaking work, and “We Are The Vibists” is no exception. It’s not just a curation; it’s a revelation, a testament to the transformative power of digital art.
As we count down the days to this exciting event, one thing is certain: “We Are The Vibists” is set to redefine what we think about art, pushing boundaries, and challenging norms along the way. Sound like something you can vibe with? Immerse yourself in the art and the vision, and feel free to join the movement, because as Jen Panepinto put it, “I think we are all Vibists if we want to be.”
Read the full curation statement here, and follow us on X to stay tuned for contests, helpful links, and more information about what Mint Gold Dust is doing in Miami.
Your introduction to new art available on Mint Gold Dust.
Quantum Spirit
Jennifer Panepinto is a visual artist combining analog and digital processes, and often plays around with negative space. Her artworks are inspired by her own journey with mental health, exploring both positive and dark concepts, frequently using rainbows. Jennifer is also inspired by the conscious mind and metaphysics, a theme present in her work. Jennifer’s art is multidisciplinary, using a range of mediums from Polaroid to AI Art. Jennifer has been a professional graphic designer and illustrator for the past two decades. Jennifer received her MFA in Design from The School of Visual Arts in 2003 and a BFA in Photography from Pratt Institute in 1998.
Trancing Field
1/1
0.055 ETH
Nacho Frades
Born in Madrid in 1967 and now residing in Cadiz, Nacho Frades is a distinguished digital artist known for seamlessly blending traditional techniques with modern digital innovations. His works, characterized by their intricate details and emotional depth, resonate with authenticity. With a style that infuses life into ordinary subjects, Nacho’s artistry is evident in every piece, be it on canvas or a digital platform. His foray into Cryptoart showcases his adaptability and forward-thinking approach. Amidst the evolving digital age, Nacho’s artworks stand as a testament to the timeless beauty of everyday life and the transformative power of art.
Trattoria
1/1
1.25 ETH
SphericalArt
SphericalArt, aka Paul Petersen, is a geometric artist and poet who finds and creates his images inside of 3D polyhedral spheres. He looks for unique arrangements of polygons that hint at an emerging story. He overlays meaning onto the inherent beauty of polyhedral patterns. He also curates as the host of the weekly show, DISCOVERING NFT ARTISTS on the Tokensmart Discord server. He studied painting at UCLA with William Brice, earning a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree. He did post graduate study at the Art Center College of Design. He’s had careers as an advertising art director, watercolorist, and medical illustrator. His technical proficiency in computer graphics has put him in a position to explore this new area of geometric image creation.
Color Roulette #9
1/1
0.19 ETH
jonCates
jonCates makes Glitch Art worlds. From his vision of the Old West in 鬼鎮 (Ghosttown)™ to the futures of the Ancient East in 金山 (goldMountain), he explores glitch storytelling.
金關係，The Secrets of Glitch
1/1
1 ETH
MizzD
MizzD is a digital and visual artist inspired by the wild and beautiful vibrations of life. She has been oil painting since 2008 and digital painting since 2018. Her strong style and vibrant spirit evolve by combining tradition and technology. For MizzD Art is a portal to happiness and joy. She uses art to boost the mind, body and soul. It is proven that being surrounded by bright alluring colours can influence our way of being and way of life. Colours can nurture our spirit and give us energy. MizzD’s wish for us is to enjoy and experience the strong sensations created by colours and forms.
Citrus Variation
1/1
Taking offers
What do frogs, trash cans, and Punks have in common? They’ve all been burned and elevated by one artist so committed to the social and cultural power of art that he’s influenced the very meaning of what it means to be infamous. One of the most wide-ranging and influential artists in the world of crypto art, ROBNESS has been a part of this ever-growing community since its early days and has made significant contributions that have shaped the scene into what it is today. From his experimental digital art pieces to his infamous ’64 gallon toter’ that challenged artistic boundaries in a decentralized network, ROBNESS has been at the forefront of defining what art can accomplish when paired with blockchain technology.
But one of the biggest challenges for artists, especially those that approach or achieve critical acclaim, is balancing reputation with experimentation. For “The Golden Age” exhibition, ROBNESS revealed a new style of art that bridges the tactile and the digital. Using digital tools to add creases, rips, and fade, his artwork “MA’MORTE AND CHILD” looks like one that has been crumpled up, perhaps thrown into the garbage bin, and found anew by a lucky passerby.
In this interview, we dive deep into his journey as an artist in the crypto world and gain insight into his creative process and experiences creating art in a new and untested terrain.
VIRGINIA VALENZUELA: A lot of people are familiar with your digital artworks, from Pepes to toters to glitch. What kind of work were you making before you got into digital art?
ROBNESS: AS FAR AS PHYSICAL WORK? MOSTLY IT WAS ATTACKING CANVASES AND DOING ABSTRACT TYPE OF WORKS IN BETWEEN BAND PRACTICES IN A STUDIO I USED TO RENT OUT. I HAVE BEEN DOING DIGITAL ART OFF/ON SINCE I WAS 7 YEARS AND UP. I ALWAYS JOKE THAT MY FIRST FORAY INTO DIGITAL ART WAS USING AN ANCIENT MICROTEK SCANNER AND TRYING TO EDIT MAGIC CARDS TO SEE IF I COULD COUNTERFEIT THEM. I DIDN’T GET INTO CANVAS STYLE WORK UNTIL MUCH LATER, EVEN ACTUALLY AFTER I GOT INTO MUSIC AS WELL.
VIRGINIA VALENZUELA: I know that music, and specifically album covers, were an entry point for you as a young person getting interested in art. How does music fit into your artistic practice today?
ROBNESS: MUSIC GOES COMPLETELY HAND IN HAND IN MY PROCESS. MAINLY, IT’S ALWAYS ON WHEN I’M WORKING. I HAVE A WEIRD CONNECTION WHERE I ALMOST PICK CERTAIN GENRES OF MUSIC I FEEL AT THE TIME FIT THE VIBE I’M GOING FOR. FEEL LIKE IT GIVES ME A RHYTHM IN THE WORKFLOW. SOMETIMES I’LL PUT ON SOME 90’S ELECTRONICA, BEBOP JAZZ, VAPORWAVE, CLASSIC ROCK, FUNK…..ANYTHING THAT AESTHETICALLY FITS THE OVERALL FEELING AT THE MOMENT WHILE I’M WORKING VISUALLY.
VIRGINIA VALENZUELA: There is a lot of humor in your work, both in the feelings you conjure up for the viewer and the titles you play with for the pieces. Yet, some of the topics of your work are extremely serious, like censorship and the financial system. How do you strike a balance between making statements with your work and at the same time keeping it rather joyful?
ROBNESS: IT’S FUNNY YOU MENTION THE HILARITY ASPECT. PERHAPS IT’S MY INNER SKEPTIC OF MOST THINGS AND I NATURALLY HAVE TO POINT OUT THE ABSURDITY OF WHAT I PERCEIVE. IT’S ALSO A COMPLIMENT AS WELL, PRIMARILY BECAUSE IT SEEMS LIKE IT’S A TRADITION OF ALL ARTISTS FROM THE PAST TO IMBUE THE WORK WITH COMEDIC ELEMENTS, ENSURING THAT WE DON’T TAKE LIFE TOO SERIOUSLY. MAYBE THAT’S PERHAPS WHY THAT PENCHANT EXISTS FOR MANY? AS FAR AS BALANCE IS CONCERNED IT’S ALWAYS A CHALLENGE, REALLY DEPENDS ON THE CONTEXT OF THE WORK. SOMETIMES YOU CAN BE ABSOLUTELY AND GROTESQUELY BLATANT, OTHER TIMES YOU MIGHT HAVE TO REALLY BURY IT INSIDE THE WORK FOR IT TO NOT TURN YOUR PIECE INTO SOME FUTURE ROTTEN MAC & CHEESE, YOU KNOW….THE PIECES THAT ARE JUST TOO ‘ON THE NOSE.’
VIRGINIA VALENZUELA: Everyone knows about the SR/Toter chapter of your career, so I won’t bore you with an easy question on that. Something I’d love to know is: Why was it so important to you to stress test the NFT community at that time?
ROBNESS: TRUTH BE TOLD, I WASN’T REALLY LOOKING FOR IT. PERHAPS MY PENCHANT FOR A FREE AND OPEN PLACE TO CREATE ART BEYOND ANY CENSORSHIP BOUNDARIES SLIPPED INTO DOING LITERALLY EVERYTHING WRONG ON THE SUPERRARE PLATFORM. HOWEVER, WHEN THE IDEOLOGICAL ROADBLOCKS BEGAN AND JUDGEMENTS FROM THE COMMUNITY ON MY SPECIFIC STYLE OF ART EMERGED, MY INNER JOHN LYDON I GUESS CAME OUT AND JUST SAID ‘F IT, I’M GONNA TRASH THIS PLACE.’ AT FIRST THE JOKE DIDN’T GET ACROSS….OR MAYBE IT DID I DON’T KNOW. BUT I MADE SURE MY STATEMENT WAS MADE WITH THE 64 GALLON TOTER BEING A BLUNT DIGITAL MESSAGE. SO YEAH, IT WASN’T REALLY INTENTIONAL….NOW THAT I LOOK BACK ON IT IT FEELS LIKE A NATURAL COURSE OF EVENTS FOR THE SPACE TO GROW.
VIRGINIA VALENZUELA: You have been called a “disrupter” by many writers both inside and outside the NFT art space. I think of you as being more open-ended, like a question with an infinite amount of answers. How would you describe yourself?
ROBNESS: MERCURIAL. I REALLY DON’T CONSIDER MYSELF A ‘DISRUPTER,’ PRIMARILY BECAUSE IT SETS ME ON A COURSE WHERE I’LL HAVE TO KEEP DELIVERING THAT SET OF EXPECTATIONS THROUGH MY FUTURE WORKS. IF I FEEL I HAVE TO MAKE SOME WORK IN A CONCEPTUAL/DISRUPTIVE WAY I’LL DO IT, SOMETIMES I JUST WANT TO CREATE BEAUTY OR PERHAPS A ZEN ELEMENT TO THE WORK. AS OF LATE I’VE REALLY BEEN GRAPPLING WITH THIS AND NOT TRYING TO BE A BROKEN RECORD, ALWAYS TRYING TO STRIVE FOR SOMETHING NEW. IF PEOPLE EXPECT ME TO BURN AN NFT FOR INSTANCE, I PROBABLY WON’T DO IT JUST BECAUSE I’LL FEEL IT’S JUST TOO PREDICTABLE.
VIRGINIA VALENZUELA: I can tell from previous interviews that you have some fond memories of the earlier days of cryptoart, like finding the Fake Rare community or artworks minted on Rarible circa 2018-2020. What did you like about that time?
ROBNESS: QUITE SIMPLY, THE SLOW GROWTH OF FRIENDS I’VE MADE OVER THE ENTIRE PLANET. SOMETIMES I’LL BE WORKING AND I JUST THINK THERE’S NO TIME IN ART HISTORY WHERE REALLY THIS TYPE OF MOVEMENT COULD GROW LIKE THIS. THE SPEED OF INFORMATION TRANSMISSION, COMBINED WITH CRYPTOART JUST CREATED THIS VAPOROUS SCENE ACROSS THE WORLD AND IT’S PROBABLY ONE OF THE GREATEST HIGHLIGHTS OF MY LIFE.
VIRGINIA VALENZUELA: A lot of people are leaving the NFT community now that there are fewer eye-popping sales and less money in the space overall. Do you think that this shift will affect the way people create? If so, how?
ROBNESS: IT’LL SHIFT FOR THOSE WHO WEREN’T REALLY IN HERE FOR THE RIGHT REASONS, AND I CAN SEE IT CLEAR RIGHT NOW. A LOT OF ARTISTS THAT ARE REALLY IN THIS THING HAVEN’T FALTERED AND REMAIN CONSISTENT. SOME OF THE MORE SUCCESSFUL ONES (DISAPPOINTINGLY ENOUGH) HAVE SLOWED THEIR PRODUCTION. IT SEEMS LIKE THEY MIGHT BE AFRAID TO REDUCE THEIR PRICE POINTS ON THEIR ART DURING THE BEAR MARKET PHASE, WHICH I THINK IS KIND OF LAME BUT TO EACH ITS OWN.
VIRGINIA VALENZUELA: I read that you were actually living in your car before you got into crypto, and long before you found a way to make your art a source of sustainable income. What did you learn from that experience that you hold on to to this day?
ROBNESS: FAITH. FAITH, AND MORE FAITH. IN MY DARKEST PERIODS OF HOPELESSNESS, I’D DRAG MYSELF OUT OF THE CAR, GRAB MY RUNNING SHOES IN THE TRUNK AND GO RUNNING ON THE BEACH BEFORE EVERYONE ELSE AROUND WOULD WAKE UP. I’M A GOD FEARING MAN BUT NEVER WENT THE ROUTE OF THE CHURCH AND ALL THAT. I WOULD PUT ON GOSPEL CHOIRS AS I RAN IN THAT 5:30-6:00 AM MORNING, TO THIS DAY I’M NOT SURE WHY. IT GAVE ME STRENGTH, TRULY DID. THE SMELL OF THE OCEAN AIR CLEARED MY LUNGS, AND THE MUSIC CLEANED MY SOUL, IN A WAY. AN ODD BONUS WAS I GOT TO FINALLY SEE WHAT GAVE ELVIS THAT SPECIAL GIFT OF ROCK N ROLL. IT ALL STARTED FROM GOSPEL MUSIC….
When I first entered the NFT space in July of 2021, I hadn’t fully grasped why anyone would buy a work of digital art. Even if blockchain technology could authenticate the original, what kind of person would spend tens of thousands of dollars on something you couldn’t even hold in your hands? Flashing GIFs, strange 3D beings, and photography made without realism in mind seemed far out of reach, especially for those prices.
But one day, while scrolling through the pages of the curated NFT platform that had hired me to help build their art magazine, I came across something colorful, personable, and strange. The artwork, titled “CAUTION,” featured sharp angles brought to life by playfully contorted lines. There was a ladder melting in the corner, a cardboard box in the foreground, and out through the doorway, the whisper of an alley. The style reminded me of the great surrealist painter Giorgio de Chirico, who famously wrote “What is especially needed is great sensitivity: to look upon everything in the world as enigma.” This painting, and the following 100 or so that I looked at on this artist’s profile, are indeed within the realm of enigma.
The artist that captured my interest, and who truly helped me understand why anyone would buy a JPEG, is Nacho Frades.
“En realidad, la escena que pinto es una excusa para iluminarla.”
Nacho was born in Madrid in 1967 and quickly found expression through art. His talent eventually led him to animation; one of the few ways for artists to make a living at that time. “La animación fue lo que más se parecía a pintar,” he told me on a video call. Animation was the thing most similar to painting. “La parte mía fundamental era lighting, o sea, iluminación.” The part that was most fundamental to him was lighting, or rather, illumination.
The way Nacho uses light is one of the reasons I was so drawn to the work. Not only the mastery of it, but the playfulness. In the same way Nacho invited wavering lines and enigmatic versions of ordinary objects, he also gave light permission to operate a bit differently in the scenes he creates.
“En realidad, la escena que pinto es una excusa para iluminarla,” he said. “Puedo pintar cualquier cosa porque lo que me importa es cómo funciona la luz ahí.” For Nacho, the scene he paints is an excuse to create a space which he can illuminate. For this reason, he can paint anything, because the thing that interests him most is how the light functions there in the space he has created.
It comes as no surprise then, that so much of Nacho’s work explores shadowy nighttime scenes brought to life with neon signs, street lights, lamps, and occasionally, stars. In works like “Turtle” and “Content,” the artist adds on layers of color to find out what lies beneath the surface of the canvas. Much like the American novelist Flannery O’Connor who wrote “in order to find out what [she] knew,” Nacho uses light to reveal unexpected characters, like a rat drunk and slumped over a bar, or a chair sitting all by itself looking up at a screen. The light bulb illuminates, and he captures what he sees.
“La luz y el color no son lo mismo,” he interjected. “Con el color se puede conseguir luz, pero el color no es luz. En el iPad y todo eso si es luz, pero no se pinta con luz. Se pinta con color. Lo único que tienes es la paleta de colores, no tienes más.”
The artist quickly points out that light and color are not the same. With color one can get light, but color is not light. On the iPad and all those other tools, yes, it [this creation] is quite literally made of light, but it is not painted with light. It is painted with color. The only thing you have is the color palette. You don’t have anything else.
Nacho creates much of his work at night, when the world is dark and quiet. He is nocturnal, and oftentimes remains awake, and his painting takes the place of sleep. “Yo soy muy nocturno,” he told me. “Entonces, muchas noches me quedo pintando en vez de dormir, me quedo pintando y con la casa en silencio, en la cama con el iPad, la música, y tal no puedo pedir más, no puedo estar más a gusto. Y que más quiere, digo nada, porque yo lo tengo todo.”
With the house encased in silence, in bed with the iPad, music, he couldn’t be more comfortable, he couldn’t ask for more. What more could you want? He says nothing, because in these moments, he has everything. Darkness and light, brought together by music, color, and the stillness of a Spanish night.
After many months of building, Mint Gold Dust is thrilled to announce “The Golden Age” exhibition at Superchief Gallery in New York City on October 19.
“The Golden Age”
featuring:
Acid Boy
Animatttic
Camibus
Empress Trash
EXCALIBUR
FelixFelixFelix
Gisel Florez
Jesse Lirola
Lapin Mignon
Mr Richi
Nacho Frades
Nathaniel Stern
Nygilia
Panter Xhita
Patrick Amadon
Pierre Gervois
ROBNESS
Sabina Bano
We invite you to come join us and our artists in this historic conversation, to celebrate what we believe to be the beginning of the golden age of digital art. As a creative experiment and a celebration of our v2 launch, this inaugural exhibition asks artists to “rethink their trajectories and to unleash their creativity” during this reflective and transformative period.
“This is a chance to be a part of history, to make something beautiful in the years when other artists were silent. A time that you’ll look back on with fond memories, knowing that you dug deep and kept creating, even when no one was watching. Will you return to your pre–crypto roots or embark on an adventure with new mediums, vibrant colors, and cutting–edge technologies?
What ignites your inspiration in those unseen moments? With absolute freedom and a blank canvas, what will you bring to life?”