Episode: 2267
Title: HPR2267: Our Digital Art
Source: https://hub.hackerpublicradio.org/ccdn.php?filename=/eps/hpr2267/hpr2267.mp3
Transcribed: 2025-10-19 00:37:24

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This is HPR episode 2,267 entitled Our Digital Art.
It is hosted by SIGFLOB and is about 30 minutes long and currently a clean flag.
The summary is SIGFLOB and SIGFLOB about Digital Art and what it means to them.
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Everyone, you are listening to Hacker Public Radio.
My name is SIGFLOB, SIGFLOB is in this level, also known as Assembly Assembly, also known
as the Sylva in this edition of HPR, I'm going to talk about art, specifically my art
and my friend Cicero Alice Fairox's art, both of which is digital, we both do digital art.
And so as digital artists, our canvas is the pixel and the light.
It doesn't really, our art doesn't really exist on a canvas.
It exists sort of this ethereal memory that happens to be in computers.
So that's important, you know, it's worth living in the future, right?
So reality is dominated mostly by the camera and film and stuff like that.
This is what is real quote unquote.
And so art has sort of, it needs to grow up, I mean, I'm okay, that's really bad, this is really bad thing.
I love art, I love a lot of artists, traditional or not, but we need to welcome digital art,
which I don't think a lot of people are doing, because we're living in the future, right?
And things are digital and it, by no means, this diminishes art if you do it on the computer.
And so I do art on the computer.
I don't have a tablet or anything like that, I'll tell you about my technique really quick.
I don't only have a tablet, I draw with the mouse.
And so I draw like an outline of the mouse and then I end another layer and I draw over the outline
to where the shadows are going to be.
I'm going to draw the shadows and then I kind of smudge things in the place.
I really like the smudge tool and then I like frame different areas on a spray paint
and I smudge some more and then I draw a little bit more.
And so that's my technique.
It involves a lot of smudging and spray painting and having layers.
And the cool thing about computers is you have ownership of it.
Like those who control the cameras, those who control the editing,
when it comes to camera-based reality controls you.
And so you drawing art with the same stuff that controls the camera and whatnot is very empowering.
I think it's kind of evolved from, so you have television and you have remote control.
You can change the channel to remote control.
I think that's the first layer of freedom when it comes to stuff that is primarily seen
on a display or a CRT or an LCD or an OLED display or anything like that.
So that was the first thing.
Then like pong came out and it's not like we were like, oh my god, this simulation
on a pong is so accurate and enchanting that I can use it and we're better at doing
pong.
It's a, it's no, you're like, oh my god, there are pixels on the screen and it's moving
is more the reaction.
And so you're freeing the pixels on the screen.
And so to draw entirely in a digital medium means that you control a lot of what the box,
this computer-ish thing that dominates your life, you can control it and create art
with it.
And I think that's very, I think that's very, very special.
The criticism, I think the main criticism of digital art is you can take shortcuts.
Like you can trace, you have layers and stuff like that.
But the, and we got to, you got to keep in mind that, okay, so watch David Hockney's
secret knowledge, that thing, that show on YouTube, it's about an hour and 11 minutes long.
And it talks about art being drawn through the lens or a mirror or a concave mirror or
a convex lens and so which has been doing, but people have been doing that for a while.
And so like to ascribe the only utility that shortens things as digital, I don't know
if that makes sense, but is, is a bit ignorant.
Like we've been, yeah, it's a bit ignorant.
And it's truly transformative.
I think that's the important part.
If you sketch the shadows of a picture, or you sketch the highlights or the very, very
dark shadows, through the process of making it in the computer, it's often often transformative,
which is important because that's defines, you know, that's where art comes from.
And so, yeah, there are two, you know, there's two things about art.
One is the story that the subject has and the other is the story that the artist has.
And I think this is especially relevant when it comes to portraits.
I like to draw portraits of people and be them real or not.
So yeah, it's, I try and convey my story with them.
I don't necessarily convey their story, which is a bit strange, but yeah.
So both cis and I have schizophrenia and we have been trying to express that in art.
I can say that for myself, not exactly sure about her, but like the horror of not knowing
what's real, be it delusional or hallucination is something that I want to capture.
And I've been trying to capture it for a while.
I haven't really been able to do it.
It's a, I have groups of three, there are three entities in my life.
There's 20, 22 and 10 and then there are two voices that I hear and that is 58 and 74.
So like I have three skulls or a face with two faces peeking out of bloody holes and stuff like that.
And so yeah, that's what I explore.
I use the Gimp, the Gimp is my friend.
I also use Blender and Inkscape, I make logos as well.
And so yeah, so let's, let's talk just this around.
All right, I'm we here with Alice Farrocks, who is a dual artist, welcome to the show.
Thank you, I appreciate it, having the opportunity.
Yeah, no problem, what kind of work do you do?
Well, I would say it's mostly photography based and those pretty much take form of prints and digital images.
So and a lot of that is just taking pictures of myself.
And those photos end up reflecting either my schizophrenic self or the emotional day today, things like that.
And I always just had an interest in portraiture.
So I guess those are kind of where they're.
Okay, do you have any, do you have any artists that you've drawn inspiration from or for?
Yeah, my inspiration comes from like kind of a culty, which how to see type stuff.
And sometimes that maybe things that I either see or hear.
I guess I would describe myself as a magical type photographer that put a little bit of macabre in the mix to make images that I do.
How long have you been dealing with photography?
Well, the depends who you ask, but I guess an interest in photography is sort of started in high school.
But I had a bad relationship with photography because I ended up having a professor in high school who ended up being a bit of a theorist and came to photography.
And I'm a type of person that likes to mess up my photographs.
Yeah.
I had a bit of an inversion.
I was a photographer at first, but it was definitely true on me, so I was doing that.
Probably so too long, so I was a thousand.
I see.
So you use, the moment you use digital cameras, I take it.
Yep, I was trained at MCAD in Minneapolis and Wisp film and processing silver gel to the prints and color film as well.
But I've always had a lesser digital photography, and I still focus in that regard.
So I appreciate being a film, but my home is in the digital world.
Yeah, mine too.
How do you feel about the recognition that digital artists get in mainstream art?
I think it's kind of frowned upon, or how do you feel about that?
Well, the session is experienced that digital artists have, whether it be a digital photographer or illustrator or just about anything digital.
And there's a bit of resentment from traditional artists, I suppose.
Whether that be from the way our processes work, and the way I understand digital art is that, yeah, there is a bit of a shortcut.
But that's not necessarily a bad thing.
It doesn't mean that the quality of the work is suffering.
It's just a different medium.
Yeah, and I just really appreciate all digital art, because it's just something that I grew up with.
I've always had a digital camera, and although I appreciate the elements of film, it's just the convenience of it is wonderful.
And the ability to make mistakes and not let that boggy down is great as well.
So I have a great appreciation for digital art, and it'd be wonderful if traditional artists would cut some digital artists from slack in that regard.
And well, have you heard of David Galkney on a curiosity name?
No, tell me about David Galkney.
He's still alive. I believe he's still alive.
Let's hope so.
But he's an artist, kind of a traditional artist who's gotten into drawing stuff on iPads, and so he has shows of stuff that's drawn on an iPad, and stuff like that.
And he goes through the normal channels about getting things on shows and stuff like that, you know what I mean?
Galleries, rather, and yeah, so he's, he's right, interesting. He's one interesting character.
Well, I did a quick Google on images on him, and I can see where you're saying what's going on the iPad, which is wonderful because digital art, digital art, you know, the platform itself is so much more accessible.
Yeah, yeah, anyone has a laptop, can anyone has a laptop?
And there's so many free programs for either drawing or photography. It's just, it's very accessible, you know, me.
So, yeah, this, yeah, this begs the question, what, what software do you use usually?
Well, right now I'm still using Photoshop in Lightroom, but my beginnings were actually with PaintShop Pro, and it was basically a cheaper version of Photoshop.
Yeah, and I still do my pirating now. It was a, it was a great introduction to what is possible in photo manipulation.
Yeah, and so I've grown up to suit them from PaintShop Pro, but my home is in Photoshop and it'll be products right now.
But I have used Gimp on occasion and a wonderful pre-free program that that is.
Oh, yeah, I'm familiar with Gimp. What are you doing, what are you doing, Gimp? Everyone's in a while.
Like, what does it offer that Photoshop does not?
Well, I don't know if it, I know what it offers at Photoshop that I don't use, because there's so many tools in all these programs, and I use a fraction of them.
I'm more of a person who layers up images, so I appreciate the layering system in these programs, and the different filters they provide, and, you know, like, whether it be the white balance, or, you know, different curves, or things like that, to manipulate the images in whatever way I see fit.
So, I always appreciated the geniusness that layers ended up being for people who are different photographers. It's just, I don't know what I would do without it.
Yeah. So, the mental to my making.
I'm sorry, what was the very last thing you said? You said, still the menting to my making?
Oh, I was saying it's a very fundamental to my making, so my making process.
Oh, okay, cool.
If I had to have the layers, you know, I don't know what I would be doing. It's just so core.
So, that's the key feature of these programs is the layers.
Yeah, that's one of the things I appreciate most about those things. I don't know if I'd be able to use them if I, in the way that I want to, or without that.
Yeah, well, as a kid, I used to make MSP part if you are familiar with that program.
Yeah, I am very familiar with that. MSP and KidPix, those are great.
Yeah, tell me about it.
So, one kind of annoyance for me is coming up with artist statements. I'm wondering if you feel the same way, maybe?
I do feel the same way, and I do have my artist statements.
That was one of the things I had to do in my undergrad is come up with your artist statements.
Yeah, and I don't think, because my artist statement was so incoherent, even to me, it was useless.
And they kept asking me to make this artist thing and figure out what the artist is about and what I want to do with my art.
Yeah.
What kind of position I'm coming from, and it was until after I graduated where I realized that I wanted to make artwork that was about my experience.
And all the gender-twisted, dark-ish ways that I expressed myself and thought about myself.
I don't know. I mean, there's a comfort that comes with knowing what you want to write in your artist statement and finally coming to that conclusion.
It's an ever-evolving paragraph, you know, in diversity's theme, and it needs to evolve with you.
So, I don't know. I don't place a huge amount of importance on it, and I don't like to stress about my artist statement too much, but I also recognize the need for one when it comes to presenting your artwork to perhaps galleries.
Yeah. But that's not necessarily something I do anymore, and I'm over a print-on-demand type artist.
Yeah. So, the artist statement has kind of gone to the wayside.
Have you ever considered making a book of your art?
I have thought of it, and I have done it, actually.
Already? That's awesome.
I have a few books on Amazon.
What?
Yep. They're photographic books. Very little text to accompany them, but it's been a few years since I've made a book.
How can we find this on Amazon? Like what should we search for?
Well, you can probably search for Cicarell Alice Ferox. That's my full name.
Yeah, I remember you must be impressed.
Okay. Yeah, it's 2014. July 25th, 2014.
on July 25th, 2014.
Oh, it's really hard to hear you.
Oh, I'm sorry.
I just say I did a monthly magazine in 2012 and 2013
for a while, but project has been self-permanently.
All right.
So how did you publish your book on Amazon,
your books, how did you publish
brainwaves and mine cocktails?
It did.
Well, that is through another website called Create Space.
And I believe they are a sibling company of Amazon
and they allow you to publish things for free.
And it's been wonderful.
It's a great way to publish your stuff with no risks to you.
And they'll send you a copy to proof it.
And you can see what that looks like in real life.
And so I've just been doing that.
Cool.
Yeah, that's awesome.
I published mine through lulu.com.
Oh, right.
Yeah.
I do not have an ice biannit yet.
I can order one from them for like $20 or something like that.
But that's outrageous.
Yes.
Well, I guess the ice bianns come from this company called Boker.
And so it would be cheaper, less constricting.
I think that I don't know how they constrict there.
The how that works with lulu.
But if you get it through Boker, I understand that you can
go to any publisher with the same ice biannit.
Oh, is that right?
Yeah.
But no.
Great space.
Yeah.
I know they will give you an ice b10 and 13 included.
Oh, OK.
Right on.
Right.
So who's a it's he's been the subject of your of your photography
aside from yourself?
Like I'm well, I'm very limited subject matter in regards
to people.
So yeah, that includes Diana, my partner.
And that's just just about it, you know.
I'm a bit of a recluse and an introvert.
And that means I answer this very little that I and I'm a bit
anxious when it comes to photographing other people.
Hmm.
Deep, very comfortable with myself, but not so much other people,
which is the worst thing to say as someone who calls themselves
a portrait photographer.
Yeah.
The truth comes out.
Yeah, the truth is out all there, laid to bear.
Yeah, do you feel that it's their scrutiny of the photographs
is do you think that has a part to do with it?
Well, yeah, I, I screw myself, I'm very critical of myself
being able to photograph such a limited audience.
Yeah.
And, and I would love to expand that, but I'm still working
out how to position my subjects and direct them in a way
that I, I want them to be directed.
And it's not that I haven't photographed other people.
My career was originally built, photographing many, many
families and people.
Yeah.
It's just that I'm not so, I'm not sure, I'm not sure
I want to capture who they are.
I think I want to make stories about them.
Hmm.
And when you approach somebody saying,
I want to make a photograph of you, but I don't want
to tell your story, I want to tell my story about you.
Yes.
That people are a bit taken aback by that.
So I would love to get more people, but I'm still trying
to cost that bridge.
Hmm.
Yeah, the, it's, I don't know, I think art is a reflection
of the holder, you know what I mean?
Like the, the holder being you.
Right.
So that makes sense to me.
Yeah, and I think it makes sense to me too right now.
So, and photographing myself, I'm always a willing
participant, you know, so that is an immediate barrier
that's broken, you know, and it's much more accessible
for me.
Yes.
So, where do you see your art in the world?
Right.
That is an amazing question.
I frequently ask myself that, but I think,
I think the lie on the internet, to be frankly honest,
is that they lie in a digital space.
They're, I don't really make a lot of friends anymore.
And I find gallery exhibitions to be a bit dishonest
when it comes to, you know, displaying my work.
I like the idea of it living in intangible realm.
Hmm.
What's a, okay, stepping back a little bit.
What do you, what do you think that, like you said,
that galleries don't really, there's some agenda behind them
or I don't understand what you're saying?
Well, much of the, the, have an agenda is just that.
Mind you, I've, I've never been in a gallery.
So, this is me.
Right.
Like, no.
No, that's okay, it's, they, galleries are great
for a full host of artists.
And I was, you know, I, I did my undergrad
with the full knowledge that I was going to display my work
in a gallery.
I've done that, and I did that for many years,
but it's just, I don't know, there's something about it.
You have to, you have a more limited audience, it seems.
And the internet is accessible.
And the gallery for me is extremely high brow.
And I make artwork that you don't have to think about,
that you don't have to write a paragraph
for that, that you just find interesting or beautiful
on its own.
And I feel like the gallery setting hinders some of those things.
And I, I, I just like the idea of having an online gallery,
you know, it's always available for the public to see.
And it's, and it's living, you know, in every person's home
or mobile device.
I really enjoy that concept, more than the gallery.
So you're, you're a pretty hard core digital, digital artist.
Yeah, I would say so.
I've really embraced digital art, you know, and living on the internet
and creating our own spaces, you know.
And it's, it's so much easier, it's so much more accessible.
And you can make that face any way you want.
Yeah, I love it.
Any, like any kid with a laptop can do a lot.
Yeah, it's, and you can make a free website, you know,
anywhere, yeah, it's your own gallery.
That's not something people can do in real life, you know,
ask somebody to whip up a gallery in real life real quick.
It's, it's a lot harder.
Do you, um, this is another question kind of in the regards
to, um, artist statements, um, for myself, I find, um, hold on.
I find that, um, the name of pieces is kind of, I like, you know,
I mean, like, they have a problem naming pieces.
Yeah.
Oh, I can, I can see, I can see what you're saying.
And I don't think that's exclusive to you.
Many artists have trouble, you know, naming their pieces.
That's why you see so many untitled number seven or untitled number 56.
Yeah.
But I don't know if I've always shared that struggle other artists have
naming their pieces.
Yeah.
Namely because a lot of my titles for my pieces come from music.
Oh, okay.
And, uh, increasingly, most of those pieces are either one or two words.
Uh-huh.
And it's usually a section of a song or a section of a lyric that ends up being the name
of my piece.
Ha.
That's funny.
Uh-huh.
Yeah.
That's funny how that, that comes about because I want to describe my artwork, all that
musical.
Yeah.
Ha.
Well, thank you.
It's been a lovely time talking to you.
Well, thank you for reaching out to me.
It was a pleasure and thank you for your questions.
Yeah.
No problem.
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