The Artist Behind the Chaos
John Karborn, a London native, is an artist who defies categorization. Working with a blend of traditional and digital media, Karborn’s art is a chaotic yet harmonious amalgamation of sculpture, print, and moving image. His work is a sensory journey that delves into themes as varied as overpopulation, technology, and the bizarre. “Life seems like such a bizarre, fortunate harmony in all this wild chaos of the stars,” he says, reflecting his fascination with the chaotic beauty of existence.
A Man of His Time
Karborn’s journey into the art world began around 2002, at a time when digital technology was just beginning to make its mark. He started with simple scans of plants and leaves, a project that garnered enough attention to set his artistic path in motion. Over the years, he has grown to become a multi-faceted artist, working across various media and collaborating with other artists, particularly in East London. His work has been featured in international galleries and has received critical acclaim from publications like Vice Magazine and Lecool Magazine.
The Chaos Within
Karborn’s art is a reflection of his complex relationship with the world around him. He often juggles multiple projects, not out of preference but out of a desire to fully explore the spectrum of his ideas. This sense of performance and chaos is evident in his work, which often feels like it’s teetering on the edge of disorder, yet remains profoundly beautiful.
The Seeker
Hypercollage and Interactivity
“The Seeker” is not just a collection of artworks; it’s an interactive experience that redefines the boundaries of digital art. Built on the ‘Collectors Choice’ contract from Transient Labs, this groundbreaking project allows holders to select and update the artwork displayed on their edition as often as they like – BEWARE THE MEDUSA! The collection is a hypercollage, a term coined by Karborn himself, which involves the simultaneous combining of various multimedia in each piece.
A Multi-Dimensional Journey
Each artwork in “The Seeker” is painstakingly animated as an 8-step stop-frame animation loop. The pieces are captured frame-by-frame on rare analogue Trinitron CRT monitors, lending them a glittering, floating, spectral feel. The final output is a series of animated .GIFs, each one a unique blend of 3D modeling, scans from old books, and elements from 80s/90s video games. The meticulous attention to detail is evident; each artwork takes approximately 60 hours to produce, and the total file size of the project is a staggering 968 GB (So far, with more artworks to come…).
An Element of Unpredictability
Adding an element of unpredictability to the collection is “The Medusa,” a mysterious entity that could petrify all the artworks eternally. “To whomever comes to possess her power—be wise,” Karborn cautions. This adds a layer of excitement and urgency to the collection, making each interaction not just an aesthetic choice but a strategic one.
A Melting Pot of Influences
Karborn’s influences are as varied as his art, ranging from Herbert Bayer and Max Ernst to cyberpunk and ancient Greek mythology. “The human body was virtualizing, and the use of multimedia to socially construct stories and form new identities had arrived,” he reflects, acknowledging the transformative power of digital technology on art and identity.
Conclusion
John Karborn’s work is a testament to the limitless possibilities of digital art. His latest collection, “The Seeker,” not only pushes the boundaries of what art can be but also challenges us to interact with it in new and exciting ways. As we continue to navigate the chaotic yet harmonious world Karborn presents, one thing is clear: the future of art is here, and it’s exhilarating.
For those interested in the drop, it goes live on Thursday, 28th September at 12 noon PST. You can find more details on the drop page: https://stacks.transientlabs.xyz/the-seeker
