3D MOTION DESIGNER AND VISUAL ARTIST ROY VELDKAMP
With Digital Art it’s about learning what you like, finding the right artists you believe in and investing in pieces you’re going to love and be proud to own. One such artist for us, is Roy Veldkamp.
For the last 15 years, I’ve been working in the creative industry. With a background in print, I shifted from graphic design to digital product design and later discovered the expressive forms of (3D) motion graphics and generative art. During the pandemic, I became attracted by the wide possibilities of self-directed work, and I wanted to commit more time to personal projects.
Tell us about your greatest inspirations or influences, please.
My inspiration comes from a wide range of sources; I have been particularly affected by abstract modernism, kinetic installations, new technology, and surprising natural phenomena. I attempt to draw on both online and offline material throughout my work. At the moment I’m very intrigued by organic noise patterns and natural distortion effects, inspired by the diverse beauty of the ocean with its continuous transitions like ebb and flow.
How are the current trends in technology and innovation affecting your work as a creative?
Experimenting with new technology has given me the chance to lead my work in all sorts of directions. These explorations have been crucial for establishing my visual language. Although it’s becoming much harder to stay current with technology trends, the programs to play around with powerful forces like virtual/augmented reality and artificial intelligence are getting more accessible than ever.
We’d love to hear more about your creative process. How do you normally tend to work from the point you have an idea to finally having your work ready to share with the world?
The urge to create something meaningful is always there as well as my drive to push forward and learn new techniques. Most of the time I have a rough idea or piece of inspiration and then go about finding new interpretations and connections through experimentation. I always try to aim for simplicity and focus on the essence, leaving some room to be filled in by the imagination. The most interesting stuff happens when multiple disciplines blend, digital and hand-made. Beautiful and unexpected things can happen when collaborating with creatives from different fields.
What do you think of the art world and how it works in general? Do you think it’s also an industry that is in a continuous state of change?
New technologies are constantly reshaping the way we live and work, and these effects naturally touch the art world. Our experience of art is becoming a hybrid of virtual and physical. With technology driving huge cultural shifts, not all for the good, I’m excited to see the emerging digital art movement creating new opportunities for upcoming artists.
Anything coming up that we should know about?
Something high on my radar is trying to scale up my work from the small screen in our hands to a physical or interactive experience.
What does wellbeing mean to you and anything in particular that you practice?
There is something about the process of creation that enhances my experience of the world, finding unfamiliar connections and seeing things from a different perspective. Sometimes it can feel overwhelming, to be fully occupied with an idea that I can’t stop thinking about for days. Other times the work can almost serve as a meditative tool and comforting state of flow.