FeltZine returns for Issue #65 featuring the futuristic organic aesthetic known as PROXIMA2000TAUR. Experience the interactive issue in our link and learn more about PROXIMA2000taur below:
http://feltzine.us/issues/65/proxima
Proxima2000taur’s blends natural and organic elements with aspects of modern culture in order to create visually stimulating explorations of cybernature, health tech, and more.
What was your process with creating these looks? Both conceptually and physically?
My creative process is very variable. From one side, I feel like my mind is on a constant artistically-aware mood. Eyes are always attentive to the surrounding things that could be aesthetics. In that sense, I’m always “working” on new ideas, concepts and looks, even subconsciously. Generally, I write or draw my ideas down when they pop or, if I can’t at the moment, I just try to remember them. Then, later when I have free time I try to give physically birth to those ideas, in terms of visuals and emotions. But it also happen quite often that I just want or need to “vent” my creative energy. In those cases, I just look around, pick up stuff that inspire me at the moment and improvise something with it. For this reason, there are usually lots of contrast between my early artistic expectations and the final result but I like it very much. Surprise is an important ingredient in my art.
Who or what inspires your work?
Again, I think I could never fully comprehend what inspires me, since I believe that a lot of my strongest inspirations draw their roots in my inner child memories and sensations. I’m inspired by all the things I have experienced, or wish I had experienced, both aesthetically and emotionally. Obviously, some aspects of my childhood and teenage years can be found in my art, the whole 90s and y2k fashion for example. I love mixing the apparent “superficiality” of that fashion era with deeper elements. Nature is also a big inspiration of course. The older I get, the closer I feel to it and I love exploring its relationship with the digital era, or the techno-age we are living in. Tribal is also a very important keyword in what moves me artistically. I’m fascinated by the relationship between the human individual and what surrounds him. Regarding “who” inspires me, except my inner child, I can name some insanely talented artist such as Hannah and Steven from Matières Fecales, Aunhelden, Salvjiia and a lot (really a lot !) more. I think I’m attracted by uncanny yet beautiful art.
What do you wish to embody with this combination of the natural and kitsch fashion pieces like the shades and earrings?
Interesting question, I’ve been thinking about it recently. I feel like I just try to embody who I currently am : a random creative guy attracted by art and fashion…but all this in year 3019 !!! My creations can be understood like a “fashion-victim” look of the future with all the elements (also inherited from the y2k era) it involves : selfie, flash in the mirror, wc in the background, low-resolution pic and a above all, a sense of ordinary. I came up with this fantasized post-Earth world with a city called Fondatia where, in the end, all the human orthodoxy is repeating itself, just with other names and aesthetics, but with the roots staying unchanged. I could say that I’m in the search of the “(hu)man of the future” who is set precisely there, in Fondatia. But maybe, Fondatia is just the name I gave to my inner world where I’m free and happy ? Who knows…
Do you listen to any music when you work on these pieces?
I listen to music almost all the time. So yes, music always accompany me when I’m creating. Genres vary A LOT, it depends on the mood I’m in or which look I’m trying to create. It can go from hard-groove techno to dancehall, passing by witch house, french rap or neo-melodico. Genres I like are infinite. Recently I discovered a breathtaking ambient/future garage track from Azaleh & Eikona called Ad Aeternum and it was loudly and repeatedly playing in my ears as I was working on my last piece. Beautiful moment, rich of emotions.
Do you have any desire to expand your practice across different mediums or platforms?
Of course. I wish I could collaborate with all the artists I admire in any artistic field that moves me. Recently I have worked with my friend Hugo (@hugokafka) who studies photography at the art school ECAL (Lausanne, Switzerland) and it was an amazing experience. I also created the parsley head piece with my sister (@make.up.by.vi), the makeup art being a perfect complement to my looks. A couple of days ago, my best friend asked me if I agreed to appear in his first experimental film as Proxima2000taur. All this opens my eyes on the fields of possibilities to express my art and I’d be absolutely thrilled if I could grow out of instagram and work with photographers and fashion designers obviously, but also with film directors. For example, I’d love to be able to work on something with Björk or in some music videos of any artist I like.
A lot of your work seems to pertain to a vision of the future. What kind of future do you wish to see, decades from now?
Honestly, I hope for a future where humans (and nature !) coexist in peace and harmony, as cliché as it sounds like. I believe that nature and technology can coexist too but we still have a lot of progress to make in that path, and time is running short. I also wish that every individual would find an inner peace because I’m sure that that could change so many things for the better in this world ! In any case, Fondatia will happen. Either deep inside each one of us, and we will be good. Either up in outer space, and we may be good.
Catch more PROXIMA2000TAUR on:
Instagram
Catch more Felt Zine on:
Instagram
Facebook
Twitter
Written by @Heather Lim & Dev Moore