So we dove right into the whole art and the blockchain discussion with Robek on this episode, and to be honest I’m kind of impressed that we squeezed so much information into 60 minutes. When it comes to these topics, Robek is one of the best versed folks I’ve met, both online and in person.
It’s tough to get an accurate breakdown of who he is in a compressed format like this, because he’s very multi-faceted. He’s a writer, artist, community builder, and art collector, to name just a few of the hats he wears. From anime to gaming, he’s pretty well versed in multiple genres and communities that make up a large chunk of modern internet culture.
Starting with his journey as an artist exploring webcomics and convention artist alleys, we got into a nice comparison of how things are in that world, and what the future is potentially shaping up to be. The boons for artists willing to explore the blockchain are going to be numerous, if we can get past some of the bullshit that is still in our way. From provenance and sovereignty, to the concept of custody and identity, Robek shares a lot of insight about what is going on with NFTs. Ultimately, I think he paints an optimistic picture of what is next for us as artists exploring these new technologies.
“i can't stop thinking about a time i've never seen” from AI'LL BE collection on FND
I did a written interview with Cryptopathic over at NFD a few weeks ago, and he touched on the issue with cults of personality. I think it’s relevant to bring up here, because I feel that folks like Robek are subject to this phenomenon, even though they are not influencers, and do not parade as such. This is why having these discussions are so valuable to me; we’re all just trying to be ourselves out here, under the pressure of external perceptions of our identities.
His focus on helping others really stands out clearly. He’s seen how much it sucks to be a struggling artist, and instead of letting it be a distant memory, it feels like he has learned from this experience and does what he can to elevate other creatives. As with all things blockchain, his decisions are there for all to see. As an example, his purchase of this piece was a big part of my life-changing journey into NFTs:
To my point about cults of personality - I believe there is a big misconception for those that have not explored Robek’s world. Generally I have found that most folks in the NFT space think he just collects art and has a strange gamified project going on. Well yes, I mean, he does have a strange gamified project going on, but the fact is that he’s also quite the artist.
Here’s the piece I reference early on in the podcast, The Physical Art Fallacy - one of my favorites, because it’s basically fucking performance art, my soup du tous les jours. The piece should also serve as a reminder to anybody reading this that he’s been supporting 0010’s art for a very long time now. Also it’s the year 2022 and we’re still dealing with the complexities of video embeds in web publishing, so just click the link already.
In addition to his performance art (kek) and super cool glitch art, he’s also been working with AI a whole ton, and I personally think it’s freaking awesome. The video I embedded at the beginning of this post is one of his latest, and I found myself having an emotional reaction to it the first time I saw it. It still elicits a great response from me every time I see it - sound on for full experience of course. Here are a few of his more recent pieces that I find to be phenomenal, from his collection, “AI think and feel, just as humans do.”
In addition to all of this, he’s also got an NPC Questline going, which is part of a whole gamified world he’s creating with his community. Yup, there’s that strange gamified thing again. The art is a fantastic crossover of traditional RPG vibes and glitch art. It’s pretty wild, you should check it out!
I hope to have him back for another round sooner than later. It’s always educational hanging out with him, and I hope you got a kick out of our conversation too!
Next week, I am sharing my interview with a dear friend, Charlyne of The Occult Therapy. She works with body suspension, rope, and all manner of ritual practice. I’m not going to spoil what she does by blabbing about it here a bunch, but I encourage you to check her Instagram for a peek into her world!
Welp, happy holidays, and if you’re reading this, thank you from the bottom of my heart. Your support means more than I can express. I urge you to drop some comments, and/or express your opinions and thoughts in public or DMs; I would love to let you have a say in some of the direction I’m taking with this series.
Transmission 4 - Robek