10 Questions with Arthur Dantes

Born and raised in Brazil, Arthur Dantes is a fine artist with a passion for surreal landscapes. Arthur’s passion for art eventually led him to study in England, where he currently lives and works. The galleries that have exhibited his work so far include The Holy Art Gallery, The Boomer Gallery, Fox Yard Studio, and the Saint Louis Art Gallery. His biggest influences are the works of Alejandro Jodorowsky, David Firth, and Jesse Moynihan.

@arthurdantes

ARTIST STATEMENT

Arthur’s work tends to explore the themes of loneliness and liminality. The viewer is led to explore surreal dreamscapes, where emptiness plays an important role. Strange characters often inhabit these dreamscapes, dipping into Arthur’s passion for storytelling. His choice for digital media stems from the freedom to constantly manipulate and enhance the environment in multiple ways. No work is ever truly finished.

INTERVIEW

First of all, tell our readers a little bit about you. Who are you, and how did you start experimenting with images?

I've always been into art. As a kid I'd doodle characters from TV shows and hang them on my wall. One of my first memories was the realization that heads come in all shapes and sizes, and simply drawing a circle doesn't always do the trick. Because I was very young, however, I also had a bit of the "Peter Pan Syndrome", as they call it. I thought growing up meant leaving art behind and having to get a "real job", most likely because I hadn't met any adults who still drew. Eventually, I ended up visiting art museums and learning about famous painters and illustrators, which made me feel like growing up couldn't be all that bad.

What is your personal aim as an artist?

As an artist, I feel like the aim is to create the ideal piece. The ideal piece doesn't exist, of course, and will never exist, but each attempt leads me a little closer to it. I particularly like art pieces that make you do some "homework" on them. If the individual elements of a painting or illustration puzzle you in a way that leads you to think more deeply about it and try to make sense of it, it's a success. In my mind, the ideal piece is a never-ending (but solvable, nonetheless) puzzle.

Can you tell us about the process of creating your work? What aspect of your work do you pay particular attention to?

I like to think I'm eclectic when it comes to creating my artwork; that is to say, I'll take inspiration from whatever interests me at any given moment, so the approach to creating each piece varies in accordance with what I aim to achieve. If there's any particular aspect I pay attention to more than others, that would be the atmosphere and ambiance.

In your statement, you mention themes such as loneliness and liminality. How do you incorporate them into your work? And how do they influence the final outcome?

Whenever I need to process an event or think about something specific, I go on walks. Something about moving around always helps my brain digest situations better. In my work, sometimes I draw landscapes I'd like to traverse. They're usually simple and empty, with nothing to distract oneself with, hence the loneliness. The starting or ending point doesn't really matter as much as the journey itself, hence the liminality.

Let’s talk about your color palette and techniques. Do you have recurring colors in your work? And what are your preferred techniques for your work?

I'm generally quite fond of monochromatic pieces, or at least with a small selection of colors. I feel like they help create the right kind of unnatural and dreamlike ambiance I referenced before. A technique I used recently in my "Ubik" series of digital paintings was using blinding lights as sources of interest for the paintings, which I am to explore more in future pieces as well.

Your work is influenced by Surrealism. Is there any artist you particularly look up to when creating your work?

When it comes to inspiration, I'm a big fan of the work of Suguru Tanaka, Johnfra Bosschart, and Jean-Pierre Ugarte (The latter would be more of a landscape painter than anything else, but I still thought the inclusion was worth it).

You work with digital mediums mostly. Did you experiment with anything new recently? Or is there anything you want to try in the future?

I left traditional painting behind a while ago, only occasionally dabbling in it. To be completely honest, Once I got used to the possibilities of Digital Media, traditional painting became much more intimidating, which is a shame, as I believe there are few things more satisfying than the look and texture of a painting done on a real canvas. I like to believe I'll return to it eventually, but I have no plans at the moment.

What do you think of the recent introduction of AI and AI-generated content and artworks?

As a fan of Dada Art, It would be pedantic of me to try to label what is and isn't art. What I will say, however, is that it will undoubtedly have a negative effect on the lives of most artists. In a society that prioritizes monetary profit over anything else, the cheaper alternative will always be the best alternative, independent of what it looks like, and we're already starting to see the results. On a more personal and critical note, I also find it particularly unpleasant to the eye. In the hands of a talented artist, I can concede that technology could create interesting images; however, that doesn't seem to happen, as talented artists are usually busy creating art themselves.

What are you working on now, and what are your plans for the future? Anything exciting you can tell us about?

I'm currently working on another collection of paintings, ones with a more eerie feel to them. As far as future projects, I've had the idea for a pretty long time to create some looping animations for art galleries. I'm not sure exactly how that would look, but it's an endeavor I'd definitely like to undertake!

Finally, where do you see yourself and your work in five years from now?

I believe a realistic goal to set for five years in the future is to ideally have a solo exhibition somewhere! I'd like to compile enough material to possibly create an exhibition that relates to the theme of "wandering" I previously mentioned, where the observer would feel as though they themselves are traversing through the paintings. Or perhaps something else entirely! As of now, the focus is to sharpen my skills and continue to share my work everywhere I can to eventually be able to bring a more well-rounded project like this to fruition. I'm in no hurry, though. I'm enjoying the journey.

Artist’s Talk

Al-Tiba9 Interviews is a promotional platform for artists to articulate their vision and engage them with our diverse readership through a published art dialogue. The artists are interviewed by Mohamed Benhadj, the founder & curator of Al-Tiba9, to highlight their artistic careers and introduce them to the international contemporary art scene across our vast network of museums, galleries, art professionals, art dealers, collectors, and art lovers across the globe.

Apply for an interview >>

Related Interviews