Sasha Shilina • Guest Editor

Our guest editor will shine a spotlight on artists and artworks from across the platform.

I’m a PhD in data journalism, a distributed technology analyst and editor in chief at Paradigm, a creator of ‘Defi in Ether’ newsletter, and a researcher by vocation interested in all practices rooted in technology and arts. As long as I remembered myself I’ve always been passionate about the arts, music and all creative spheres. Since 2015 I’ve been running a small DADA community about Marcel Duchamp, Man Ray and co in social networks.

Worth mentioning, I've been following the spread and evolution of the blockchain-mediated art field since late 2017 when I went headlong into cryptoworld, and after a short space joined the Paradigm team. Since then, I’ve been absolutely attracted by the disruptive potential of blockchain which is to open new stirring opportunities for art platforms, collectors and artists.

For the collection below I’ve chosen my fav artworks, fragmented or glitch-rich, complexly-shaped, with a number of layers or pieces, which when connected may be seen as a representation of blockchain and crypto in any sense. Enjoy!

Featured artwork

“She is a pure gorgon, through and through. Enter her techno lair at your peril. DO NOT LOOK AT HER. One glance will shatter your consciousness into shards of sparkling diamonds.”

Needless to say, Anna Louise Simpson's artworks are influenced by such artists as Kippenberger and Rauschenberg and permeated with echoes of the DADA movement. I like how they combine flimsiness, femininity, and sensuality with energy of unpredictable vivid colours. I ultimately adore Anna Louise Simpson's digital collages so it was truly hard to choose one of them. ‘ELECTRIC GORGON’ is one of her latest. At first it seems that the artwork soothes with its warm tones. However, there are two contrasting distinct visual languages. I like following the layers and watching how the artist combines the delicate fragility of the girl's body with the heavy black matter that leisurely engulfs her as she is transmogrifying into a kinda surreal frightful object. While it is completely impossible to take eyes off the picture, it seems to be screaming heart-rendingly:

DO NOT LOOK AT HER

DO NOT LOOK AT HER

DO NOT LOOK AT HER

Media: Digital painting


“Power seeks to veil the voice of reason and sanity that exposes its ignorance and weakness. The beauty of truth and love is lost.”

Bard Ionson is an artist and technologist - fascinated with the space between the physical sensory, electronic and spiritual worlds and the distortions that happen upon passing between them. This is captured in glitch scanography, oscilloscope (sound and animation) art, electronic sculpture, glitch video and AI art. The art is often infused with hidden layers of meaning and multidimensional backstories. ‘Powers Of Darkness - Veiled Truth’ artwork is a part of the ‘Powers Of Darkness’ series of artificial intelligence paintings which Ionson has started recently. All of them have the same theme and composition and are made of Renaissance colours. “Forced into little boxes we hide ourselves as the powers of the air close the box” - the artist says. The truth is veiled somewhere between these foggy elusive forms.

Media: Generative, abstract


“Artwork created using A.I. Art 2 machine A.I, one artwork”

Uriel Hernandez’s ‘circles’ seems a strange nostalgia trip. The artist fuses lo-fi psychedelic vibes with the neon pop style which makes this work highly surreal. For me these harsh pulsations recall Nam June Paik’s installations, the multicoloured screen is blooming like flowers in a stunning electronic pastoral.

Media: AI, Abstract


abysms is an european art project which began in 2018. The main focus is centered around experimental new digital art, referencing pop culture and exploring the boundaries between painting, photography and media art. abysms has plenty of mysterious digital artworks full of rhythm and depth. I’ve chosen ‘naked in front of the computer’. Again there are waves, squares and slowly undressing layers. Flamboyant glitch canvas is hiding a creepy creature in the middle of the blurry box. What will be the picture of you nude in front of the digital device? Just imagine.

Media: Collage, Abstract


Norman Harman is a well-known Scotland's digital artist. His technique consists of blending analogue, generative and digital painting processes, synthesizing the genres of figurative, landscape and surrealist painting to create metaphysical compositions and to achieve grotesqueness at a high level which leaves the viewer to interpret and fill in the space. ‘Android Plaza’ is a collection of digital artworks using a specially formulated algorithm. Here Harman digitally paints elements of the composition referencing Richter whilst the mangled figuration echoes Francis Bacon and Frank Auerbach. ‘Game Show Contestant’ explores the concept. The artwork is a punky mixture of fatigue and pressure, which is hard to define. For me it is an androgynous figure. It slightly turned forward while looking back. Sensual body colors contrast with cold apathetic blue background. And it all crumbles into small blocks.

Media: Glitch, Abstract, Portrait


twistedsisterio is a Switzerland-based collective of artists and designers connecting visual thinking, game theory and incentive systems as elements of collaborative creation practices. Their artworks are truly contemporary, they bring a kinda futuristic experience despite the fact that most of the figurines on their dynamic paintings look like revived Greek statues. Fresh one named ‘Musing Otherself Redux’ is a new hypnotizing hymn of derealization. It incredibly accurately reflects how the people feel these days. Like you're sluggishly holding your head hoping not to faint with the illusion of control, while falling into pieces.

Media: 3dscan, Motion


We would like to thank Sasha Shilina for giving up their time to collaborate on this with us. Follow @sshshln for their updates and insights.