Essentia by Marterium
Essentia
Bio
Markus Kanzler, known by his artistic pseudonym Marterium, is a German artist whose passion lies in the exploration of form and colour, considering them as distinct languages. His artistic journey revolves around capturing abstract concepts and translating them into captivating compositions. Markus perceives digital art as a collaborative endeavour between humans and machines, acknowledging the ever-evolving tools that facilitate its creation. With each passing year, the evolution of digital art tools brings a sense of excitement to Markus. He eagerly awaits the updates that enhance a digital artist's brushes. Among his primary tools for creating Marterium's mesmerising artworks are Cinema 4D, Houdini, and Photoshop. Additionally, he utilises After Effects and plugins like Octane/Redshift and X-Particles to expand his creative possibilities. Before immersing himself in the realm of 3D art, Markus pursued a background in psychology. However, he never felt compelled to work as a traditional therapist. In 2019, he brought Marterium into existence, delving into the world of cryptoart in 2020. Since then, he has worked for clients like Apple, Zedd or PayPal. Markus places great importance on evoking emotions and raising people's awareness through his art. His ultimate goal is to share beautiful and meaningful inspiration with the world while maintaining a low-profile as an individual. In a lighthearted manner, one could even say that, unintentionally, he has become an extraordinary and more creative kind of therapist.
About the Work
I focus on the broader exploration of colour and form and their respective sensations that come with different combinations of textures and shapes. I am fascinated by the fact that when you create any form of sculpture and texture combination, you're not exactly able to tell what you see and are almost reminded of a Rorschach test in psychology. I mainly use programs like Zbrush, Houdini, and Cinema4D for all my works.
About This Piece
The CryptoCube piece was a reflection and interpretation of a symbiosis between the CryptoCube 'sculpture' and an abstract environment where the sculpture could reside. This created a connective experience to provide context for the respective CryptoCube I worked with. It also added meaning and could give insight into the history of that cube. This was reflected through texture and colourisation. The viewer should feel a 'here I am' sensation, as the prominent player in this artwork is the cube itself.
Future
NFTs have simply added a completely new dimension for me as an artist. Not only monetization-wise, but also in terms of the entire creation process of digital art. The canvas has become much larger since you're not only able to play with the aesthetics of an artwork but also the technicalities that the creation of a token on a blockchain provides. It has almost become more important to utilise these aspects to create an interesting artwork rather than focusing on visual storytelling. This has definitely been a challenge for me personally, as I am a visually focused creator. However, it's also very exciting, and I'm learning everyday to find meaningful ways to incorporate everything the blockchain has to offer into my work process for future drops.
