I´ve been following the art of Erotikars for some time now, and I am thrilled to be collaborating with them. Their erotic imagery accompanied the publication of my milestone short story number100, Rollercoaster, and I´m excited to report that more of their work will be coming soon (pun intended).
In the meantime, I wanted to get to know more about this talented artist and their work for my latest Artist Spotlight. Below is a transcript of some highlights from a recent conversation. Enjoy!
Christian Pan: Tell me a little bit about your art. What's your process? What kind of tools do you use?
Erotikars: I started out as a classical artist--oil on canvas, watercolours and charcoals.. Over time, though, I developed into a digital artist. For my current work I mainly use graphics tablets using well-known art software.
I normally realise digitally what strikes me visually, or what my imagination gives me.
I also work from photographs when I receive commissions from customers. I use those images as a basis for transformation according to my style.
CP: Did you study visual art? If so, where?
E: No, I did not go to art school of any kind (although I would have liked to). I took my first steps into the world of visual art thanks to a relative of mine who was a portrait painter and an inspiration.
CP: Who are some of your inspirations?
E: My main source of inspiration is someone very dear and very close to me, but in general, I feel like inspiration comes whenever it wants to. Something strikes you in a particular way, and you feel the need to turn that into something of your own, something that has your stamp on it. Photographs, stories, my imagination--thee are always the main sources.
CP: Your erotic art seems informed by BDSM activities and experiences. Is this intentional?
E: You are right, mainly my art is close to BDSM. Partly this is due to personal experiences. But also because BDSM has always stimulated a certain curiosity in me. I´ve come to the conclusion that sex in the traditional sense is pretty broken.
Further, initially through friends who are deeper into this scene than I am, I have come to learn that BDSM is wrongly considered a violent practice. This is, in fact, an awful and misinformed stereotype. I personally have experienced tremendous trust and mutual respect from everyone I know in the "kink community", as well as a willingness to be completely captivated by a much wider range of sensations. People who practice BDSM are interested in giving themselves completely to one another, for everyone´s mutual pleasure.
I deeply respect any practice so long as it does not harm others. It is this apparent contrast inherent to BDSM that fascinates me. And let's face it, it breaks the taboo a bit... it's not a traditional man-woman relationship, it's a different kind of world where roles matter but are complementary.
This also informs my palette for this work, where I explore three basic colours in various shades: pink to catch the eye, blue to create prominence, and black to mystify.
CP: Do you do also create erotic art which is more "vanilla"?
E: Yes of course, I also create non-explicit erotic art. I particularly like to portray lingerie with a completely different technique.
CP: What about art which isn´t erotic at all?
E: Not erotic? Well... if painting miniatures doesn't count .... then no!
CP: Does your identity manifest within your artistic work? If so, how?
E: I always identify myself in all my work. You could say that a small portion of me remains within each of my pieces.
I think it´s pretty typical in any art form, that when you are working on a piece, it´s going to involve a lot of passion and belief in yourself, in what you are doing. Eroticism is a constant part of my life and is inherent in me; it comes from who I am, from my nature, and is both an outlet as well as a constant source of inspiration. So, in a way, every time you look at one of my drawings, you´re looking at a little part of me!
CP: Promoting and sharing work online has gotten increasingly difficult in recent years, especially for any sort of art about sex. How have you felt this impact your own work and activities? How are you navigating it?
E: Promoting erotic art online has become really difficult. It needs a lot of patience and a lot of attention. Finding the right places and especially the right people is almost a feat unto itself. Plus, it too frequently happens that you run into someone who does not have the best of intentions.
Censorship is another crucial point. Many sites have adopted extremely high censorship lines, which makes my artistic hobby even more difficult.
I try to move nimbly within a variety of niches, relying on a few dedicated exhibitions as well as word of mouth to get my work out there.
CP: A lot of artists today have serious concerns regarding artificial intelligence (AI), and how its influence over human-created art. This is especially true for independent artists working online and/or within the realm of eroticism, who already don´t have a lot of resources. What are your thoughts on AI, as it relates to your creative process?
E: This is a really interesting point. Certainly AI is a big step forward in technology and with its pontential applications it will, if used in the right way, bring benefits to our daily lives.
In terms of art, I'm not worried right now, and for the moment AI doesn't affect my work. I understand that for some artists this technology is a really sore point, but I'm convinced that feelings and the human imagination, combined with an artist´s actual hands, can generate things far beyond the reach of AI.
Personally, like all tools, AI has potential. However, I don't think I'll ever use it for my own art.
CP: What do you hope people will experience or feel from seeing your images?
E: For me, making art means finding a way to give others sensations. My drawings are infused with my own emotions and thoughts, but everyone reads into these images what their own instincts communicate to them. I don´t think I can impose any particular feelings, positive or negative, onto anyone who sees my work. But I do appreciate the reactions I get t my drawings equally, whatever they are.
That being said, I do use specific colors consciously in my work, in the hopes that I may strike my audience with their visual impact. For example:
Pink is a color with great relaxing properties, able to combat stress and promote feelings of calm and hope. Pink may also combat feelings of loneliness, and reduce anger and aggression (as expressed by red).
Blue is the quintessential color of relaxation. Being very cool, this color induces strong mental concentration, as well as relaxes the nervous system and relieves anxiety.
Black is a dark color, obviously, but it is also the color of power, luxury and elegance. It possesses a mysterious and sensual charm.
From this intentional vocabulary in my work I hope to create a mixture of emotions that can generate mental as well as physical pleasure in the viewer. I mean, why not?
CP: What projects are you working on now?
E: Right now, in addition to the usual, I am collaborating on two interesting projects.
The first one, thanks to the support o an artisan friend, involves working on the creation of small objects: pins, bookmarks, small wooden jewelry based on my creations. It´s pretty inspiring, being able to combine my art with another person's art in a "living" material like wood.
The second project: together with a group of friends, we´re making a book on BDSM that uses my artwork, created with them as live models. It´s challenging, and will definitely take up a fair amount of time to make. But it's also quite fabulous to be able to work with this group ,and especially to make live art in a truly unique way.
CP: Anything else you want us to know about? Anything new and exciting coming up with your work?
E: What else to say about myself? Basically, at the end of the day, I am a pretty normal person. I have a good job that permits me to travel around Europe pretty often, and which also allows me to meet so many new people.
I love cats and good food (I don't disdain junk food--that helps, now and then!) I love. I live. And of course, I create art. Forever!
