Newman Migner
Artist Statement
I have always been interested in a little bit of everything - always jumping around from one hobby to the next. Drawing and design, however, has been one thing that has been a constant. My work is kind of a layered mess of work. I bounce in-between several digital art programs. The mistakes that the programs or devices create are then used as inspiration. The final result is midway between personal, hand-drawn artwork and something that was made in a digital world. Ultimately it is all to build a short loop animation. I enjoy finding creative ways around the obstacles working in this way presents. Even though there may be easier ways to make them, finding solutions to the problems are what drives the work forward.
The projects I’m working on now are based around the idea of timing. Everything begins as chaos and disorder, but eventually comes together in perfect timing. The animations are “oddly satisfying” videos. They make people feel worried, or afraid the machine will stop working and crash, and feel a moment of relief when everything works. The chaos in the work is meant to evoke emotion. This idea is one that is heavily inspired by my fascination with machines and mechanical systems. I have always been mesmerized by the way things work. Mechanical systems amaze me, the way things could mess up so easily. Things break or stop working, yet everything has a place and function and it all works together to keep going.
Blueprints are a major inspiration for my work. I appreciate the way they provide specific information but are still presented in an image. Printmaking is another inspiration for my art. The work and detail of great printmakers is amazing. My subject matter is largely inspired by the marble machine “X”. Made by Wintergatan, it is a beautiful, and very over-engineered, marble machine designed to play music on a world tour with a marble track. These are some of the big inspirations for the work. And playing around in 3d software is what is the fuel for me to keep working.
