Juanrlag

Juanrlag creates beautifully kinetic short form 2D animations that loop and flow with a real sense of fluidity. In many ways the aesthetic harkens back to some of the pioneers of the animated form, yet Juanrlag brings a modern sensibility and an appreciation of abstract art and animation into his work.

Hi work ‘Double Birds’ is reminiscent of vintage animations, and the loop features a vibrant hand-drawn aesthetic that combines with a slight texture overlay to great affect. The accompanying soundtrack has a more contemporary ambient feel and there’s an underlying pulse that synchs well with the birds kissing.

‘Swirls’ is an animated abstract piece that takes the viewer on an enlightened vista of colourful shapes and audio sweeps. The shapes move back and forth rather than loop in one circular motion, yet the movement is so compelling and the colours so intense that it takes the viewer on a very pleasant and curious journey.

The final animation depicts a host of characters all following the same walk cycle. While there is a naturally staccato affect with the swapping of each character, Juanrlag manages to retain a sense of steadfast fluidity in the motion itself. He achieves this by cleverly distorting and altering the limbs of some of the more famous characters in this animation to achieve an anatomical framework that is common to all.

Juanrlag is an animator that has an abundance of technical skill as well as a clear sense and appreciation of film and animation history. We look forward to seeing more from him on the future!

Name or alias
juanrlag

Social media links and website profiles
juanet68.editorx.io/my-site;
instagram.com/juanrlag;
twitter.com/juanrlag;
hicetnunc.xyz/juanrlag

What is your background as an artist in general? 
I have studied Audiovisual Arts at UNLP (National university of la plata, located in the city of La Plata, Argentina.). I have been drawing since I was a kid and a few years ago I decided to work exclusively in animation. I have worked in cinematography, making audiovisual installations, music videos and among other things.

What is your overall process in generating art? 
I usually start from spots or images. Sometimes, I also start from sketches on paper. I try to find out what about plastic arts in those moving images can lead me to another place, a search for discovering something in it. I do not have a unique process, but I try not to start from a clear idea, that each thing I do leads me to a new discovery. I am motivated by music, cinema, visual arts and expressiveness of movement in the images. I think of moving images as blocks of time and space, but sometimes I think about them on the hypnotic and dreamlike way, as well as their playful and rhythmic characteristics.

How would you describe your art in your own words?
As a constant search for expressiveness in the visuals of movement, color, sound and in the forms being represented; generally based on drawing or abstract images, whatever the technique used. Im interested in the loop format, and the short forms combined with sound experimentation.

Favourite artists / influences?
Maya Deren, Don Hertzfeldt, Su Friedrich, Oskar Fischinger, Luis Alberto Spinetta, Bjork, Quino, Guy Maddin, Caloi, Animal collective, E. Elias Merhige, Walter Ruttmann, Bill Morrison, Pipilotti Rist, David Cronenberg, Lucrecia Martel, Paul Delvaux, Daniel Santoro and many more.

How did you discover the new blockchain world of Crypto Art and NFTs in general? 
A friend talked me into it, and although it was very hard for me, I began to understand the world of crypto Art and NFT step by step.

Has the digital nature of cryptoart NFTs changed how you approach your art practice? 
I don´t think so. On the contrary, I believe it is a platform in which what we do can be better expressed in the media than the way we are used to using, especially the form of synthetic expression, such as the loop, the micro-story, the gif, and the short forms.

What if anything, has surprised you about this new area of art practice? 
I was surprised by the impulse of so many people collaborating with each other, the possibility of becoming what I do known, no matter nationalities or ages and interests, and also the form of intermediation that exists between the artist and the people who are on the other side.

How would you like the field of cryptoart and nfts to evolve over time? 
I do not know, but I would like that people could change the negative way they see it. I wish people could realize the possibilities that it offers since it can provide better and more horizontal ways of connecting with each other; as well as the opportunity of producing art for everyone.

How can access and information to this new field of art practice be encouraged? I do not have an answer, but I think it is something that is happening, the new generations are important in this sense