Life is not a carnival parade or how to restore dignity to digital avatars.
In the dazzling world of PFP collections (Profile Picture Collections), remarkable examples like the Bored Apes have undoubtedly attracted an immense fanbase and certainly deserve recognition. However, there are voices that claim that collections of this kind, comprising up to 10,000 NFTs and continuously offering variations of a single character, might occasionally evoke the atmosphere of a carnival parade.
The Complex Character Collection operates within the formal tradition of what is now considered classical PFP collections, presenting each character (one per NFT) in a comparable position and proportion. On the other hand, it distinguishes itself as a self-proclaimed "Poly-Persona Collection" by introducing numerous characters, each bearing its own name and story, thereby deviating from the monotony and anonymity of these collections.
This artistic intervention against interchangeability and in favor of recognizing the dignity of digital characters goes hand in hand with a conscious departure from the common stereotypes and archetypes of comic and fantasy culture. Here, one searches in vain for heroes, magicians, or dwarves, as well as for cats, monkeys, or penguins. The technique of random image generation has been deliberately omitted, as all characters have been meticulously handcrafted. The characteristic element of PFP collections, their repetitive nature, is maintained solely through skillfully crafted color scheme variations (up to 10 per design).
Rooted in classical character design, yet always conscious of the complexity of human existence, the Collection oscillates between the realms of the comic and the abstract. In doing so, it creates a space for ambiguity and interpretation, intentionally blurring the boundaries between living beings and inanimate objects with its motifs.
The comic character concept
As the son of a comic book artist, I early on absorbed the concept of the character, which is defined in the process of character design – an isolated study or definition of a comic character, distinct from its actual appearance in the comic story.
The concept of mentally separating the character "at rest" from the "character in action" has been present in video games since the 90s, and it's even more prominent today. In character-based games, it's quite common to select and customize a character in an isolated environment, devoid of distracting backgrounds, before starting the game.
From Phone Drawings to Color Obesssion
The memory of characters from my "comic childhood" faded over the years due to my focus on my profession as a digital designer. However, I noticed that I still had the habit of creating "phone drawings" during calls, but they ended up in a drawer.
In 2018, I discovered the Procreate app for the iPad, which offers excellent drawing and, more importantly, painting capabilities. I was so convinced that I decided to scan my phone drawings and use them as a foundation for new illustrations where the contours of the drawings fade away, placing the focus on color and surface. This process led to an initial variation of the Complex Characters, influenced by my father's classic comic characters but with an abstract essence.
As I worked on these illustrations, I discovered a new passion for colors. Without outlines in the image, colors took on a central role and became even more impactful. I delved deeper into the world of colors, experimenting with different themes and color schemes for each character.
Colors exceeding the printable range
While I was pleased with the final result of my artworks, I realized that they were not suitable for mass printing or sale in poster shops due to the colors exceeding by far the printable range of print on demand services.
Nonetheless, I was still determined to showcase my work and decided to display them as prints at the Berlin art fair. To maximize the color impact, I utilized special photo paper, and visitors were indeed impressed with the vivid colors, commenting, "Your colors pop!"
The unparalleled benefits of the RGB color space – and NFTs
Indeed, while the color themes I explore may make an impact on high-quality photo paper, they truly come alive in the digital RGB color space. This advantage, when combined with the benefits of NFTs, encompassing direct ownership control, cross-platform interoperability, and the ability to bundle artwork series into collections, is undeniably unparalleled from my perspective as someone deeply immersed in digital mediums.
As a result, in 2021, I meticulously curated my abstract character designs for publication as an NFT collection named "Complex Characters."
NFTs frozen in custodial wallet
I was thrilled that FTX, a prominent cryptocurrency platform at the time, featured my collection on their launchpad. Unfortunately, due to the FTX disaster that occurred shortly after, I am unable to access the custodial FTX wallet where the collection for the launch was stored, and as a result, my collection is now frozen in place.
However, this unfortunate turn of events has given me the reason to rework and improve the entire collection, creating a version 2.0 with better metadata and more dynamic character presentations.
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