Artist Profile: Mia Forrest
This is part of a series of interviews with Sugar Glider Digital’s artists, where we explore their practice and perspectives on digital art.
MIA FORREST, BLOOM II, 2022.Mia Forrest is a Northern Rivers-based digital artist whose work has exhibited worldwide, including at Vellum LA (USA), Tweed Regional Art Gallery (NSW), Cannes AVIFF Art Festival (FR), Channels International Biennial of Video Art at the Australian Center for Moving Image (VIC), Queensland Film Festival QLD), and Aesthetica Film Festival (UK).
Forrest was one of the first artists involved in Sugar Glider Digital, with two of her works being exhibited at the launch in July 2022. Since then, her work ‘Icelandic Poppies, in motion’ has also been rented and displayed at 180 Lonsdale Street, Melbourne. We have loved working with Mia Forrest, and watching her practice develop and grow.
This week, we chat to her about her practice and thoughts on the digital world!
When, and why did you start making digital art?
I’ve been working in digital video for about seven years, mainly in the realm of music video and a few short films. In late 2021 I honed in on my art practice, which was well-received and collected by the NFT community.
I use digital processes as a way to investigate how species might morph, change, survive, or thrive over time, particularly in the meta-age. My methodology fuses together the ephemera (botanicals) and digitally native techniques; I see this as a way to immortalise nature as we enter the digital age, and consider new ways of seeing and experiencing it. NFTs have been one way to distribute my work, but this year I hope to expand the horizon and create more immersive experiences.
How has your digital art practice evolved since you started?
Time is essential for any artist that wants to develop their practice. I have finally been able to dedicate myself full time to my arts practice and develop a deeper sense of commitment to digital processes.
I started out using After Effects to explore digital processes and effects but processing power and graphics cards have limited me, so I’ve now employed virtual machines for greater processing speeds. Greater processing speeds have introduced me to machine learning and AI, which is where I’ll be focusing more energy this year.
Tell us about your favourite digital art project.
I’ve been very interested recently in how blockchain technology can immerse and alter our experience of collecting digital art.
Last year, Luna Ikuta created a dNFT (dynamic non-fungible token) project. As a time-based dNFT, the tulip placeholder image would change every 7 minutes and went through its bloom cycle across 5 days. Then, the flower disappeared, and holders now have a black NFT. It was a beautiful project that mimicked nature, on-chain, and more effectively, a lesson of impermanence for web 3 culture, particularly PFP culture, that is innately very fast and grabby. Nature is impermanent, and Luna’s project successfully left that impression, at least on me.
What would you like to see more of in the digital art world?
Innovative projects that push blockchain technology to new areas, essentially immersing viewers and collectors deeper into the artist’s world. Most of all, I want to see digital art more often, and beyond our phone.
So through home displays and art frames, like what Australian company Muse Frame, are doing (digital screens for in-home or exhibition settings), or through prop-tech and large screens in new developments that highlight artists. People are pretty over seeing advertising on billboards, so let’s see more “advertising” - Times Square in NYC have dedicated art to their billboards through a project called Time Square Arts and thousands flock to see the art light up the night.
I love that Sugar Glider Digital are convincing establishments to dedicate their screens to beautiful art; I believe this helps the public enjoy their day.
Who are your 3 favourite digital artists at the moment?
Anna Ridler because she intersects her academia with digital art and digitally native processes (GAN, AI); I feel like anything she does has a profound comment on society and technology.
Franca Turrin is an Australian botanical photographer who creates otherworldly digital photographs of flowers; all effects are achieved in-camera and appear to be cosmic blooms from another planet.
Carlo Van do Roer, formerly from NZ, but now works in the USA developing camera technology for feature films (that will literally change the way films are made) - he has been using blockchain technology to generate the image, as it is minted; so there is an element of chance and surprise for the collector when they mint - generative photography.
What advice would you give to someone who wants to try making digital art?
Don’t be afraid to experiment!
Experiment with different applications to see which fits your practice best.
Image:
(1) Mia Forrest at the Sugar Glider Digital Launch, 2022, photo by Jacquie Manning
(2) (3) Icelandic Poppies, in motion, 2022, photo by Claire Armstrong
(4) Ivory Curl, 2022 at Vellum LA
(5) Flanksia, in motion, 2023 (still)
(6) Ornamental Kale, 2022 at the Sugar Glider Digital Launch, photo by Jacquie Manning
(7) (8) Bush Candle Banksia, 2022 at the Sugar Glider Digital Launch, photo by Jacquie Manning