Daniel Ambrosi • Artist Spotlight

What got you in to Crypto art?

Crypto art first got on my radar when I was a featured artist at CADAF-Miami (Contemporary and Digital Art Fair) in December 2019. Art on the blockchain was discussed in several panel discussions and I was instantly intrigued. The subject came into greater focus for me when I was featured again at CADAF Online in June 2020, at which time I decided to pursue it directly. Shortly thereafter, becoming an accepted artist on both SuperRare and KnownOrigin enabled me to create thematic “Dreamscapes” collections with unique and multi-edition related artworks on each platform respectively. The main pages for hosting these collections can be found at http://dreamscapes.ai where complete info and direct links to available artworks are staged in a comprehensive manner. Being able to curate and exhibit thematic collections in a wide variety of edition sizes and price points is, to me at least, one of the most compelling aspects of crypto art marketplaces.

Where do you find your inspiration?

I’m eternally bemused by the fact that seeing is a creative act that happens entirely in the mind. This inspires me more than anything; it is the driving notion behind my work and my desire to share that work with others. I think I know what’s happening in my mind’s eye… but I’m always curious to hear what’s happening in the mind’s eye of others.

What do you think of traditional artwork?

I’m an equally opportunity art addict. It doesn’t matter to me how art is conceived, executed, displayed, priced, or sold. It also doesn’t matter to me how much time, skill, or practice it took to create or what tools, techniques, and technologies were employed. I know what I like, and art that resonates with me hits me like a lightning bolt: in a flash, with brain-scrambling power, and long-lasting effects.

Do you think your art is fulfilling a purpose?

I hope so! For me, the definition of success in this regard is reminding myself and others that we are all actively participating in a shared waking dream, a dream that is on the precipice of considerable amplification by rapid advances in artificial intelligence and virtual reality.

How did you start out as an artist?

My formal education and early career was in architecture and 3D graphics, so I’ve always been visually focused and have spent untold hours visiting art museums and galleries over the years. I continue to study art history, and collect art when I can afford to, but I did not specifically set out to become a fine artist. Then, about 10 years ago, after many years of experimenting with panoramic and HDR photography, I had a “eureka” moment at a canyon in Utah where I conceived and executed my first “XYZ” image, which I semi-jokingly refer to as “danoramas” (extremely high resolution immersive vibrant panoramas created by blending and stitching together multiple rows of high dynamic range photographs). This moment kicked off my art career in earnest, which accelerated significantly about 5 years later when these works started to evolve into “dreamscapes” (giant landscapes and cityscapes imbued with a stunning degree of unexpected detail through a combination of computational photography and artificial intelligence).

Who or what inspires your work?

Oh boy, there are so many artists who inspire me, and if I could I would have a massive collection. Obviously, I’m deeply inspired by the great landscape painters: from the groundbreaking Claude Lorrain in the 1600’s, to the Dutch and Flemish masters, the European Romanticists, the incredibly skilled painters of the Hudson River School, the great Impressionists, the Cubists, all the way to David Hockney and the amazing “A Bigger Picture” exhibition he debuted in 2012 at the Royal Academy of Arts in London. For the sake of brevity, I’ll highlight one somewhat unsung hero of mine, Maxfield Parrish, who gave up one of the most successful careers ever as America’s most famous illustrator to dedicate himself to landscape painting in the 1930’s. Parrish was a true role model for me; he tinkered with both old and new approaches to his medium and brought a level of vibrancy, detail, and luminosity to his paintings that I absolutely love and which hadn’t really been seen before.

Which other artist(s) do you admire?

There are also numerous contemporary artists that I admire. It seems we’re living in a very fertile time creatively and there are more outlets than ever for sharing and exhibiting work. Other KnownOrigin artists I particularly like (to name a few): Angie Taylor, ArtByVesa, brendandawes, gric, lulu xXX, Marc O Matic

Final question, what’s next for you as an artist?

If I knew the answer to that, I wouldn’t be an artist! When I had my seminal moment in that canyon in Utah 10 years ago, I never would have predicted that 5 years later I would be incorporating artificial intelligence algorithms into my artwork at gigantic scale. Nor would I have predicted that the evolution of my work would mirror, in a dramatically time-compressed way, the arc of the 400-year history of landscape painting in the Western world: from Representationalism to Impressionism to Cubism and beyond. I’m not sure what’s next, but given the scale of my artworks, I’d love to see more of my work exhibited immersively, both in the virtual world and, especially, in the real world. If anyone out there produces immersive exhibitions and likes what I do, please get in touch!