Kryptocromo, also known as L'Entité, is a Mexican graphic designer whose main focus is animated graphics and pixel art. He has worked in television graphics and has immersed himself in digital art and crypto art with a poetic purpose. His strange and disturbing collectibles seek to explore strange phenomena that need to be invaded. The artist, to whom we also invite from here to join the group of CRYPTOARTISTS in Telegram, agreed, through a common friend, to grant us the following interview.
«Abraxas – a talisman» (Kryptocromo, in collaboration with Oficinas TK).
Who is Kryptochrome behind his masks?
He's even more masks!
«Sleep Mindlessly» (Kryptocromo).
How would you define your art? What are your inspirations and influences?
It would probably be an entertainment that keeps me alive. An entertainment that consumes more and more of my time. My main inspirations I would say are concept art, manga, and glorious low resolution designs.
«Strength in Nature» (Kryptocromo, in collaboration with Oficinas TK).
Your works are filled with inspiring messages among disturbing moving images that question the limits of reality. What do you intend to express with them?
Another narcissist who tries to fall in love with the violent vision of nature and the world. I like the idea of making collectible pieces that say something directly, as if it were a game.
«Extinction Level Event» (Kryptocromo).
We also find in your art numerous references to the vegetable kingdom, as well as to Xochipilli, Aztec god of dance and flowers, associated in turn with entheogenic substances. What is your relationship with nature and its intoxicants?
Yes, if we talk about nature restricting us to the vegetable kingdom, I am fascinated by the ethnobotanical and scientific knowledge of plants, as well as agro-ecological cultivation and its use in traditional medicine. But above all it amuses me to see plants beyond those living beings that seek to defend themselves, survive and perpetuate themselves. I like the idea of giving them individuality by imagining an intentionality, I think that can be seen more in my first gifs. Plants are wise and fun if you can learn to see them, but like everything else in the world...
«Aztec God Xochipilli» (Kryptocromo).
Since we have been introduced by n0sce, a mutual friend, when did you meet his legendary blog, dedicated to the knowledge of being and becoming aware of the universe that surrounds us? What did it mean in your life and in your work?
Finding his blog was a success, and it was a little more than ten years ago. Waiting with emotion for a new post on each visit... My outbreaks of madness were already beginning to bloom and required more madness to survive. I was about 20 years old, and had already had an approach to Buddhist and esoteric literature. In my search I found myself tremendous treasure chest, along with the decon forums. I would say that it did inspire me to create at various times... That's probably also where the visually strident and epileptic nature of my first works comes from. Art can really bring you closer to yourself...
«Having fun» (Kryptocromo).
Why did you decide to devote yourself to crypto art and what led you to choose SuperRare as the platform to distribute it?
In fact, everything happened by chance, I never imagined something like this. I just wanted to make digital creations to break my silence and I was looking for a new pseudonym. Then I thought of cryptochrome. The prefix led a person who had seen my Instagram account to ask me to make an animation of Vitalik Buterin wearing a retro-style superhero suit. He didn't make much effort to explain to me what the crypto art was about, but he paid me for the piece in dollars and I never knew what happened to that project, which he called «cryptoleague», since he stopped answering the emails.
Then I saw the artist XCOPY publish about his introduction to the SuperRare platform on his Tumblr site, which led me to write them a request out of curiosity. From there you can imagine...
«Me» (Kryptocromo).
In addition, there are several of your works exhibited in the virtual world of Cryptovoxels. How is this experience?
It excites me. Knowing that my work is part of something bigger, such as the Cryptovoxels space. Although I haven't gotten my hands on a good VR system yet, I've always believed that being there is a big step.
What advantages do you think blockchain technology can bring to artists?
Nobody really paid me for my creations, as they were so strange and not part of any circle. I did everything as I do now, out of love. But it's wonderful to see that you can register your work on one of the platforms, make it visible to a market, and see the possibility of selling it. It's great that you can share what you do with other artists and other beings who sail on the ether!
«MKT 12» (L’Entité).
What is your relationship with other crypto artists?
They are very interesting and endearing people. Oficinas TK is one of them, which I know a little more about and I appreciate his support and enthusiasm. I think that everyone in the middle should know his works (I love the elegance and depth he imprints on them) and his art, as it is to have had the idea of the TCBA to exhibit crypto art.
«The Little Prince» (Kryptocromo).
How do you see the future of cryptocurrencies?
It's growing... It's not useless fervor. There are sites and places where you can already pay using cryptocurrencies, something beyond the intangible.
Cryptochromes (from the Greek κρυπτό χρώμα, «hidden color») are a kind of blue light photoreceptors of plants and animals that play a fundamental role in the generation and maintenance of circadian rhythms. What led you to choose this pseudonym?
Exactly. Reading it in a book by Daniel Chamovitz, I loved how it sounded. And above all what it means etymologically. Hidden colors, as something ungraspable, but at the same time as something that evokes the need to flow with the course of nature.
«Enter the Dreamworld» (Kryptocromo).
A few days ago you said on Twitter: «There is a thin line between being a prolific artist or a spam machine». Can you explain it to us a little more?
More than a small critique of generative art, I thought it was funny thinking about the famous Inktober. My feed is filled with works made quickly by desperate artists.
What are your projects for the future?
More form, more movement. Better animations, and designs. Probably something that will involve music, that's for sure!
«2 Cursed Moon» (Kryptocromo).
Anything you'd like to add?
Much of the reach I have I owe it to the SuperRare team, especially Jon Perkins. I am very grateful for his love and genuine interest in the works and artists that make up his digital art platform, and which I have already met personally. Thanks to all those who have shown a taste for what I do and believed in it (even to my Tumblr users), albeit a little bit, to n0sce, to you and to this site. Hugs!