MARK BLAND - SOLO SHOW-

FRACTAL TOTEMS & ARROW OF MIND

Look deep into nature and then you will understand everything better
— Albert Einstein

LALAContemporary presents, Fractal Totems & Arrow of Mind, a Solo Exhibit by Mark Bland.
Mark took his first steps into programmable crypto-art in 2020 with his series Fractal Totems. Crypto-art and NFT’s have transformed the role of artists, fracture boundaries, decentralize and revolutionize the art world. Artists, spectators and collectors connect and expand the edges of artistic expression by joining the artistic creation in real space and time.

Fractal Totems- Fractal math is thought to be the language of the natural world and Totems generally depict elements of nature with a spiritual level of respect and reverence. This series attempts to explore the relationship between these concepts using Totems as windows into and reflections of the vocabulary and language of fractal math, nature and the colours, figures, shapes, and structures within.

Arrow of Mind- An animated abstract/generative piece exploring the concept of memory and our relationship to time through our ability to recall our past.

This piece is dedicated to Bruce Sheen (aka "The Large Man"), a dear friend and loving father who passed away during the making of this piece after an 8 year battle with Alzheimer's.

Curated by: Mark Bland & Claudia Lala

Produced/Managed by: Maria Stojicic

For more information about this exhibit please visit LALAContemporary.com
Available as NFT's (Non-Fungible Token's) at www.foundation.app/markbland or in print format through the LALAContemporary online shop

Mark Bland Portfolio

Fractal Totems

A series of 13 totemic portraits created through a mix of fractal based generative software and hands-on sculptural processes/techniques. Each Totem is an abstract composition, layering of fractal equations and mathematical modifiers that are sculpted into form and brought to life by the artist. Fractal math is thought to be the language of the natural world and Totems generally depict elements of the natural world with a spiritual level of respect and appreciation. This series explores the relationship between these concepts using Totems as reflections of the visual vocabulary of fractal math, nature and the colours, figures, shapes, and structures within.

Arrow of MindAn animated abstract/generative piece exploring the concept of memory and our relationship to time through our ability to recall our past. Releasing on the Ethereum blockchain July 2nd, 2021 and available in NFT format at www.foundation.app/markbland.

DEDICATION: This piece is dedicated to Bruce Sheen (aka "The Large Man"), a dear friend and loving father who passed away during the making of this piece after an 8-year battle with Alzheimer's.

The Image Accumulator:Interactive Virtual Reality Installation

An interactive demonstration of our ever-evolving entanglement with technology as a form of audiovisual entertainment. It seeks to explore the types of stimulation and often over stimulation current technology can provide and the uncertainty underlying how these stimuli may be affecting our minds and bodies whether we are aware of the changes or not.

The Image Accumulator provides an ethereal smothering of the senses. An overdose of audiovisual sensory input using virtual reality to engage your vision with a mix of hypnotic self-oriented (focused on the user) and external (focused on the observer(s)) video feedback loops. Low frequency ambient audio containing isochoric tones help participants fall into the mix of meditative yet jolting hypnagogia.

The Self-Viewing Backpack

The Self-Viewing Backpack is a mobile wearable art piece that incorporates a backpack/rig mounted camera to HMD (head mounted display) setup to allow an individual to transcend the mind body identity mapping of their first-person self-reference point and move it into the 3rd person perspective. The camera also incorporates an integrated microphone that feeds directly to the user’s earbuds providing hi-def ultra-clear heightened super hearing.

For the viewers, the installation also included a wireless RCA camera mounted on the main wired camera that broadcasted to a screen allowing the audience to see what the wearer would see/experience.

Backpack adjustable armature crafted by the late Richard K.

Links:

2015 - Image Accumulator - YOUTUBE VIDEO:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=STEVKVuwzyQ

https://markbland.ca/

Foundation NFTs: https://foundation.app/markbland

Twitter: https://twitter.com/markblandart

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/markjamesbland/