Steven Baltay
Photo by, Amy Zhang
Meet Steven Baltay
I could think of a million words to describe the fantastic work of NYC-based 3D artist Steven Baltay. Here a few that come to mind: Squishy, gooey, hypnotic, and magical. Through surreal landscapes and cheeky humor, the artist pushes the limits of our imagination. Get to know Steven as we talk a little more about his creative process.
“THE OBSERVATORY” A fill in the blank with Steven Baltay
Our class went on a field trip to a SWEET observatory. It was located on top of a TANGERINE, and it looked like a giant SKY with a slit down its LADDER. We went inside and looked through a WATERFALL.and were able to see SWEAT PANTS in the sky that were millions of TULIPS away. The men and women who EAT in the observatory are called FROGS, and they are always watching for comets, eclipses, and shooting WAFFLES. An eclipse occurs when a DORMITORY comes between the earth and the FREIGHT TRAIN and everything gets SOFT. Next week, we plan to CASH OUT at the Museum of Modern iPHONE.
Would you rather
only eat burritos or pizza for the rest of your life, which would you choose?
Definitely burritos, It's a full meal wrapped up in a tortilla!
Some questions with Steven Baltay
What kinds of places do you like to take people with your art?
The main focus with my art is to make people feel something unforgettable. Usually end up in a gross/satisfying place but lately i've also been experimenting with more political and social oriented ideas.
Your recent series of surreal animations has a shiny metallic motif running throughout. What inspired the use of this material?
I use gold as a symbol of wealth, and also for its own aesthetic beauty. The gold tone fits nice with the pastel sunrise I've been obsessed with lately.
Is there any creative gear you would love to get a chance to experiment with? Why?
I want to get a computer with two rtx 3090's. I think it might push my productivity 10-20%. So often with animation I find myself waiting for the computer, especially when it comes to everything simulated. Water sims can take me 15 hours sometimes not to mention the final renders themselves can be 8-40 hours just for 300 frames.
What is your favorite park in New York City? Why?
I have a special place for Maria Hernandez park. It's a fun place to hangout, watch skaters, eat tacos. and it's in a very art inspired part of Brooklyn. Whenever I go there I always come home feeling ready to create something.
What work do you want a chance to do more of as you continue to develop as an artist?
I want to work more on my messages. I feel confident with creating animations that are visually interesting and entertaining, but I want to also push myself with creating works that have loud powerful statements. So hopefully I can start to move in that direction this year.
What was the creative drive behind your 2020 animation FISHΞRMAN?
FISHΞRMAN was a film inspired by my first 8 months in the NFT world (buying and selling digital art on the blockchain). The ability to sell my animations for the first time led me to the decision to make a short film. I wanted to create something that was an abstract journey through alternating worlds, making use of all my favorite visual discoveries from the last few years.
What is your dream neighborhood to live in, and why?
It's not really a neighborhood but my dream is to have a small farm with chickens and dogs and a garden, not too far from a beach with surfing and mountain biking. Maybe that's just the quarantine talking, but I've been dreaming about that for a few years now.
Any final comments? (This is your electronic soapbox for one last answer.)
Just my excitement on NFTs. If you have time to check out what NFT's are and what it means for artists I definitely recommend it. Otherwise thanks for the interview