IT’S ART Magazine: Could you talk about your artistic path?

Meats Meier - I started my artistic journey as a child who loved drawing. My parents were always very supportive of my goal to become an artist, so they always provided me with the tools I would need to help my skills develop, including an airbrush for Christmas and an Amiga computer (with Dpaint installed) when they first were available.  My first artistic job was as a t-shirt printer, which quickly led me to create original designs.  Eventually I was hired as a video game artist, worked my way up to lead  artist, and then onto using 3D to become an independent illustrator.  With the help of galleries on the internet, I was named a "Maya Master" and then all sorts of opportunities presented themselves to me because of this new title. I have since worked as a technical director and compositor, and have designed almost 30 covers of books and magazines.
 
I.A. - Your name is the "signature" of an "atypical" style. What is your opinion of the cg universe and do you feel part of it or beside it?

M.M. - I feel very much to part of it. I am always learning along with everyone else studying 3d, or improving their craft working every day in the 3d world. The 3d world evolves too quickly for anyone to just witness it from the sidelines. I feel the artist must keep up to date with the evolution of this new art form, or he will get very easily overwhelmed by the technical aspect of designs and won’t enjoy the creativity anymore.

IT’S ART Magazine : I've read that you cite artists like Raymond Morales, Naoto Hattori or H.R. Giger when asked about your influences, can you comment on these artists and on the way they've influenced you?
 
M.M. - I am always drawn to artwork with fine details and meticulous designs, and artists that aren't afraid to cross the boundaries.  My favourite artists are those who drive me to work harder on my own artwork and to surpass myself to always try and discover new ways to tackle my work and more efficient processes.  I really do try and not to look thoroughly at other artists’ work because I don't want to be influenced in a radical manner. I think that I have already a lot to express with my art the way I conceive it, and would like to be as original as possible.  I am influenced by whoever can grab my attention in this day and age of relentless advertising and self promotion. It's a different world out there today for artists, people are presented with millions upon millions of world wide artists who have chosen to promote themselves and their work on the web. Today when I hear of an artist on a few different CG websites then, he must be doing some interesting art work.

I.A. - Do you think you've tried to transpose some kind of traditional art to CG? In what ways?
 
M.M - I think that the only way to create worthy art is to use the traditional methods.  Composition, colour, balance are absolutely necessary for a good image even in the 3d world. I try to encourage students to study the old masters and their techniques and to learn which 3d application they match in their 3D program. I work my way out trying to make my final images as painterly as possible. I usually go as far as to touch every pixel in an image in some way. I rarely render an image and call it done. I take it into Photoshop and use the finger paint tools and image processing filters to achieve a more ‘naturally’ refined work.

I.A. - Can you describe your creative process?

M.M. - It really depends on what type of project I am working on. If I am working for someone I try to be as linear as possible, going one step at a time, executing planned and agreed on tasks, before moving on to the next. When I am creating my own images, I am as free as possible. Sometimes I begin working before a full concept has even taken shape in my mind. I don't mind re-starting from scratch if need be, it's all practice to me. I love to try many different versions of an idea before I feel it is exhausted. To me, the most important things are to enjoy myself during the creative process, not to second-guess myself, and simply to stay true to the kind of artist I am.

 
 I.A. - Can you tell me more about your 'Organic Mechanic' concept?
 
M.M - My good friend Jill Smolen wrote my biography and here is what he said: “Creating art that pulls you inside a world of complex forms and shapes, Meats communicates a strange universe of commingled mechanics and organics."   I fell in love with the term organic mechanic because it feels to be the perfect description of my art style - flowing, natural, but with a definite digital mechanic nature inherent to it. A mix of hard and soft qualities.

I.A. I'm also very interested in artwork like The Carvers and The Nest. These pieces are different and unusual, I’m wondering what you've learnt by creating them?
 
M.M - The Carvers was created to test a method of controlling multiple objects simultaneously, using a process in Maya called "set-driven".  In the Carvers, there are several levels of characters which are all connected in some way to one right below. When you move the top level, it affects the characters below, and the characters below them, and down to the bottom.  It can take a little while to set-up, but once the hard work is done, it makes animating them really easy.  The current Carver (the cover image) is a work in process. Other projects were more urgent to finish, so it became just another idea put on the back burner for when I will be able to spend more time on my personal work, which regularly happens when you’re making a living as a freelancer.
 
I.A. I consider The Carves as compelling artwork about power, spiritual and physical domination. Do you agree with this interpretation?
 
M.M - Yes, exactly.  The word that came into my mind was "control".  The larger Carvers in the 3d model have complete control over the smaller ones, but the smaller ones have the consolation of being in control of something as well, so they don't mind that much. The smallest, nearly unformed Carvers at the bottom are child-like and don't yet feel the need to be in control, but enjoy being taken care of.  It's much like the cycle of life.led mechanics and organics."   I fell in love with the term organic mechanic because it feels to be the perfect description of my art style - flowing, natural, but with a definite digital mechanic nature inherent to it. A mix of hard and soft qualities