THE ARTIST

Well, my name is Ryan Aréstegüi, better known as Mantik around here.  I've been doin' this art stuff or whatever for almost a year now [February is when I started last year].  And I don't plan on stopping any time soon.

'MANTIK'

As for my little Mantik alias, I picked that name up after a long, hard, decision making process involving J and some other friends.  I had people chose between Hyphen, Mantik, and Sidus.  And here we are today, people know me as Mantik, commonly mistaken as Manik >:|

INFLUENTIAL FACTOR


The most influential factors of why I create d.art started in a networking class I had last year.  A guy named Rich Croft, the man behind Ingen.nu would work on his site in class all the time, at the time, I was experimenting with photoshop, but not seriously.  J and I were in that stage that I think most go through which is like, taking a stock photo layering over another image, setting it to dodge or something and being satisfied.  Glad those days are over!

INSPIRATIONS

Things that inspire me to create what I do ranges.  Insomnia is one, there's something about the delirium of clinging to consciousness; it inspires me to create the darker images that i've been creating alot lately.  Drum N' Bass music is another major influence.  The cold, hard and even atmospheric melodies of this type of music is usually playing while I create.  Lust, want, depression, etc, human emotion, is the biggest influence,  every piece I work on IS in some way interrelated with my current emotional, psychological status.

VIEWS ON THE SKINNING COMMUNITY

I don't know much about it, I've been doing this stuff for about 11 months to a year now and I haven't explored the world of skinning yet, which I should.  I know skinners do some of the most techinical work that not only requires an artistic skill, it requires a logical and sense of efficient design, I think.  But then again, what do I know?  I'm definately going to research into skinning, maybe try skinning some stuff, I just hope I it won't require me to take a tutorial because I've yet to take one!

MANTIK's STYLE

As for my style, it seems that EVERYONE knows me for my human modification stuff, so basically photo manipulation.  But where I started was in Abstract/Controlled Chaos Form.  When I first started out, J, better known as Hypertron and I celebrated when we figured out simple things like how to use Particle Systems in 3d.Max.  That is where I'd like to be right now, but I decided to take a side route because I don't want to JUST create abstract forms with beautiful lighting and typographical design, I want it to be harsh, organic and robotic.  I hope to be a mix of styles that implements grunge, abstract.chaos, and if possible, minimalism.  I want to be the next Anders Mike Young Cem Gul Giger Schroeder :D.

THE MUSIC

As for music, I'm a in love with pretty much every genre.  But the main stuff that's been getting airtime over here for me is electronic music. Drum N' Bass, Trance, Tech Step, Atmospheric Drum N' Bass.  Dieselboy, Techinical Itch, Decoder, Stakka and Skynet, RAM Trilogy, DJ Tiesto, Enigma, Ferry Corsten, you name it, I'm listening to it.

THE MOVIES

The top movies on my list are as follows :

• Braveheart
• Matrix
• American Beauty
• Shawshank Redemption
• Mind Overload [a movie I'm in the process of putting together!]
• October Sky
• Tora! Tora!
• and when it comes out Kung Pow : Enter the Fist

Do you create for yourself or for an audience?

I used to create for the audience, but I quickly realized that most people just don't understand my design elements/style and eventually grew to just create to impress myself whenever possible.

FAVORITE WEBSITES

Oh man, my top 3 sites, I have so many, um, there are many more but :

• designgraphik.com
• dform1shiftfunc.net
• surfstation.lu

SOFTWARE/TOOLS

The tools I use :

• Photoshop 6
• 3d Max 3
• Mind

IS THERE REALLY SUCH A THING AS PORNOGRAPHY?

FAVORITE ARTISTS

My favorite artists, again, I have SO many, here's a fiew : Hypertron, Shri, Aerosole, Mike Young, Cem Gul, Nando Costa, H.R. Giger, Anders Schroeder, Rich Croft, and Zander of Kiiroi to name a few.

Moral issues which constrain your creativity

Reality has no morals, it is harsh.

One favorite work and an in-depth explanation or thoughts behind that work

The first real h.mod piece that started it all, Over Dream.  That piece revolved around a fiew things, Over Dream, something that's top secret ;) It's apart of Mind Overload.  The other part is insomnia, and things infesting theirselves upon me.  The infestation relating to anything going against the grain of my path.  It's a dark image because that is when the most goes on, during the night, those sleepless nights when it's just you, your thoughts, and your actions.  A dark reality, spent alone.  

To put the image together, I rendered about 35 organic form objects at different angles, then took them in photoshop and assembled it.  I didn't want any typography simple because it would divert the attention away from those who view it interpreting it how ever they may.  Words put meaning into things, I like to make images that most people can relate to, or pick out meanings when they view them. 

And thankfully, most people do find their own meanings in the images.  My style may be literal in a sense that most of the designs and forms are put together consciouslly.  But when assembled together, they assume an abstract form to certain extents.  Over Dream is a fine example of the early stages of my experimentations in Modified Form. For those that are wondering, the image is a picture of me.  It is 25% 3d.Max, 75% Photoshop Stamp Tool.

Your top three sexiest women, mantik?

FEAR THESE WOMEN!

• TATJANA DRAGOVIC
• LAETITIA CASTA
• AMBER VALLETTA

IF YOU WEREN'T 'PHOTOSHOPPING' WHAT WOULD YOU BE DOING?

If it wasn't for J and Rich, digital arts would not exist in my world.  I'd be still working on analog art, such as penciling in sketches when I'm bored.  I'd probably still be into sports, as well.  I used to be a wide receiver/safety when I played in school. The arts has done so much for me. There's nothing like having fun, testing yourself, learning how to harness your emotions and envisions for inspiration, and building up the skills for a possible career in the future all in one hobbie.  Life is Good.

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