Matt! So great to finally speak to you about your work. To begin, can you introduce yourself to our community? Where are you based and what sort of mediums do you work in?

Yes! It's been a long time in the making. My name is Matt Scobel and I'm a digital artist from the Canadian Rockies. I started my creative career as a photographer, then took on video and film, and now have immersed myself into the world of 3D art...

Multidisciplinary. We love it. When did you first feel that creative spark, that gravity like pull towards making ideas a reality?

Last year while working on my first 3D animation called "Eyes on Earth", I began to realize the amount data that was being collected of our planet. I had that little spark where I started to realize what I was going to do for my next big project. It's now been almost a year that I've been working through this.

Two months ago I was so obsessed that I quit my full time job, put everything else aside and went all in on the concept. I think I finally had my breakthrough :)

Congrats on the shift towards full time creative endeavors… Tell us more about this breakthrough…

Alright, buckle up! :) So back in 2000, the space shuttle Endeavor flew a special 11 day mission to capture the most complete and accurate topographic map of earth. The map used two radar scans taken from different angles to triangulate the elevation of different surface points. They called this SRTM (Space Shuttle Topography Mission).

Since then, various private orgs and governments have also developed processes to get even higher detail terrain maps of smaller areas using LiDAR scanners attached to fixed wing airplanes. Take this, plus satellite images taken from space, reference images taken from the ground, and techniques like photogrammetry and texture scans... I started thinking...what If I could recreate the most iconic landscape photography locations on earth in 3D software using real world data and then take a virtual "photograph" inside the these worlds to mint as an NFT...

Fascinating... so many layers of data, so much potential to push the boundaries of what is possible across the various mediums you inhabit.

I love that you are using inputs that were the result of generations of those before you working to make the impossible real. Do you feel as if this work is connected to the long arc of history in that sense? And what do the final products end up looking like?

Yes 100%. I love that I can trace back the data used in the art to a huge tree of scientific discoveries and innovations. Then at the same time just go to these locations in person and just take in the atmosphere and vibe, and just bring it all together for the final image.

The final output for this series are a single photograph taken with a virtual camera inside the scene. This is a tribute to my roots and what had me fall in love with art to begin with - landscape photography. Here's a little preview of the near final image that will be minted on SuperRare for the genesis in the collection. The potential beyond this is limitless.

When is the drop date and how can people get involved with this endeavor? I'm truly blown away.

The official drop date is planned for September 21st, 2022. In the future, I will be releasing a full whitepaper on how this entire process is done and I would love to inspire more artists to adopt this style of art with a series of tutorials. Collectors of my original series of 12 landscape photos (including my edition which is available on secondary) are also going to get a big surprise in the future.

I've said publicly that of the thousands of landscape images I've taken in my career those will be the only 12 landscape photos you'll ever see on the blockchain. I really plan to reward those who believed in me early and collected this art.

Brilliant. I love how much thought and care you put into your work. You are a shining example of someone playing the long game with deep ideas and we're lucky to bear witness.

Who are some other artists in the space that inspire you to push things past the limits?

First is Digital Blasphemy (Ryan Bliss). Ryan is a true OG and has been making fantasy landscapes as 3D wallpapers since 1990’s. His success on Foundation and his dedication and longevity gave me the confidence I need to take on this long project.

Next is Cath Simard. I’ve worked closely with Cath since February 2021. The way she pushes herself, not only with her art, but also with her marketing and promotion has been a huge inspiration to me. Also the way she collects “little pieces of her puzzle” was a huge inspiration for how I collect the data that need to bring together for my final composite.

Then we have Alpha Centauri Kid. HIs performance art pieces were a huge inspiration for how I see some of this work evolving over the years. I also love how he’s on his own path and feels like he’s immune to the influence of social media and outside perceptions for his work.

Next is Mae. She started her abstract dreamscapes around the same time I started on this project. I’ve watched her share her work and her progress over the last year and seen so many artists and collectors fall in love with her work.

Then there’s Ryan Talbot. I met Ryan in Miami when I was really struggling with some of the pressures I was feeling inside of the photography community. He invited me to lunch and I had a chance to meet him and a few other 3D artists that inspired me to take on this challenge. Ryan’s storytelling through his 3D work also inspired me for a lot of the promo video work I’ve created for this project.

Rueben Wu for his experimental work with light paining and drones and the experimental work he's done with AR and other mediums with his physical prints. He's out here pushing the envelop at every turn and one of my favourite artists in this space.

Finally, Ben Strauss. His work with Transient Labs and experimentation with using real world metadata and interaction within his NFTs is groundbreaking. I think he’s one of the most important innovators in this space and pushed me to realize what’s possible.

Lastly- got any advice for a creative person earlier on their path? What helps you get through the tough parts of choosing a creative life?

Great question. I think everyone's path is so different. Some people find a genre or style early on and are able to obsess and perfect that style their entire career. Others love to experiment and try new styles and ideas. Either way, I believe the key is to just make something every day.

Just try to set an intention every day to do something. Whether that's writing a paragraph for your novel, getting outside to scout a photography location, learning a new 3D skill, putting something on a canvas, or editing an image. Just keep doing something every day and your inspiration and path will find you. Find others who are on the same journey as you, help each other, and try to block out all the other noise.

There's an amazing quote by Seth Godin that's a twist on another quote we've all heard "What would you do if you knew you WOULD fail? Do that". If all the sales went away, if nobody liked or shared your work, if you were guaranteed to have no success, what would you do every single day? As an artist, I feel like if we do this, failure over the long run is impossible.

Matt, thank you so much for taking the time to speak with us today. Eager to see your future unfold and excited for this Genesis SuperRare Drop. To the reader, connect with Matt everywhere by visiting his website.