Every Saturday, Creators premieres a new issue from net art platform and artist collective, FELT Zine.
Growing up on a former military outpost turned tourist town on the west coast of Puerto Rico, Nate Rodriguez-Vera, aka somenerv, was raised on surf and pop culture coming out of the US in the 80s. From a young age, the self-taught digital artist, illustrator, graphic, and motion designer was drawn to the more alternative sides of culture as it was expressed in science fiction graphic novels, comics, books, and movies. Years later, the cultural influencers of his childhood have crept their way back into a prolific 3D art practice exemplified in a short series of digital artworks for the 34th issue of FELT Zine. somenerv’s glossy renderings range from surrealist beach scenes and giant crystalline waves to neon geometric abstractions and textural still lifes. The more tangible landscapes in the series look like a cross between Stargate and Point Break.
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This series for FELT is the product of a journey of creative discovery several decades in the making. After graduating high school in Puerto Rico, Rodriguez-Vera became obsessed with electronic music and rave culture. The blaring noise and strobe lights inspired him to start pursuing music as a drum and bass DJ and music producer. When he moved to New York to attend NYU, he continued to make music and would occasionally DJ small clubs around town to help pay the bills.
During this time, Rodriguez-Vera became increasingly interested in creating visual art to accompany his musical pieces as a way to attract the attention of collaborators and record labels. He started working with Photoshop and Illustrator, designing logos, cover art, and anything else that would generate a “brand” or “visual story” for his sound. In 2016, he took an indefinite hiatus from music and focused exclusively on learning 3D art and began releasing works on social under the pseudonym somenerv.
Check out more works from the issue below:
Check out the 34th Issue of FELT Zine here, and check out more of somenerv’s work on Instagram.
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