FVCKRENDER, the artistic alias of Montreal-based Frédéric Duquette, creatively weds the imagination with cutting-edge technology, breaking the borders between the tangible and the digital. His creations are supernatural visuals brimming with symbolism: translucent, eerily humanoid figures sprout delicate roses from within while gleaming chains catch the light and play a dazzling game of texture and brilliance.
For me, chains mean community and getting together, snakes mean people preventing you from doing what you really wanna do, and flowers are a self-expression of growing
FVCKRENDER
Describing his practice as therapeutic, Duquette implants deeply intimate meanings into his pieces —snakes represent obstacles imposed by others, chains symbolise community and unity, and flowers express personal growth and self-expression.
Throughout his works, he seeks to challenge perceptions and arouse emotion, rendering these sentiments in surreal dreamscapes. The visual splendour of each piece lures you into a dance of intrigue that provokes thought. This dance of intrigue has gained global acclaim, as well as a solid social media following across platforms and a dedicated followership of collectors. Consequently, his work has stopped crowds at his IRL (In Real Life) LVCIDIA premiere in New York City and has earned millions in revenue with his FVCK_CRYSTAL project.
His body of work boldly occupies both physical and digital spaces, envisioning fantastical worlds that capture the imagination—a perfect blend of technology and artistic expression. Within this labyrinth of creativity, he crafts immersive environments that evoke sensory and emotional responses, allowing viewers to actively engage with his work, making each encounter distinct and memorable. Light plays a fundamental role in FVCKRENDER’s creations; it is where the magic begins.
His manipulations of light produce hypnotic effects, influencing the mood, texture, and overall depth of each piece. FVCKRENDER’s precise control over light within his digital domain opens up creative possibilities that surpass traditional artistic techniques, enabling him to envision and construct scenes that might otherwise be impossible in reality. In this way, he acts as a deity of light, commanding the elements to conjure worlds that exist only in the furthest reaches of the imagination. Recently, we had the opportunity to delve deeper into FVCKRENDER’s artistic journey, exploring the inspirations behind his ground-breaking use of technology and light.
Please introduce yourself to those who may not know you or be unfamiliar with your work.
FVCKRENDER: Hi, I’m Fvckrender, a digital artist based in Montreal.
What inspired you to pursue a career as an artist? Can you share your journey in the arts?
FVCKRENDER: Honestly, I never really wanted to have a career in art, I just started doing art to feel better and occupy my brain. I was lucky enough that a few months after I started, I was getting gigs on Instagram and a pretty good following, which led to where I am at now!
Your practice is heavily inspired by nature and light. It blends futuristic and surreal elements, creates symbolic alternate worlds, and features motifs like snakes, flowers, and chains. Can we delve into your practice and inspiration, exploring how these symbols evolved in your work and whether they carry personal significance beyond their general meanings?
FVCKRENDER: For me, I’m very interested in how light works and bounces on objects. Initially, these elements started just because I liked how light was reacting to it and the more time passed, the more I started to feel attached to these elements. For me, chains mean community and getting together, snakes mean people preventing you from doing what you really wanna do, and flowers are a self-expression of growing.
Building on that, nature and light are significant inspirations for you. How do you translate the ephemeral qualities of light and natural forms into the digital medium, and what techniques do you use to alter these elements in ways that defy real-life logic?
Fvckrender: My all-time goal is to make things that wouldn’t make sense in real life. I wanna defy what’s possible in real life and experiment with these digital materials and lighting!
In addition, your works have been described as odd and dreamlike yet swathed in incredibly realistic digital textures. Could you discuss the process and technology behind achieving such high levels of realism in your textures and how this contributes to the uncanny loop between the real and surreal in your work?
FVCKRENDER: This is really interesting because over the years, the tools got so powerful and so realistic. When I started, rendering anything would take so much time, and I couldn’t really focus on realism or complexity, you had to deal with how much time you had to render. Now we are getting into an age of real time rendering, which makes everything super fast and quicker to get the visual vision you really want to achieve!
How do you balance these elements to maintain a cohesive aesthetic across your works, and what challenges do you face in merging these different styles?
FVCKRENDER: Honestly, I don’t think too much about this. I never was the type of artist to block myself in respect to any visual guidance. I create art to feel better, and I found my artistic vision. I try to respect it as much as I can, but I don’t stress about trying something different; I’m not here to impress anyone, haha!!
Considering your work blurs the boundaries between render and reality, how do you think advancements in digital technology will further impact this dynamic in the art world, and what role do you see yourself playing in this evolving landscape?
FVCKRENDER: I think tools and tech are evolving so fast, one day we will probably see the same thing we are seeing with digital and film cameras, and people will go back to slower rendering and less complex materials. Honestly I’m here for it, all these new complex tools are overwhelming to me.
You developed your own metaverse to exhibit your works. How does this digital space influence how you conceive and create art, and do you see it entirely changing the traditional norms of art exhibition and viewer engagement?
FVCKRENDER: I consider myself a digital sculptor and I design digital art installations. The best way to view these, in my opinion, is by creating an immersive virtual experience using a game engine. I want people to experience art in different ways; I want people to get lost in my art virtually and physically.
With EXISTENCE// (2021), your venture into physical art forms marked your first non-digital sculpture. How did transitioning from digital to physical mediums affect your creative process, and do you foresee integrating more physical elements in your future work?
FVCKRENDER: It’s pretty funny because back in those days, I was 100% into digital art, and I had no interest in doing physical art. One day, I felt depressed and stuck, and I needed to try something new; I needed to push myself outside of my comfort zone. The transition was not that bad, to be honest, and I was able to have my first sculpture ever made sold at Christie’s, which really gave me the confidence to pursue this vision of mine!
You’ve mentioned that your art serves as a document of life and a diary for your personal emotions and experiences, particularly in dealing with trauma and anxiety. How do you navigate the line between personal expression and public interpretation in your work?
FVCKRENDER: I want people to feel something different from what I felt making it. I want people looking at my art to have their own emotions, and sometimes they might feel nothing and just appreciate it and it’s totally fine. Not every artwork I create means something to me specifically, but in the whole body of work it means everything!
How do you maintain your creative output despite challenges like irregularity and repetition in the artistic process?
FVCKRENDER: I have these phases every few years when I get super depressed about my art, and now I know this just means I’m getting comfortable and I need to push myself and learn something new.
Looking ahead, are there specific themes or artistic methods you are particularly eager to explore?
FVCKRENDER: Right now, I’m really excited to bring people together in our physical location in Montreal, and I want to create sculptures that feel digital but are physical. I want to fool the human eye and I want everyone to own a FVCKRENDER piece in their home.
Could you share your philosophy of art? How do you describe and understand art’s core importance in your life and career?
FVCKRENDER: I’m probably the worst artist when we are talking about art and art history. I quit school pretty early with barely any art education. I think art is everything, but also nothing. In my book, as long as making art makes you feel better, you are doing something right.
This was artist FVCKRENDER if you want to learn more and keep up with his work head over to website or Instagram link below
©2024 FVCKRENDER
Len is a curator and a contributing writer at Art Plugged, a platform for contemporary art; he also engages in web development, design, and marketing.
