A Kiwi artist is going global, having his works displayed on billboards across the world – including New York's famous Times Square.
Daniel McKay, who goes by the pseudonym mobotato, is a 3D artist creating short, six- to 10-second animations of robots.
McKay has been working as a 3D generalist and production designer for an Auckland-based company for over 20 years.
When the Covid-19 lockdowns hit, McKay was stuck at home and upon noticing people's newfound interest in NFTs, he started making short and snappy animations that looped.
The short six- to 10-second animations feature robots inspired by the '80s. (Source: Supplied)
"It was fascinating to me that something that I had been doing for years and posting as a bit of fun on social platforms could now be minted and sold to followers of my works," he told 1News.
After he began posting his work to social media, McKay said interest in his creations was growing rapidly even after the lockdowns ended.
"While I took a step back slightly – once we all re-surfaced from our lockdown hangover – the interest in my work has continued to grow," he said.
His ever-increasing following caught the attention of art fanatics worldwide, eventually having his art projected at an exhibition in Paris.
Sotheby's, a European fine arts dealer, auctioned off one of his works as an NFT as a part of their Oddly Satisfying exhibition.
Then, last week McKay was approached by Artcrush Gallery, asking him to join a world tour alongside 45 other 3D artists.
The art is set to be displayed across 10 cities, with New York City's Times Square being the first stop.
"To have your work playing in Times Square is something I never figured possibly just a couple of years ago, but here we are," he said.
"They also go the extra mile to provide each artist with these professionally produced little edits of their works playing in situ, so you can imagine my surprise when I saw this.
"My daughter couldn’t believe it."
He said the response to his art has been "really positive", with crowds gathering to take videos and pictures as his work loops.
"I keep getting told my work has a unique look – generally described as colourful and fun. I'm a child of the '80s, so I love to throw in the odd retro pop culture reference from that time as well.
"It's honestly all a bit of fun and to have these crazy li'l bots appearing in one of the most famous locations in the world – at that scale – is definitely a highlight."
McKay’s works will next appear in Tokyo and Milan, then popping up at various locations in San Francisco, Melbourne, Amsterdam, Lagos, and Paris.
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