Brad Novak (aka New Blood Pop) continues to explore uncanny juxtaposition, not in the US or UK, but rather closer to home for his first solo show in Napier NZ with Boyd-Dunlop Gallery. Superheroes meet vintage actresses in this exciting and distinctly urban body of work titled ‘Hero Techno Retro’.

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Bright colour gradients, oscillating dots, paint splatters and his signature ‘digital eye detail’ leave subtlety firmly at the door. The over-arching message Novak wants to convey once again deals with what the artist calls ‘The Digital Dilemma’.

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This increasingly technological world was supposed to make our lives easier. The allure of more downtime and a decreasing burden in our busy lives was a false promise if ever there was one. Rather than making our lives simpler, and slower, the digital (and internet-based) world is speeding everything up. We think we are more connected (more ‘friends’… more likes… empty dopamine hits… which the artist compares to crack cocaine in the 80’s – except this epidemic is more pervasive). In the artist’s own words:

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“I believe those of us who can remember first-hand what it was like before the internet have a duty to future generations - it’s increasingly hard for us to switch off and we didn’t even grow up with smart phones. This is not the path to happiness. What will our children’s lives be like? These artworks continue to be my commentary, and warning, about the problems with an ever-increasing technological age”.