"In my art, I explore the depth of materials and the tension between tradition and technology, delving into the timeless nature of craft and the rich tapestry of history. Each piece is a journey through texture and technique, where the tangible meets the digital, creating works that are as much about feeling and experiencing the historical depth as they are about seeing." — Randy Kart / DEXROIX
Randy Kart, born in Wayne, Michigan—an industrial hub of creativity and manufacturing just beyond the borders of Detroit—has devoted over 25 years to cultivating an artistic style that bridges the physical world of materials with the infinite potential of the digital. His artistic journey is deeply intertwined with his family’s rich heritage, where craftsmanship was not just a skill but a way of life. His work connects this heritage to the cutting edge, creating pieces that resonate with both historical significance and modern innovation.
Kart’s paternal grandfather was a master pinstriper for the legendary REO Motor Car Company, a role that demanded unwavering precision and dedication to perfection. In the early 20th century, the art of pinstriping was far more than mere decoration—it was the embodiment of excellence, the final touch that elevated a vehicle to a work of art. Each line was painstakingly applied with small brushes, requiring a steady hand and a deep understanding of the paint’s viscosity and behavior. The paints themselves were meticulously mixed by hand, combining the right pigments to achieve hues that were as bold as they were delicate. The world of automotive craftsmanship at that time was one of raw skill, where machines provided the muscle, but it was the human touch that brought beauty to life. Beyond the assembly lines, Kart’s grandfather was a simple engineer, crafting clever contraptions out of wood—functional and elegant devices for local entertainers and magicians. These creations, though simple in their mechanics, were masterful examples of how ingenuity could breathe life into the inanimate. His legacy lives on in Kart’s hands, where the precision and patience of pinstriping translate into the careful manipulation of materials in his own work.
On Kart’s maternal side, his grandfather—a French chef and boxer—instilled the family with a sense of discipline and creativity. In the kitchen, he approached cooking not as a chore, but as an artistic endeavor, blending flavors and textures with the same care a painter applies to their palette. His mastery of French cuisine required an intimate understanding of balance, patience, and control, mirroring the lessons he’d learned in the boxing ring. The physicality of both disciplines left a lasting imprint on Kart, teaching him the value of form, focus, and resilience. These influences blend seamlessly into Kart’s artistic ethos, where the structure and rigor of his grandfather’s crafts echo in the textures and patterns he uses to compose his own work.
Kart’s father, a man shaped by the social turbulence of the 1920s and 30s, was a childhood friend of Malcolm Little, long before he became the towering figure of Malcolm X. Their friendship was built on shared experiences, innocent and equal in a time when racial divisions were harsh and unforgiving. To Kart’s father, Malcolm was not a symbol of color or the civil rights movement he would later lead; he was simply a friend. It was this unadulterated connection, rooted in human kindness rather than social constructs, that had a profound impact on Kart’s understanding of human relationships. It was a time when race defined so much of life in America, and yet, his father’s friendship with Malcolm spoke to a world where people were not defined by the color of their skin. His father’s sensitivity extended beyond personal connections and into his work as a textile designer. Working with fabrics and textures, he transformed raw materials into soft, tangible creations that stirred both function and emotion. The tactility of these materials, the way they moved and felt, left an indelible mark on Kart, shaping his own creative expression where textures take center stage.
Kart’s mother, too, played a pivotal role in shaping his artistic lens. During the height of Cold War tensions, she served as a sky watcher and filterer, scanning the skies for signs of enemy aircraft or missile threats. It was a role steeped in responsibility and vigilance—every small movement in the sky could have been a harbinger of global catastrophe. In this era of geopolitical uncertainty, her ability to detect the subtlest changes in patterns or movements in the sky was critical. The stakes were high, and the precision of her observations could mean the difference between safety and disaster. This meticulous focus on the smallest details—where even the slightest anomaly could signal something profound—instilled in Kart an appreciation for the power of observation. His mother’s gift for pattern recognition shaped his artistic process, encouraging him to look deeper and find meaning in the subtlest of details, a hallmark of his work today.
Educated at the internationally recognized College for Creative Studies (CCS) in Detroit, Kart honed his skills and expanded his artistic vision. Over the years, he evolved from a traditional painter and sculptor to a digital pioneer, merging the tactile with the technological to push the boundaries of contemporary art. His work blends the influences of his family’s craftsmanship with modern technology, transforming physical materials through manipulation—stretching, tearing, and shaping—before integrating them into the digital realm using machine learning. The result is a fusion of history and innovation, where each piece carries the depth of craftsmanship and the possibilities of the future.
As an artist, Kart marries these family influences with a deep exploration of modern technology. His process begins in the physical realm, where materials such as metal, canvas, and cotton are manipulated, bent, torn, and stretched. Kart doesn’t simply impose force on these materials; he engages in a dialogue with them, guiding their transformation while allowing the material itself to shape its evolution. Each manipulation leaves an imprint—sometimes subtle, sometimes bold—that tells a story of tension, pressure, and release. These physical interactions are rooted in the craftsmanship of his ancestors, where every movement is deliberate, and every change in texture carries meaning.
From the physical, Kart transitions his work into the digital, where he uses machine learning and deep learning technologies to explore and transform these materials further. The shift from tactile, raw manipulation to precise digital refinement creates a tension that defines his work. The hard, textured materials of the physical world become fluid under the lens of artificial intelligence, where the subtleties of data manipulation reveal new layers of complexity. It is a place where the tactile and the technological converge, where tradition meets innovation, and where the analog world finds harmony with the digital.
This fusion of tactile experience and digital precision is what defines Randy Kart’s art. His creations are more than just visual experiences—they are journeys across time, textures, and techniques. Each piece invites viewers to explore the layers of history, craftsmanship, and technology embedded within, evoking a sense of nostalgia for the past while pushing the boundaries of what is possible in the future. Through his art, Kart honors the legacy of his family while forging a path toward the next frontier of creative expression.
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