The iridescence of emta
The music we create and digest would have nowhere near the same impact without the artwork that has defined it.
Erik Martin is an artist who deeply understands this, and the past few years have brought him contributions to the music industry that deserve the utmost praise and recognition.
Going by the pseudonym emta, he has invented his own form of iridescence, created art for influential figures in the music industry such as Ableton and Monstercat, and frequently assists in the art direction of FORM’s outstanding charity events.
With an ever expanding range throughout his portfolio, only time will tell where Martin is headed next.
Welcome to Azura Mitsuda. I have the pleasure to sit down with Erik Martin, known to many as the masterful emta.
Introduce yourself.
Hi! I’m Erik, aka emta. I’m a 21 year old artist from California and I’ve been doing art for around 4–5 years now.
How would you describe yourself as a person?
I’m the physical embodiment of ADHD.
How would you describe your creative process?
It’s really just a matter of letting my ideas flow onto a canvas. I’ll usually start with a vague idea of what I want a piece to be about and build it from there. There’s lots of trial and error involved.
Over the past few years, you have formed your type of iridescence. What is the origin of emta color?
The first “emta color” piece I made was in 2019, titled iridescence. I was just playing around with some renders that @artlastnight had sent to me for a collab and I ended up accidentally making this really pretty color palette.
The actual term “emta color” was actually coined around a year later when I was in charge of the branding for All Nighter 4. After we dropped the announcement for the event, Pixondle was jokingly like “woah emta made a new color” and then I said “emta color” and the rest is history :P
A lot of your personal art is definitely strengthened by your self-expression, a prominent part being that you identify as part of the furry fandom. Wanna talk about it?
I’ve considered myself to be a furry since I was 13, although it wasn’t until I was around 18 when I started actively talking to people in the fandom. The reason I kept my distance for such a long time was because I was closeted and I didn’t want people suspecting I was gay. But when I finally started talking to other furries, I felt accepted for who I was. I was finally surrounded by people who understood me. The friends I’ve made in this fandom have really helped me discover who I am.
You’ve also seen success with well-known figures in the music community, such as the label Monstercat, the audio company Ableton, along with an order from EDM sensation Slushii. How would you describe the experience working with such highly-regarded entities?
It honestly just feels surreal working with people that I’ve looked up to growing up.
Monstercat was my introduction to electronic music. So when Going Quantum hit me up in DMs out of nowhere one day asking if I would be down to do some graphics for a Monstercat x Ableton event, I was low-key freaking out and trying hard not to go total fanboy mode. It was really hard to keep it a secret while I was working on it.
I did a limited edition physical piece titled “dead pixels” and the morning after it dropped I saw an order for over $500. At first I was thinking there must have been a mistake and someone’s order got messed up or something like that, but then I checked twitter and saw a DM from Slushii saying he had ordered all 5. That was a really cool moment for me, especially because nobody had ever paid that much for my art before.
A new form of art you have been pursuing is physical pieces, from framed prints to toys you can fiddle around with on your desk. What has it been like to expand your creative palette?
It’s been really fun to expand my horizons and experiment with different mediums. I’ve always had a love for building things so applying that to my art has been a blast.
What has been your most difficult setback since you started making art, and how have you worked to overcome it?
Art block for sure. There were periods last year where I just didn’t have the inspiration to make anything. During those times, I made it a point to not force myself to make art because burnout always just makes things worse! I also browse Pinterest a lot to get inspiration/ideas.
What would you say to someone just starting out in visual art?
Learn design fundamentals early on. They will really help set a good foundation that will help you to make better art.
If you plan on doing commissions, PLEASE don’t undercharge. I see lots of artists charging $15–20 for logos/album art, which is absurdly low. Value yourself! $50+ is a good starting place. As you get more experience working with clients, raise your prices until you find a price that works for you.
Most importantly, try not to get discouraged. It can be difficult seeing other people make crazy good art and feeling like you’ll never get that good. It’s something I struggled with a lot and still struggle with today too. Developing your own style is a long process so don’t expect it to come right away.
Over the years, I more than believe you have earned your place in the community, and I have been excited to see how far you’ve come. Where do you think you’re going to go next?
FORM has some big things planned for the future and I’m really excited to work with the rest of the team to make them a reality.
I’m definitely going to keep experimenting with different styles & mediums and see what works for me. I really want to dip my toes into fashion and kinetic sculpture.
Check out emta’s art on their website, where he showcases his ever expanding portfolio.
