Peter Britt Favinger
Peter Britt Favinger is a Brooklyn-based artist and freelance designer, creating dreamscape environments and imaginary interiors that bridge the gap between digital and reality. To see his work and connect, search “peterbrittfavinger” on Instagram, Peter Britt Favinger on LinkedIn, or visit peterfavinger.com.
We commissioned Brooklyn-based artist Peter Britt Favinger to create a series of images that reimagine our sculptural series, Molecule, within the vibrant and expressive architecture of South India that first inspired it. Molecule’s whimsical forms find their place in Indian roomscapes brought to life by Peter. As our August muse, he shares his thoughts on moving between fine art and digital art, the challenges of freelance work, and on being "a softie," alongside the beautiful scenes he created for Molecule.
Utharaa: Tell us about your creative practice, how did you start?
Peter: A lot of my early creative process revolved around music - how certain songs, chords, lyrics, and progressions generate imagery in my mind that I then decide to prioritize by thinking "which of these concepts do I want to focus on?"
I come from a fine art background of drawing and painting, so when I began working in 3D, I wanted to familiarize myself with other art practices I wasn't really attentive to before, like architecture, design and furniture. I'd walk down a street in Manhattan or Brooklyn, and pick architectural elements to try and place into dreamscape like environments in Blender. I chose Blender, despite programs like Cinema4D and Maya being the industry standard, because of the incredible amount of free resources available on youtube. Something I’ve learned over the years is that while it’s good to learn other programs, if you excel at what you do and you’re able to put yourself out there and make connections, the software won’t really matter.
Utharaa: Was it harder to start or sustain it?
Pete: Freelance is tough. The past five years included having another part-time job to sustain myself. It's also been challenging to go through the hurdles and frustrations of a changing social media landscape, as well as the growing increase in AI generated work. I often have to ask myself "where do I go from here? Despite my career in 3D, I am not a fan of AI, so I ask how do I find ways to stand out and still work in this industry?" Fortunately, over time I've been able to carve out a space for me in a sea of AI enthusiasts.
Utharaa: Do you have one passion or many? Your interests and work span fine art and digital art (is this the right term?). Do they make you feel differently?
Pete: There are definitely passions outside of art - quite a few of these are nerdy, so brace yourselves - Weight lifting, watching anime, taking photos on film, building model kits, rollerblading, ice skating and so on. Some of these have been depicted in my art, although often times I keep them separate from one another.
I would say digital art is the right term. There is that difference between the physical and the digital due to the mediums. Where they intersect is in my knowledge of building composition. It's important to have an understanding of the elements of art to create work that feels good to the eyes. It's like looking through the viewfinder of a camera when I draw or make a rendering. A goal of mine I set out to accomplish when making 3d work is to create imagery that is engaging, something that makes you simultaneously look all over and draw you in.
Digital art has been the focus of my practice since 2018, as well as becoming my main form of income. However, reintroducing drawing and painting into my life, which had been in my life since I was 8!, has helped create a balance from the fast paced nature of client work. It's a return to something that I know. It's the muscle memory, training the eyes, the hands, to look and move a certain way when applying pencil to paper.
“It’s like looking through the viewfinder of a camera”
Utharaa: Do you think about 'softness' at all? Would you say you are soft?
Pete: When I’m working on renderings, whether they are exterior or interior environments, I think about the softness I want within the shadows of lit objects. Soft shadows create the mood and ambiance in a rendering—softness that only adds, and never competes with, the main subject matter.
As for me being soft—I think that’s always been the case. I have ADHD and OCD and am naturally inclined to anxiety. What’s greatly helped reduce the burden of these challenges has been almost 20 years of consistent medication and therapy. This is a lifelong process I’ll always have to deal with, and it has made me very cognizant of my feelings and emotions. There might be a connection to softness there—being in touch with your feelings. Plus, I have tattoos for my mom, dad, and sister, which feels like an "Oh, what a softie!" kind of thing, because I love my family immensely.
Utharaa: How would you describe your relationship with art, objects, and design?
Pete: Art has always been in my life since I was 8 or 9—constantly drawing, constantly doing something creative. Now, 20 years on, that’s still the case, although I’m able to express it in different ways. With my interests in design and furniture, I try to find designers and furniture makers that I admire and incorporate their work into dreamscape environments or realistic interiors. This fosters collaboration and broadens my horizons about what it means to be an artist, especially in today’s age.
Utharaa: What do you wish was different?
Pete: Oh man, that could truly be a whole interview in and of itself! I guess I’ll say it would be nice to have a subway system here in NYC that didn’t suck.
