Dealing Nostalgia with 2Turnt Kurt’s POKÉMON ART

written by Gill Princen

Meet Kurt, aka 2Turnt Kurt, the Chicago-based designer and digital artist who is transforming your favourite pocket monster into Vaporwave pixel artworks. With a history in music and fashion, Yokogao is curious what drove 2Turnt Kurt to creating peak nostalgia through a fusion of Pokémon, Vaporwave, and pixel art.

courtesy of 2Turnt Kurt

So first of all. Why Pokémon and only Pokémon?

Like many other millennials growing up in the 90’s Pokémon was one of the biggest cultural movements of our lifetimes. The first IP I got into as a kid was Power Rangers and watching American cartoons like X-Men, Scooby Doo, Batman, Spider-Man, Street Sharks and Gargoyles was what life was about. However, none of these franchises had the same cultural impact as Pokémon did when it was imported from Japan to the states and the rest of the globe. Growing up playing Pokémon games on GameBoy Color, watching the animated series every Saturday morning, and getting ripped off by older kids on the playground while trading the cards always bring back fond memories for me. 

Some of my first posts on my Instagram account in 2015 were very simple Pokémon edits, experimenting with different color palettes and more urban themes. I had done a variety of cartoon character edits around this time but Pokémon always had the best engagement and there really seemed to be a strong sense of nostalgia there, as well as a strong community consisting of people of all ages. For this reason, Pokémon felt like something fulfilling to specialize in and at the time was coming up in popularity again due to the release of Pokémon Go, but was nowhere as big as it is currently. So I kind of just naturally rode that wave in parallel and here I am today. Pokémon for me is a great escape from reality.

Courtesy of 2Turnt Kurt

Your designs are a blend of pixel art and vaporwave design, where did the inspiration to head into this direction come from?

Traditionally in America anime was always looked at as “nerdy or weird”, but around 2015 it seemed like the tides were turning culturally where anime was becoming “cool” thanks to the internet. During this time Pokémon kind of began merging with vaporwave culture and I always thought the Pokémon characters I grew up with should now grow up with me also to fit into the “scene” of hip-hop and vaporwave culture.

Instagram was the spark of inspiration for me to pursue showcasing Pokémon artwork and other artists doing niche Pokémon inspired vaporwave edits like my favorite artist @Silphwave helped cement a digital scene and movement, where the genre started expanding.

Courtesy of 2Turnt Kurt

For years I only did cartoon edits but as the years went on I got into experimenting with 3D graphics and other styles. I’ve always admired pixel art but never made any attempts at it until 2023 when new technology helped me try to replicate the style as best I could. I never really considered myself a pixel artist and was more so just experimenting with its aesthetic (as I can typically get bored quickly with my art style).

I always like to be experimenting and trying new things when it comes to the art and content I produce. I ended up dedicating some time to learning about bit-mapping and after some practice I feel like I have grown when it comes to creating pixel inspired art and I try to work it into my toolbox when I can. I will forever be obsessed with primarily using the “Vaporwave” color palette and at this point in time is my signature.

Courtesy of 2Turnt Kurt

Once you reach your goal of designing the first generation, will you continue into the newer generations

Yes I will continue doing more Pokémon generations after the original 151 art project is complete. I would also like to do other characters from the Gundam, Mario, Digimon, and Yu-gi-oh universes. 

What does your creative process look like and what software do you use?

When it comes to my creative process I tend to just pick out a Pokémon and start experimenting with colors and themes until something gets some traction. I tend to finish each piece in one sitting and any piece can take  anywhere from 2 to 6 hours depending on the complexity. Over the years I’ve been getting much more efficient with time and can release more content.

I use primarily Adobe Photoshop/Illustrator and recently started working assets from Midjourney and Dall-E into some pieces.

A lot of people ask how I make the wireframes for the Pokémon. I do not make them myself but rather download 3D models extracted from various video games themselves. I like the thought or concept of carrying over a 3D model from a N64 game over to my computer into photoshop to edit, then finally posting it on the internet where it’s primarily viewed via mobile phone. My subject matter is heavily influenced by technology and I think it’s cool how the process stitches so many mediums together and it brings things full circle in a punk rock kind of way. 

Courtesy of 2Turnt Kurt

What’s your favourite Pokémon?

Gengar Geng Geng till I die! Gengar represents my personality well and I identify with Gengar as my mascot. The Gengar evolution line is my favorite and after that the Alakazam evolution line. I like dark and macabre subject matter so these two evolution lines always stood out to me in that vein. Other mentionable shoutouts go to Venusaur, Snorlax, and the most metal Pokémon of all time Houndoom \m/.

Anything else you would like to share about your work?

I would like to thank all the amazing Japanese artists who laid down the foundation for Pokémon and I hope to continue to help keep the culture alive. I want to thank all of the amazing people who have supported my artwork and my journey over the years, this is just the beginning to what the future holds!

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Follow 2Turnt Kurt on Instagram.

Check out all his merchandise on 2TurtnShirts.store.

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