{"id":8206,"date":"2022-02-21T00:37:44","date_gmt":"2022-02-21T00:37:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/nftandcrypto-news.com\/art\/james-jean-nfts-elevate-digital-art-to-the-same-status-as-paintings\/"},"modified":"2022-02-21T00:37:50","modified_gmt":"2022-02-21T00:37:50","slug":"james-jean-nfts-elevate-digital-art-to-the-same-status-as-paintings","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nftandcrypto-news.com\/art\/james-jean-nfts-elevate-digital-art-to-the-same-status-as-paintings\/","title":{"rendered":"James Jean: ‘NFTs Elevate Digital Art to the Same Status as Paintings’"},"content":{"rendered":"
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James Jean is a multitalented visual artist with a whimsical, surreal style that\u2019s instantly recognizable. The Taiwanese-American illustrator and painter is most widely known for the cover art he created for DC and Marvel Comics, which earned him seven Eisner awards (the comics industry\u2019s equivalent of the Academy Awards). He also made the movie posters for several feature films. Most notably, he did the artwork for The Shape of Water,<\/em> Blade Runner 2049<\/em>, and Mother!<\/em>. He also created animated films and wallpaper prints for Prada, and has had his paintings and drawings featured in exhibitions worldwide. <\/p>\n

However, Jean recently started to explore a new artistic medium: NFTs. <\/p>\n

Jean\u2019s first NFT, \u201cSlingshot,\u201d was released on March 4, 2021. Shortly after, in September of the same year, he released \u201cCrayon Eater.\u201d Both auctions were a remarkable success, selling for roughly 158 ETH ($444k) and 18 ETH ($54K), respectively. <\/p>\n

However, these two pieces were only the beginning of Jean\u2019s journey of exploration and discovery with NFTs. Today, he is unveiling \u201cWoodcutter Awakening\u201d on SuperRare, an Ethereum-based digital art market. The auction is set to end on Feb. 18, 2022, at 6 pm PST. The winner of the auction will receive the 8K MOV file and exclusive access to future drops.<\/p>\n

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Uncovering the Woodcutter Awakening NFT<\/h2>\n

The piece is a digitally-rendered animation that Jean created in collaboration with Zachary Corzine, a 3D director known for his experimental, hyper-real animations. Nosaj Thing, a record producer who created the haunting accompaniment, also collaborated on the project. In an interview with nft now, Jane commented on the success of his work with Corzine and Thing, noting that the duo enabled him to \u201ctranslate what\u2019s in my mind\u2019s eye into a complete visual and auditory experience.\u201d<\/p>\n

The animation is just over a minute long and shows a young boy who, like a phoenix, is transformed and reborn through immolation. As the fire passes over the boy\u2019s gray and stony flesh, his skin is metamorphosed into a bright and vibrant array of colors. However, these vivid colors last only a moment, as the boy\u2019s skin is quickly covered in moss and, from there, transforms back into stone. <\/p>\n

Jane outlined the meaning of the work in a statement, noting that the boy\u2019s skin was hardened into stone \u201cthrough diligence and labor,\u201d which is then burned away to reveal his true colors. Jane notes that moss signifies a cycle of renewal, as \u201cthe mycelium and moss regrow the Woodcutter, only to become fuel again for a ceremony of combustion.\u201d <\/p>\n

Ultimately, the woodcutter project began nearly 15 years ago, in 2007, with Jean\u2019s \u201cKindling\u201d etching. It shows a hunched older man carrying sticks through a dense forest. Jane stated that he decided to turn to animation in this piece because he wanted to explore a dimension beyond his physical work. \u201cThe Woodcutter Awakening can be seen as a moving painting, engaging the dimension of time and allowing me to express the narrative of the Woodcutter in a new way,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n

Jane clarified that he decided to use NFTs because of the way in which they \u201celevate digital art to the same status as physical paintings and sculpture\u201d and unite individuals together. \u201cNFTs complete the conceptual ecosystem of the patron, collector, and artist. At the end of the day, an artwork exists only in the mind and the memory, and the blockchain allows this activity of patronage and collecting to be codified in new and exciting ways, allowing for previously impossible creative projects to exist,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n