PARIS, Oct. 30,
2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Artprice is proud to present the
NFT work Flow by Josh
Pierce on the cover of its latest Annual Report on the
Contemporary and Ultra-Contemporary Art Market, published
just in time for the Frieze London and Paris+ by Art Basel art fairs and available for free.
"Digital creation brings a wonderful breath of fresh air to
the art world" enthuses thierry Ehrmann, CEO of Artmarket.com
and Founder of Artprice. "This artistic turning point deserves
to be examined with the greatest attention by all collectors and
art enthusiasts."
The work Flow by Josh
Pierce on the cover of Artprice's 2023 Contemporary Art
Market Report, available in English and French for free on
www.artprice.com
Auction result for the work Pristine (2021) by
Josh Pierce on the website
www.artprice.com
NFT technology not only offers a simple and suitable way to
collect digital art – an artistic format that perhaps best
represents the age we live in – but it also allows us to establish
links between artists, works, and collectors, as well as all the
other protagonists of the international art world on the
Blockchain. As NFT artworks become more common in museums and
auction catalogs, alongside their growth on dedicated platforms,
they are writing a new page in Art History.
Artist Josh Pierce talks to
Artprice about his work, his technique, his vision of NFTs, as well
as his inspirations and his favorites. He invites us to delve into
his spectacular work where the human being contemplates a natural
world re-enchanted by a mysterious, luminous, fantastic, and
soothing presence.
1. Your works celebrate a type of harmony between the real
world and the digital world. Do you believe that such a symbiosis
really exists, or is possible?
Jpierce: Yes, I do believe that the real world and
the digital world can coexist harmoniously. This kind of symbiosis
is a theme in my work for a reason. I believe that all things are
interconnected. When we are able to tap into that knowledge we can
create and share from a much deeper place. We have a chance to make
the world a better place, even in a very small way. In my view,
everything that is created by human beings is both an expression of
this earthly experience and an extension of our own inner worlds. I
don't see work created with digital tools any differently. At one
point the paintbrush was invented, and so was the camera, and now
we have these new tools for self-expression and for creating art
digitally. This opens up entirely new possibilities that we haven't
even begun to conceive of. Even though life is getting more and
more digital, I don't really think that people are generally going
to want to live in a futuristic technotopia, completely
disconnected from nature. I believe we will always need that
connection with the living world because really we are a part of
it. With that said I think that audiences will always resonate with
natural elements because we have a need to stay in close contact
with nature. So it doesn't matter whether that art is created
digitally or in any other way.
2. What is technique according to you when it comes to
digital art? Why aren't creative software apps and their
pre-programmed libraries enough to create a work of art? Why isn't
Artificial Intelligence enough?
Jpierce: Technique is something that is honed over
time and has as much to do with the eye as it does with the hand.
There is a difference in my view of something that is art and
something that is simply craft. While craft, or technique, is
extremely important, it does not equate to art. Art is about an
individual's expression and their own channeling or interpretation
of the divine, via the conscious act of creation. No machine can
ever do that. Having access to an amazing array of tools can only
modify the level of technique that goes into a work's creation.
It's like using a stencil, or a screen printing process such as
with Warhol. Ultimately it doesn't have anything to do with "how"
the work is made and everything to do with "why" the work is made.
This is the key distinction in my mind. Humans can build a machine
to spit out any millions of copies or iterations of beautiful
images, poetry or music, but without the artist's intention, the
"why" will always be missing. These creations will always lack the
soul. Artificial Intelligence is yet another tool that can make our
lives easier, handling some of the tedious work, but again will
never be able to replace the artist's divinely guided
hand.
3. How would you define the originality of your artistic
production in comparison to your job as a graphic
designer?
Jpierce: As you might have already noticed, lately
I've been fascinated with the idea of works of art being channeled
from beyond. It isn't even so much about personal expression as it
relates to one's own life but more about capturing the particular
flavor of the signals that are coming to you as an artist. I think
in all fulfilling and meaningful work there needs to be this spark
of creativity. For me as a designer working on a team, creativity
is more involved in concept and technical execution than it is in
personal expression. I still find a lot of joy in the creative
process of problem-solving and of bringing to life a message
through means of visual communication. On the other end, my
personal work brings that same inspiration into more abstract
modalities such as color, composition, and tone. This kind of
inspiration isn't about solving a problem but about creating a
harmony between, space, form, value and emotional resonance. I work
much more intuitively when it comes to my personal work, as one
would expect, and I think originality emerges as a result of that
interplay between inspiration and technique, as well as intuition
and serendipity.
4. What relationship do you have with the world of NFTs?
Do you feel connected to your collectors, the platforms you use, or
maybe even other artists?
Jpierce: I find it very interesting that the world
of NFTs has become so broad and has come to encompass such a large
variety of projects. This new technology built on the blockchain is
capable of so many things and the ability to represent uniquely
ownable digital items is only a very small part of what is being
explored. As an artist, I am extremely grateful that my work can
now be collected and owned by individuals and institutions that
want to see work like mine promoted in the art world. Since this
wasn't really possible before, an entirely new wave of artists and
collectors have found their way into a crossroads with traditional
art markets. It's a very exciting time. Most of the people who have
collected my work thus far have been smaller entities or
individuals and almost exclusively have been buying for the right
reasons. That is, they connect deeply with the message and have an
emotional response to the work, and for that reason I feel very
connected. Platforms have also been incredibly helpful, and while
they are evolving and changing over time, I feel very connected to
the individuals I have built relationships with who may or may not
remain connected to those various platforms. The community of
artists and tech enthusiasts is the backbone of the NFT world and I
feel very grateful to have many wonderful friendships within it, as
it positions itself for the next push into the mainstream art
world.
5. Are you satisfied with the current functioning of the
web3/NFT ecosystem or do you feel it lacks something? For example,
would you like to be supported by a gallery or see your work
physically exhibited in a museum?
Jpierce: I'm definitely very interested in my work
being exhibited in a gallery or museum and can say enthusiastically
that the time for this is coming sooner rather than later! Digital
artists have particular challenges in displaying work, usually
implementing LED screens or projectors. Personally, I really like
the option of physical prints and utilizing augmented reality
technology to bring them to life. I think this marries the physical
world with the digital world much more intimately than moving
screens which I always find slightly alienating. It also grounds
the work in the physical space, guaranteeing no technical glitches,
which would only occur on the user's device and don't affect the
overall gallery experience. In terms of representation, I believe
it's only a matter of time before the transition to digital art
becomes mainstream. I do hope that as the value of work such as
mine becomes recognized more and more by the world, that the art
scene will begin to embrace it and digital artists will have a home
in more traditional exhibition spaces.
6. Two of your NFT creations have already sold at
Sotheby's. How does it feel to see the traditional art market take
an interest in your work and that of other digital
artists?
Jpierce: Certainly, there are few higher honors than to
see my work on display and at auction at Sotheby's - made even more
special by getting to go there in person and see it in their
gallery in France in March of
2023. Seeing my work there makes me very proud of myself and the
hard work and dedication I've committed to my practice over the
years. Of course, no matter the outcome, I have, and always will,
create purely for the joy of sharing what I believe to be an
important expression of human connection with nature and of the
evolution of human consciousness. For that reason, any high profile
sale or exhibition only draws more eyes and ears to what it is that
I feel I need to say. For digital artists in general I think this
also applies. We are seeing an entirely new generation of creative
minds reach into the collective psyche and hold up these choice
findings for examination. Eventually, traditional art markets will
have to embrace that just as every avant-garde movement has pushed
the boundaries of medium, subject matter, taboos, and even concept
itself. In the future hindsight will reveal that this question of
adoption in the eyes of critics always had a foregone conclusion.
It's inevitable that digital artists will be seen on the same level
as all other widely respected mediums.
7. In your work, we can glimpse a romanticism close to
that of Caspar David Friedrich's
Wanderer, or imagine a connection with installations by
Andy Goldsworthy. Do any artists or
works particularly inspire you?
Jpierce: I can appreciate those comparisons! I have
taken to considering myself a spiritual artist, in that what I
create comes from and attempts to transmit a connection with a
spiritual dimension. In some ways, we might simply consider this
the realm of the magical. There is a deep magic in the world, and
it can't really be talked about, measured or captured with concepts
and words. So I use art to convey an emotion that is commonly felt
and more commonly forgotten, dismissed or deemed irrelevant. As far
as inspiration, I have always been drawn to nature and to classical
landscape painting and photography. Certainly also, Goldsworthy and
Friedrich are powerful inspirations for my work. I grew up
marveling at the fantasy landscape work of Roger Dean, and the psychedelic visionary art of
Alex Grey. I've also drawn
inspiration from the neon work of Dan
Flavin, as well as the work done with cloud formations by
Cai Guo-Qiang. I've appreciated at times many other artists who
worked within landscapes including Richard
Serra and Robert
Smithson.
8. Are there any digital artists whom you would
wholeheartedly recommend our readers to discover?
Jpierce: There are so many artists that I would
really love to speak about, especially friends of mine and artists
who I believe are pushing boundaries. I believe Patrick Amadon has become a real leader in the
world of glitch art and free speech advocacy. Postwook is another
artist whose striking collage work transports us to dreamy memories
potent with feeling. Sam Spratt has
also become a standout star, painting digitally, questioning our
relationships with our own raw animalistic emotional natures. I
could say so much more but these are just a few I would love
to see gain even greater recognition in all areas of the art
world.
9. Finally, what is the best way to view your works and
stay informed about your upcoming creations?
Jpierce: I post most regularly on Instagram @jpierce
and I make most of my announcements on X (formerly Twitter)
@jpierce_art. Also, any major announcement will be made on my
website - joshpierce.net where you will also find galleries of my
work and a place to sign up for an email newsletter to keep
informed about upcoming releases! Thank you again so much for the
opportunity to speak about my work and share my thoughts with the
world.
Links
Josh Pierce's page on Artprice:
https://www.artprice.com/artist/1097445/josh-pierce
Josh Pierce's official website:
https://www.joshpierce.net/
Josh Pierce's NFT works on
SuperRare: https://superrare.com/jpierce
Artprice's free 2023 Contemporary Art Market Report:
https://www.artprice.com/artprice-reports/the-contemporary-art-market-report-2023
Images:
[https://imgpublic.artprice.com/img/wp/sites/11/2023/10/image1-flow-josh-pierce-artprice.jpg]
[https://imgpublic.artprice.com/img/wp/sites/11/2023/10/image2-Pristine-2021-on-Artprice.png]
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