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…..“INDE”, IS A DIGITALLY PRODUCED NFT ARTWORK, created exclusively by the artist, “Doc”, using Procreate. It was minted in March, 2022 on Singular. The size is a standard 210 x 297 mm.
…..IN THIS ERA OF NON-FUNGIBLE TOKENS, where aesthetic takes a back seat to digital illustrators and cartoonists; where community and transaction often supersede artistic creativity, this artist has managed to produce a visually elegant, imaginative artwork within a digital format. Quality NFT art, when done successfully, can be both transactional as well as push the boundaries of artistic endeavor.
Inde, created by “Doc”, combines traditional Landscape, Still-Life, Portrait and Literary Motifs within large waves of pastel blue and beige, anchored by two grand stone-like structures. Organized using horizontal and vertical lines, light and shadow, the viewer immediately experiences a sense of symmetry. The Landscape unfolds into a vast beige empty space colliding with a predominant gradient blue sky – divided, in the distance, by liminal smudges of yellow. Significant Still-Life elements include a black, dead tree with hanging crown; three candles – two of which continue to flame; and a large bug, crawling up a cream-colored path toward a white apparition at the top. The semi-Portrait (or possibly self-portrait) includes serene, closed, full lips, disappearing into the background, along with the wide-opened eye and eyebrow, in the upper right quadrant. In the lower left, a partial hand, manicured with blue and pink nail polish, holds a large butterfly. The Literary elements include various words placed strategically in the image, “It can’t”, “two words” and “in —–“; as well as large scarlet letters “R” and “S” tattooed on the left wall. The entire arrangement is connected with a random stream of abstract pinwheel formations, hovering over the landscape, and by a thin horizontal line connecting the two rock formations – creating continuity.
It is appropriate to pay attention to the title, Inde: Un Monologue Intérieure Nageant dans le Courant de ma Conscience. (Literally translated: India: An Inner Monologue Swimming in the Stream of my Consciousness). It is therefore understood from the onset, that this is a personal pictorial essay, theoretically evolving from a stream of conscious that is overtly reminiscent of the Surrealist movement and Freud. As a result, there are mysterious elements throughout, and whether this image is meant to reference India is unclear.
Part of what makes Inde interesting is the manner in which the artist camouflages the death/metamorphosis concept with a beautiful pastel palette and well-balanced design, which pleases the eye. There is a softness to the dream-like image, camouflaging what appears to be the artist’s internal struggle. Every detail symbolizes some contrasting concept or idea. The manicured hand holds a butterfly – often considered a symbol of change, or…the soul, endurance, life or hope. The hand, (part of the fragmented portrait), is usually introduced in art as a manifestation of emotions. The abstract pinwheel-like elements seem to mirror the butterfly, floating off into the “sunrise” – yet another symbol of hope. The two flaming candles, adjacent to the extinguished candle, convey a sense of light rising out of darkness – a sense of truth or consciousness. The extinguished candle may represent loss or loneliness. Candles are also considered a link to heaven and spirituality.
Adjacent to the hand and butterfly is a black leafless tree, which not only adds to the linear design of the “canvas”, but repeats the concept of death and loss. However, the crown, strategically dangling from one of the dead branches, offers the prospect of immortality and power. Contradiction presents throughout.
On the far right, is an oversized bug climbing the rocks. The bug may be viewed as a dark and nefarious contrast to the butterfly, but may also symbolize determination and survival. Receding into the blue sky are the floating closed lips, which may reveal a struggle with communication. However, the clearly drawn eye above, completing the portrait, is reminiscent of the Surrealist, René Magritte, who stated, “Everything we see hides another thing, we always want to see what is hidden…”. Here the face is hidden, and makes the viewer wonder who this person is and why he/she is hiding. The eye tells us that we will never know. The small white ghost atop the right rock is an obvious symbol of death and mystery. Adding to the design are the thin black lines connecting the two structures, along with the rows of black dots swirling through the desert; or are they swarms of ants?
The Literary references in the image, are randomly placed words, written in a standard font, floating in the sky, and bear meaning to the artist alone. The red initials “SR”, could represent the artist’s identity, or a message to someone else.
Surrealist references clearly inform this NFT artwork – almost to the extreme. In addition to Magritte, one recognizes many similarities to Salvador Dali. Both artists were influenced and inspired by Freud, who dealt with the constraints of the rational mind, and who each generated various examples of metaphysical art. While Magritte experimented with partially rendered faces, Dali repeatedly used dead trees, barren landscapes, swarming ants and bugs -symbols of death and decay. Giorgio de Chirico also dealt with the unconscious mind, and contemplative mood. His important Surrealist works revealed color schemes, receding perspectives and architectural motifs, creating a sense of isolation and melancholy. In Inde, this artist reinterpreted those elements to create his own visual “stream of conscious”, and are actually present in several of his earlier works as well, such as Alprazolam, Dystopian Mind and Trapped. The manicured hand, the eyes, the words, the partial profiles, depth of space and repeated references to issues of control or freedom are all in evidence. By their titles alone, we understand that this is the evolution of a personal journey manifested through subtle (and not-so-subtle) artworks. Doc states that he “fancies himself as a bit of a Surrealist NFT artist.”……Et, voilà!
This NFT succeeds in organization, light and shadow, line and color. Whether the viewer can grasp the message or not, is a different issue. However, as the title indicates, the artist is on an internal journey, processing his thoughts; the image is his outward expression of inward forces on the unconscious. It is not for us to know or judge. Inde is an aesthetic experience, and not simply a graphic design, demonstrating that NFT’s can actually reveal artistic qualities! Here we observe strength and energy, placed against a serene, ethereal blue sky and empty desert, which draws the viewer in and makes us curious to know more. Giorgio De Chirico wrote, “One must picture everything in the world as an enigma, and live in the world as if in a vast museum of strangeness.” Like Dali’s famous work, this may be just another “Landscape with Mysterious Details”. …….To me, Inde will forevermore be an enigma.
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