UNDRGRND DIGS 032
JULY 4TH, 2022
5 Artists From the UNDRGRND Collection
UNDRGRND DIGS is a periodical feature showcasing artists that the UNDRGRND curators dig. We sift through the social media and NFT platforms to find the best artists waiting to be discovered. UNDRGRND believes in the artists we feature and we will purchase NFTs from each artist featured. Purchases will be airdropped to reward UNDRGRND community members.
Beautiful contortions of the body with simple shading make these pieces stand out. There is something tribal about these drawings that make them look like old wood carvings. Yet in their simple beauty lies deeper meaning. With beautifully written descriptions of the pieces we gain a deeper understanding of the work. The description of Dear Wonderous Matter… reads, “This trap I am in, is always a strange space tho a million hours have been spent. My eyes witnessed an intention that wasn't meant to build this cage. Seems this is only a delusional weep wrapping. If I may ask, I need you to set me free and unwrap me from these dead skin all over me. Or, can I just be reborn?” This context gives these pieces a darker, but just as beautiful, perspective of someone wishing to be free from their body either due to ailments or societal pressures. Whatever the intention we are given enough room and content to interpret these simple, yet complex, pieces for hours.
There’s an old ska-punk song, Analog Boy by Rx Bandits, about the changing world of technology and its effect on us. Written over 20 years ago the song remains applicable to the world of NFTs and in the case of Fer Sassali’s art. Many traditional or analog artists may have difficulty finding a community in this digital art boom. However, Fer Sassali proves that creatives can use this to their advantage to create something that stands out above the rest. With pencil drawings and oil paintings sometimes positioned to show the edges of the sketchbook, canvas and even the pencils used for the sketch, give the NFTs a physical place in a digital world. The physical aspects do not detract from the art but add to it, making them unique and giving hope to other artists who are still searching for others like them.
DAVIDVNUN’s OBJKT profile description reads “Human artist”. We can assume this is a reference to himself because the works that he creates are barely human in any loose definition of the term. There are elements of humanity throughout his work, like the humanoid playing basketball in 🌎WORLDSTAR🌟TEZOS🏀.GIF, the anthropomorphic pig in Taco Angel, or even the dancing hot dogs in Random Hotdog Encounter. But, the works with actual human parts are entirely detached from the humanity they represent. The inexplicable nature of these works is understood best by their creator with an entire series called WTF. The closest explanation we’ll ever receive comes from ¿?🧠¿? the epicenter for DAVIDVNUN’s immense creative talent which is best raw and unfiltered.
Presstone’s Lost series is anything but lost. Each piece is a topical commentary of the time we are in making them belong in any collection and discussion of talented NFT artists. Presstone’s awareness of the moment is represented in Lost Inquisition showcasing a Rarepepe and the description of “The story of a gang that fights and triumphs over the established art” speaking to the movement of meme culture into the mainstream art culture. Social and political statements (both intentional and possibly unintentional) can be seen in Lost Selfish and Lost Line but perhaps the most relevant to the NFT space is Lost Hen. Minted weeks before the fall of Hic Et Nunc, Lost Hen now serves as a reminder of what was lost and the impact felt throughout the community. Unintended perhaps, but just as powerful and impactful.
Treeskulltown adds colorful animation to these oil paintings of stodgy old white aristocrats from previous eras. Perhaps more educated art critics will recognize the originals offhand, but these images give the inexperienced exposure to a world of art they may never have had access to or interest in. Reappropriating historic arts for a new era of art melds the past with the future in a way that gives credence to the notion that we are living through a second renaissance of art; each of Treeskulltown’s showcases this idea by paying homage to the past while illustrating the potential of the future.
