Art

the changing faces of WHALE

in , ,

i remember when ye (kanye w) iterated on a finished piece of work. maybe it was the life of pablo, can’t recall exactly but the timeline was full of mr west being lauded as the first artist to treat work as iterative, instead of absolute, like software (SaaS).

this came mostly from the VC techo-sphere, a top down propaganda arm that related everything to “software eating the world”.

of course, this was not the first case of this. it might have been the most public version, because of the sheer reach & influence of Mr Ye, but artists have iterated on finished works since cave paintings.

it’s of course a very different thing when said item is all digital. it’s much more difficult after you shipped out a million CD’s/DVDs but we are living in a different era altogether, where we leave no trace but 1/0’s behind.

my version of this iteration process occurred in 2009. i had finally finished my first feature film, WHALE, and released the work on DVD. this was a painstaking ordeal and had taken several years to finally get to the point of release. i felt somewhat relieved.

but, nearly right after we started both selling and sending out screeners, I couldn’t get rid of an itch, in fact I couldn’t sleep. i felt i had given up on the edit too soon, and knew that something was missing but i couldn’t work out the problem & i didn’t have the energy to face it (also, the tech issues at the time, with my PowerPC G5 giving up and project files being corrupted was part of this defeat).

in this fog of insomnia, on one of those nights i was taking nyquil just to fall asleep,i had a dream, and this dream was a direct solution to the problem, sound and visual. so, i went back to the edit room and came back several months later. now, it felt truly finished and i could sleep soundly again.

the other thing that’s changed over the years has been the keyart of the film, with the most recent refresh done by artist/designer Ali Sabet for the HD-re-release that went live in 2019 . this HD version of the film also has one or two tiny changes (i had to fire up a PowerPC mac running final cut pro 5 and this was a whole nightmare and another story). so, this new streaming version is in fact the finished version of the film, a v2.44 version as it stands.

below is some of the art over the years, including the rare OG DVD design.

WHALE keyart redesign done with the help of artist/designer Ali Sabet for HD re-release - 2019

WHALE DVD coverart for current in circulation DVD’s - 2010

WHALE original DVD front cover design for released, but scrapped version of the film - 2009

WHALE original DVD back cover design for released, but scrapped version of the film - 2009

"each day and everyway" auction...

in , ,

i just released this piece of digital art called “each day and everyway” on the platform FOUNDATION minted from my own contract.

the work is set for auction and it has received its first bid, meaning, if you are interested, you can go here and place your bid before the timer runs out.

each day and everyway
edition 1/1
2022



farah and the girls bar (and other updates)

in , , ,

july, j u l y , JULY….

some tings…
- The feature film young ali: those where the days is in post-production. Sound is being handled by a studio in our sister prod-house city, Chicago. Like all long-form filmmaking, it is a process of attrition toward the finish point, gratifying & without a doubt, anachronistic.
- Working slowly on a secret project for some time…. I have a window to dive in deep. This is something I’ve always wanted to do, thus, it’ll be done.
- Reach out to your friends who need an ear & undivided attention. You can sense this every time, trust it.

______

other ting…

This piece below, which I’ve reluctantly put up on the market (fondness has set in) is looking for a collectooooor; one with vision, patience & virtue. You might just be the one….

farah & the girls bar
2022
edition 1/1

Available to Own @:
Foundation Art
Also viewable at:
OpenSea
Rarible
LooksRare
Coinbase NFT

This piece is avail to purchase at Foundation with a reserve bid of .24E.
If you want to purchase OTC, please reach out through contact but it’s prob just better to put in a bid.

Backstories run deep here.

farah & the girls bar
2022
edition 1/1
amir motlagh




(ﾉ>ω<)ﾉ :｡･:*:･ﾟ’★,｡･:*:･ﾟ’☆ (ｏ・_・)ノ”(ノ_<、) // Mage Prince Kaomoji

in , ,

Several things coming out this month, or early next month. “Young Ali” score is finished. New Mirs collab single is on the way. And this, the first April listing!

Description:

Mage Prince Kaomoji carries the world on his shoulders. For the moment, the Prince has forgotten to breathe, to take things slowly. Perhaps it's puppy love, perhaps it's something else. Breath little Prince, breath. Tomorrow, a new day, a new adventure awaits.

We were all little mages; we were born with curiosity and adventure in our hearts. And we are all here to heal, to help & to soar. Help the little Prince carry the weight.

(ﾉ>ω<)ﾉ :｡･:*:･ﾟ’★,｡･:*:･ﾟ’☆ (ｏ・_・)ノ”(ノ_<、) // Mage Prince Kaomoji
edition 1/1
.4Ξ

new work on the OpenSea, web2 web2.5 web3, film update with doxxed title, proof of life, what is time, mirs wakes, etc...

in , , ,

It feels strange with the current world background to go on about living as if we are distanced from exceedingly unnecessary human suffering. But we are cocooned in our bubbles. If you’ve had any experience with war, you realize very clearly that the whole is affected, regardless of the degrees of separation.

In my own case, I have to go about my work, my thoughts & my attention the same as it was. Consciousness is an arrow.

Recent tings:

Here is a proof of life pic in web2.5. Not my current PFP on socials, but nevertheless, I breathe. With all this excessive talk of the transition to web3, there are more similarities to the past decade than most want to admit, yet, a new base layer of influentials has made a mark. With the soon insurgency of legacy media, safe to say things will look even more similar.

i exist, a pfp

In this fully doxxed web2.5 version of me, I get to talk about my new feature film in post-production. I can finally release the title, a proper doxxing if you will - "Young Ali: those were the days". Hopefully, we can finish the post by the end of Q2. I cannot be certain the film will release this year, but I would like that. Post-production at this stage is being handled in Chicago, and I am proud of our team, and what we have been able to create.

I recently released three works on OpenSea in my first collection which essentially conclude all my March drops. I have yet to transition to my other mediums, but I suppose I will in time. Cinema in particular is full of friction and doesn’t make the best transition over. But, we will hammer in the peg. We are working.

______

March OpenSea Drops:

the wind will carry us, creature
edition 1/3
.24Ξ

Description:

in my youth, some of my favorite memories involved long cross-country trips with my father. this desire for the empty road, the expansive middle continued into adulthood.

little ape boi, dream (part 1)
edition 1/1
1.5Ξ

Description for both part 1 and part 2:

we are all little ape bois trying to find our way home. this little ape boi has yet to awaken. help him on his journey through the dreamscape on this starry night.

little ape boi, dream (part 2)
edition 1/1
1.5Ξ

Awakening:

Last but not least, Mirs has awakened for this new szn. New release imminent.

return to sender

in , ,

return to sender
edition 1/1
5Ξ

This is my latest work to present itself as an NFT. I want to build some context as I move forward in this space and in general about how our world is transforming right before our very eyes.

We often miss the macro transitional moments in life, as these changes are gradual and thus, invisible. When we look back, life seems to never have existed without the iPhone nor YouTube, and as a whole, the internet itself. Monumental changes like these felt mostly discreet. There has been a toylike weirdness to some of the world-changing tech of the last couple of decades leading to a generally benign stance, maybe even a general optimism at their initial emergence into the consumer fold.

Occasionally, we witness the transition in a non-discrete way. To me, crypto and NFTs have never felt invisible nor have they had a grace period leading to the water cooler. Like much of everything else in modern society, polemics have formed around these emergent technologies and markets. There are strict, cult-like adherents & equally strict, dogmatic opposers. We witness this right before our eyes & ears. Social media is where these culture wars are fought day in and out. The invisibility of this transition, if there ever were to be one, was made completely visible by its timing with the ongoing two-year pandemic, which contributed second-order effects that propelled these technologies to the forefront of everyday life. One can argue that crypto itself has had years to mature in the shadows, however, just looking at modern UI & ease of use, it is still very much underdeveloped in relation to its outsized influence.

While artists must have a fearlessness and moral backbone, it makes no sense to hold dogmatic positions on things that are nearly impossible to comprehend where we currently stand. We are in this stage, a fork in the road, both leading to nowhere, everywhere, and most likely, as it relates to human nature, the same exact place. Time will reveal the truth, but for now, connect where you can is a simple heuristic the artist might follow. They may also feel dissonance at this tech, and they have every right to not engage. I don’t need to convince anyone of the merits, a bit of tinkering did it for me.

This brings me to my own work and justifications for bringing it into the digital. Art is an experience, communication & connection medium. In its origin point, the value lay as a descriptor of the experience of life itself. This is a priceless act and one that is without utility. We could not create trees themselves, thus we did the next best thing. This ideal still lives in the heart of most creators & outside of purely creating, human connection is tantamount.

My aim is simple, connect with those that want to connect wherever their preference may be; physical, digital, even the metaphysical. I don’t want to arbitrate this position, instead, I’m content as a human using my hands to draw beasts in a dark, enigmatic cave.

So, my pledge is simple….to keep creating new work. To work in the mediums that inspire, to never be afraid of the creative act & to reevaluate at any moment.

Now, here is “return to sender”. This is one of my favorite pieces. It tells the story of life as a mirror. It is a 1/1.

0xcandyflipmedaddy 1/1 Mixed Media NFT

in ,

I just dropped a new 1/1 piece on the OpenSea. It’ll find a home when it needs one. You can purchase it here (I might consider a fair bid but I’m not in any particular hurry…that said, anything is possible ;)

Description:

"0xcandyflipmedaddy" is a neon journey through a thin line between layer 0 & layer 1. where dreams are birthed, where ghosts haunt, where love is lost, found & recycled.

edition 1/1

0xcandyflipmedaddy
edition 1/1
.77Ξ