Artist Spotlight on BigComic’s “Immutable Artifacts of Tokyo” collection
If you’re unfamiliar with Transient Artist Spotlights, they are our interviews with artists worldwide! Ranging from all sorts of mediums, platforms, styles, blockchains, etc… we try to learn more about the artist and understand who they are and what they are creating. Thank you to BigComic for chatting through his newest “Immutable Artifacts of Tokyo” collection.
BigComic’s X: https://twitter.com/bigcomicart
BigComic’s Website: https://www.bigcomicart.com/
Link to “Immutable Artifacts of Tokyo”
Question: Who is Big Comic?
CORRECTION: WEN BIG COMIC?
Question: Your work is renowned for blending traditional painting with digital art and web3 technologies. How do you navigate the intersection of these mediums, and what challenges and opportunities does this hybrid approach present?
ART IS FOREVER, IN ANY MEDIUM, THE MORE ART I MAKE, THE MORE I GIVE TO THE WORLD.
Question: The “Immutable Artifacts of Tokyo” project is a fascinating international collaboration. What inspired this project? Tell us about it.
KAZUMA ONO IS ONE OF THE VERY FIRST ARTISTS FROM JAPAN TO USE THE BLOCKCHAIN, AND I STUDIED HIS ARTWORK FOR MANY YEARS. HE MAKES ART ABOUT GAS MASKS. CHECK IT OUT. TOGETHER, WE’VE ALSO CREATED AN AWESOME DOCUMENTARY STORYTELLING IN OUR ART ABOUT PRE AND POST-PANDEMIC TOKYO.
I ORIGINALLY BEGAN EXPLORING DOCUMENTARY ART ON THE BLOCKCHAIN THROUGH THE STREETS OF TOKYO DURING THE PANDEMIC.
https://superrare.co/artwork-v2/masks:-tokyo-7646
THIS WAS ONE OF THE FIRST ART PIECES I CREATED IN THE STREETS OF TOKYO, AS WE WERE ESCAPING A PANDEMIC IN THE EAST AND UTILIZING DIGITAL PAINTING TO DOCUMENT THE REALITIES OF THE STREET.
I WROTE BACK IN 2020:
“Painting that reflects on the human condition can exist in a digital format.
My approach to this work is through a digital capacity that mimics a real painting substance but becomes a different type of medium. It records every stroke and detail of my hand, which is full of human emotion. This cannot be recorded by a photo, which is mechanical.”
Snippets from my blog: (https://beta.cent.co/jakejohns/+p8z1j1)
“rabid animals brought the bubonic plague in flea bites from rodents; this is a very similar way of transmission, I would assume
it was CNY, man; everyone jumped on the plane and went everywhere; it’s a migration of 500 million people
I began this journey as an artist in the center of the epidemic.”
Question: Collaboration is a crucial theme in your work, particularly in the “Immutable Artifacts of Tokyo” project. Can you delve into the process of collaborating with Kazuma Ono?
ART ON THE BLOCKCHAIN IS WORLDWIDE, SO IT MAKES SENSE TO MAKE INTERNATIONAL CONNECTIONS. THIS IS 4 YEARS IN THE MAKING AND CONTINUES TO CREATE A STRONG CONNECTION THROUGH WORLDWIDE COLLABORATION.
https://superrare.com/0x9d81a91b432a09ba3f8f85c392c1da1b6f7bc839/1-yen-pachinko-1
A LOT OF THE INSPIRATION ALSO COMES FROM MEETING IN PERSON AND CONNECTING. I SNAPPED THIS SHOT IN THE STREETS AFTER MIDNIGHT AFTER MEETING KAZUMA FOR THE FIRST TIME IN PERSON. THE TIMELINE, THE ART, THE FILMMAKING, THE DOCUMENTARY, THE PAINTING AND THE STORY BEHIND IT:
Question: “Tokyo Capsules” is a vibrant reflection of Tokyo’s streets and the interconnectedness fostered by digital art and the blockchain, especially during the pandemic. Can you tell us more about the collaborative process behind this piece and how it captures the essence of Tokyo’s culture before and after the pandemic?
IT DIVES DEEP INTO TWO ARTISTS CREATING CULTURE INSPIRED BY WORLD EVENTS AND RECORDING THAT ON THE BLOCKCHAIN. ON THE ONE HAND, WE HAVE THE ILLUSTRATIONS OF WEB3 CULTURE JAPANIFIED, CUTIFIED AS IS TRADITIONAL JAPAN. ON THE OTHER HAND, WE HAVE THE RAW AND GRITTY OF THE STREETS. AS KAZUMA TOLD ME: “PEOPLE IN JAPAN LIVE TWO LIVES, ONE DURING THE DAY AND ONE AT NIGHT”
Question: Finally, what message or experience do you hope collectors and viewers take away from the “Immutable Artifacts of Tokyo” project?
WITH ART IN A NEW MEDIUM RECORDED ON A BLOCKCHAIN THAT RECORDS ART, HISTORY, THE PEOPLE, THE DOCUMENTARY AND THE CULTURE IN THAT SLICE OF TIME. ARTIFACTS FROM THESE TIMES WILL LIVE ON FOREVER, DOCUMENTING THE IMPACT WE ARE STILL MAKING ACROSS THE WORLD.
Question: Do you have anything upcoming that you would like to share?
WE STARTED JOKING ABOUT CRYPTO GOING TO THE MOON WHEN WE FIRST STARTED, AND NOW BIG COMIC IS GOING TO THE LITERAL MOON. ON THE EVE OF VALENTINE'S DAY 2024, A BIG COMIC ART WAS PART OF THE PAYLOAD OF THE FALCON 9 SPACEX ROCKET, WHICH LAUNCHED FROM CAPE CANAVERAL OFF THE SPACE COAST OF FLORIDA AT AROUND 1 AM. THE JOURNEY TO THE MOON WILL TAKE 8 DAYS AND WILL LAND ON THE LUNAR’S SURFACE, THE FIRST LANDING ON THE MOON’S SURFACE FOR 50 YEARS SINCE THE APOLLO PROJECT. THIS STORY IS UNFOLDING, AND I’LL BE UPDATING THE PROGRESS. IF SUCCESSFUL, EVERY TIME YOU LOOK INTO THE NIGHT SKY, THERE WILL BE A BIG COMIC LOOKING DOWN UPON YOU. STAY POSTED FOR UPDATES AT MY X: https://x.com/bigcomicart/status/1758296218541658486?s=20 AND ALSO SPACEX.COM FOR HISTORY BEING MADE IN PROGRESS.
