Artist title: Grant Riven Yun
Location: Milwaukee
Date minted first NFT: Feb. 3, 2021
Which blockchains? Ethereum, Counterparty (Bitcoin)
Who is he?
Grant Yun has at all times been an artist at coronary heart with an early aspiration to have his work featured at a significant public sale home. A curious and motivated particular person, Yun is finding out drugs whereas juggling his work as an artist and performing as a breakdancer who has competed all around the United States.
Since discovering NFTs a bit of over two years in the past, the Wisconsin resident has propelled his artwork and private model into the stratosphere a lot faster than he’d imagined. With a minimalist model that elicits nostalgic vibes amongst collectors and his witty persona on Twitter, Yun is slicing out a big share of mindshare amongst digital artwork followers.
“Before NFTs, I instructed myself I’d grow to be an artist who sells at a big public sale home sooner or later as a result of, on the time, that was my solely metric by way of which I knew what it meant to be a profitable artist. I had no expertise being an artist general, in order that was the one metric I needed to measure.”
He reached the metric in October 2022:
“Having my work be put up at Sotheby’s was surreal. I feel probably the most pivotal second for me was after I signed the contract… It simply felt like such a monumental second.”
Yun paid homage to NFTs because the accelerant that helped him obtain what would possibly in any other case have taken a decade.
“It’s actually been surreal. I feel that the expansion of artists on this house is hyper accelerated. To have achieved what I’ve achieved shouldn’t occur inside a decade. For me, it occurred inside two years of me becoming a member of the house. But, right here we’re.”
“Special Delivery, 2022” was put up on the market at Sotheby’s as a part of the Xperience Digital Art Auction. Source: Sotheby’s
Personal model
Describing his personal distinct model, Yun acknowledges the affect of simplicity to evoke recollections and the affect of old-fashioned video video games.
“I see my work as minimalist and nostalgic,” he says. “I feel my artwork is absolutely centered on being ambiguous sufficient to the place folks can relate to it with their very own private experiences, however particular sufficient to the place it may possibly elicit sure recollections from folks’s lives.”
“I attempt to restrict the quantity of particulars and litter. It’s actually a much less in additional form of mentality.”
“With the gaming vibes in my artwork, it’s largely primarily based round Nintendo video games — significantly the Super Nintendo period, Nintendo 64 and GameCube. I really feel like Nintendo video games, particularly those that have been printed by Nintendo themselves, have a really particular coloration palette — a bit like Pokemon and The Legend of Zelda. All of these have a really distinctive and comparable form of set of colours.”
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Notable gross sales up to now:
“The Alien” from the collection “Space” bought for 136.9 ETH on July 28, 2022 ($236,217 equal on date of sale).
“The Alien.” Source: SuperUncommon
“Laundry” from the collection “Northeast” bought for 70 ETH on Jan. 28, 2023 ($115,182 equal on date of sale).
“Laundry.” Source: Art of This Millennium
“Casa Roja” from “Grant Yun Early Works” bought for 25 ETH on Jan. 8, 2023 ($31,596.50 equal on date of sale).
“Casa Roja.” Source: OpenSea
“En Route #7” from the “Grant Yun x Avant Arte” assortment bought for 16 ETH on Jan. 3, 2023 ($19,426 equal on date of sale).
“En Route #7.” Source: OpenSea
Influences
Traditional artwork continues to supply inspiration, significantly established painters from the early to mid-Twentieth century, reminiscent of American Gothic painter Grant Wood or the pop artist Ed Ruscha.
“Most of my inspiration comes from painters like Grant and Ed and finding out portray from the normal artwork world.”
Yun added, “I ought to point out, I do like to depart easter egg, crypto-related issues in my illustrations. But the imaginative and prescient for the place my artwork goes I feel has remained the identical.”
“Young Corn,” 1931, by Grant Wood. Source: Cedar Rapids Museum of Art
What ought to artists be being attentive to?
As a pupil of the digital artwork recreation and an enormous fan of generative artwork specifically, Yun says Mpkoz is one to be careful for. Mpkoz is the artist behind the notable assortment “Chimera.”
Also receiving props from Yun is Summer Wagner, an rising NFT photographer who Justin Aversano additionally rated in a current NFT Creator.
“Two of my favorites proper now are undoubtedly Summer and Mpkoz. There’s so many others I do know I’m leaving out although.”
“Metropolis,” mint #0 (Berlin) from ArtBlocks x Bright Moments collaboration, by Mpkoz. Source: Twitter
Process
Known for his capacity to uncover the attraction in commonplace environment, Yun can be a fan of classes and creating work in a collection.
“When I create an illustration, I attempt for probably the most half to sub-categorize them into sure collection. I feel I do my finest work in a collection,” Yun mentioned.
“To me, it helps as a result of I prefer to view the world in a categorical method. I additionally suppose lots of people do the identical subconsciously or consciously. I imagine because of this we at all times place an enormous emphasis on amassing a set and even amassing typically. For continuity’s sake for myself and likewise for amassing,” he says. “I attempt to work with very comparable themes from previous illustrations.”
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Having moved from the hustle and bustle of California to the quieter fields of Wisconsin, Yun is enthusiastic about telling a narrative inside his artwork just by being current and observing what is correct in entrance of him.
“All of my themes come from my experiences, like the place I’ve lived and explicit recollections I’ve had. When I got down to create an illustration, I form of dwell and consider a composition in my head. For instance, if I’m driving someplace and I see a random factor on the aspect of the street, I’ll have a composition come to my head, however I then attempt to form that composition right into a collection that I’m engaged on.”
“Another instance could be, if I look out of the window and I see a constructing, I’ll attempt to make it possible for I’ll use that constructing as a reference, however the illustration itself will attempt to embody one of many completely different themes that I’ve occurring.”
“Store” from “Grails II.” Source: Proof.xyz
Musings on the brand new artist/collector relationship through NFTs
Yun says the artist-collector relationship is totally completely different within the NFT world than within the conventional artwork world. “Prior to NFTs, artists have been represented by galleries, and the galleries have been the road of communication for collectors and consumers. It was virtually discouraged — and it nonetheless is nearly discouraged — for artists to do direct transactions or communications with collectors. This is in full distinction to what’s occurring proper now within the Web3 house,” Yun says.
Like different creators, he attributes his presence on social media to increase a following. “If I’m being trustworthy, I do suppose a part of my success is because of how energetic I’m on Twitter and the way keen and keen I’m to speak to folks.” He provides that he doesn’t suppose “the worth of artwork ought to be totally dictated by one’s willingness to be energetic on Twitter.”
“I do really feel for individuals who may not be of their 20s like I’m, or who may not be technologically savvy sufficient or have the expertise like I do being round know-how basically since beginning.”
“Seize The Memes Of Production” from “The Memes by 6529” assortment. Source: OpenSea
Links:
Grant Yun web site
Breakdance document and video
Grails III Artist Reveal Show
SuperUncommon
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Greg Oakford
Greg Oakford is the co-founder of NFT Fest Australia. A former advertising and communications specialist within the sports activities world, Greg now focuses his time on working occasions, creating content material and consulting in web3. He is an avid NFT collector and hosts a weekly podcast protecting all issues NFTs.
Follow the writer @GregOakford
