The Jackson Pollock Studio is bringing the famed 20th century painter’s artwork to the blockchain with the release of their Beyond the Edge non-fungible token (NFT) collection. In collaboration with Web3 art collective Iconic Moments, the collection features four perspectives from Pollock’s studio floor, including elements from his paintings Number 3, Blue Poles, and Convergence. The collection includes 100 digital artworks, each sold with a corresponding physical print, as well as a series of 100 Ordinals (Bitcoin-based NFTs), Pollock-interpretations from NFT artists, and a gamified experience.
Helen A. Harrison, director of the Pollock-Krasner House and Study Center, said in a press release that “Beyond the Edge” helps bring new life to Pollock’s work by giving it a new home on-chain. “Part of interpretation involves encouraging the use of our artifacts to inspire creativity. It keeps the space alive,” said Harrison. “We want people to understand that art history is not preserved and static; it is preserved and living.”
The collection’s focus on Pollock’s studio floor highlights the dynamism of his process and brings buyers closer to the artist. “Typically, what is on the floor of most artist studios does not have a direct relationship to what is on the canvas,” said Harrison. “But the spillover on Pollock’s floor is analogous to the gestures in his canvases. You can relate his process directly to the product.”
As NFTs have become more popular in the traditional art world, traditional fine artists have begun to embrace Web3 as a way to grow the reach of their work and connect with their collectors. In July 2021, artist Damien Hirst released “The Currency,” a collection of NFT spot paintings, and in March 2022, sculptor Jeff Koons stepped into the world of NFTs with a collection inspired by crypto’s “to the moon” meme.
The Jackson Pollock Studio is bringing the artist’s work to the blockchain with their Beyond the Edge NFT collection, which features four perspectives from Pollock’s studio floor, 100 digital artworks, a series of 100 Ordinals (Bitcoin-based NFTs), Pollock-interpretations from NFT artists, and a gamified experience. According to Helen A. Harrison, director of the Pollock-Krasner House and Study Center, “We want people to understand that art history is not preserved and static; it is preserved and living.”