Mr. Jimmy Edgar introduces to us digital art forms which appropriately generate a positive critique of digital art itself at the Non-fungible token (NFT) art gallery Vellum LA. The question of eternity is raised when work that is purposefully commercial ergo transactional is contemporaneously celebrated; when not the aim of permanent goodness is being achieved but temporary gratification, including social acclaim for what amounts to be the bondage of beauty to a materially striving contest. While the artworks are not categorically visually caustic in the approach, the sentiment of containing manufactured wares such as hand dryers moves us to contemplate the role of time when pondering what is originally the movement of a desire for the immortal.

VESSELS, 2022
1920×2160
00:30
.mp4 Courtesy of the artist and Vellum LA.

BLOW DRYER, 2022
1920×2160
00:60
.mp4. Courtesy of the artist and Vellum LA

Indeed, devotion to immortal souls for just deserts is the bastion of Indo-European worship for millenia. The highest expressions of devotion have been toward the efforts at achieving the highest forms of beautiful appearances through the construction of ritual temples which house idols of the respective gods. It is that exacting and upmost effort of fulfilling a bond, one of autonomous election in finding a Poseidon worthy of love from the vast riches one has achieved through Mediterranean nautical merchandising, and demonstrating that love in the actual order of things, for instance, which has galvanized the European Civilization for three millenia. This reservation of beauty for true devotion is toward what end but the best life? Its aim is best if it moves uninterrupted, does it not? Do those lovers of the joy and gladness of the spring breath not seek to sustain its oxygen forever after?

LRI4659661 Greek art: statue of Poseidon, marble sculpture of the 2nd century BC. From Melos. Athenes, National Archaeological Museum by Greek, (2nd century BC); National Archaeological Museum, Athens, Greece; (add.info.: Greek art: statue of Poseidon, marble sculpture of the 2nd century BC. From Melos. Athenes, National Archaeological Museum); Luisa Ricciarini.

So much of that endless duration of motion is, not so much a vain attempt, but a confident one in striking a similar musical note with the world as a divine power ought to; not toward ruin but toward a perfecting completeness which has no ending, seen particularly in the demonstration of the ratio of a circle’s circumference with its diameter for example.

The ratio of blue to red is named π. It is endless in continual relation

It is here, though, where sensual beauty has a greater act upon ordering the cosmos perfectly than the inertial “glory” of a conscious object contemplated upon with no prescience of its ability to will more physical beauty into the world; one away from misery and injurious misfortune toward that destiny which is the supreme one for all subjects to the Creator of Nature. His Natural dominion is a musically harmonious one, with endless recursive propagation of creative agency potential for humans to sustain and cultivate.

And it is here where the genesis of Western Fine Art collides in an age where the source of originality is a transactional source code. Where television sets may be flicking blurry such as with Oxidize, where the harmonics in the video graphics adapter may distort or weaken the continuum of the predetermined movement installed or embedded into the device to be electromagnetically projected or generated onto the screen; but it is that idea which is beyond physical that is nevertheless secured for commercial value, with hope towards what goal? More what?

More time? More physical ability? More relaxation is a good answer. Toward then extend toward what goal? When so many peoples torrentially race toward the pinnacles of society, in their mad dashes the focus on preserving beauty becomes dissuasive. Luxurious displays do indeed become primary; temporary appearances of vital strength become all-encompassing, as opposed to spiritual goals such as remaining true in thought, word, and action. When it becomes shameless to earn, true beauty becomes confused. Permanent happiness, achievable through serving to lift up the honest means of others to fulfill their subjective desires best, is not a central character.

Hand Dryer 2022. 1920×2160
00:60
.mp4 Courtesy of the artist and Vellum LA.

So it is poetic to create a non-fungible token (NFT) for mass manufactured commercial goods, of a blow dryer or hand dryer. In the upmost reception of the mechanical scientific tradition and natural philosophical demonstrations over the last 5 centuries in the West, commerce has been able to propel humanity to such exactness in the refinement of temporary mortal needs, like sanitation. Yet when hand dryers fill the bathroom wall they cannot be guarded. The obsessive details one would expect to find in devoted works unto Most High end up moving in confusing circles – is man’s supreme fate really manufacturing assembly par excellence? Or is it truth, beauty, and love of justice?

EPOXY TWO, 1920×1080
00:60
.mp4 2022 by Jimmy Edgar. Courtesy of the artist and Vellum LA.

It is this precipice so jolted by the introduction of intellectual property claims on the mass reproduction of digital media, with the precept of its endless value that is worthy of securing rights for use, which motivates us to critically examine the virtual glistening of an epoxy material and its crystalline synthetic forms of Epoxy Two, for instance. We are moving, therefore, positively, away from an issue of scarcity as the quality of a high art form. Indeed, beauty ought to be promulgated as much as possible in human society. Its ability to soften glares motivates the spiritual in man; to promoting extensions of good thought, which necessarily lifts man’s soul away from the animal kingdom and the tension for precious resources. By and large, many people have access to baked bread in quantities not even ancient monarchs had access to. Yet, do they have the same royal obligations? This is the wordless testimony put on LED display by the artist with his original media and its aims at being appreciated.