JND Studios: Jean-Michel Basquiat 1/3

[GaryPool]

Too bad the effort was wasted on the subject matter...

Doubt it was, from the sounds of it, JND essentially got commissioned to make this and get their name out their in the more upmarket art collecting world, however contentious amongst existing customers feel towards it.

Even if it doesn't sell out, for what they wanted to do, they probably achieved or will achieve it. It's easy to see they don't want to just be another DC/comics oriented company, which, you know what fair play.

Love that for them, hope it works out.

 

[67L88Stingray]

Doubt it was, from the sounds of it, JND essentially got commissioned to make this and get their name out their in the more upmarket art collecting world, however contentious amongst existing customers feel towards it.

Even if it doesn't sell out, for what they wanted to do, they probably achieved or will achieve it. It's easy to see they don't want to just be another DC/comics oriented company, which, you know what fair play.

Love that for them, hope it works out.

Like I said, wasted effort on such subject matter. The "upmarket" art world is a joke, they just buy what they are told to. There are thousands of more deserving individuals that would have accomplished the same goal AND sold well. Art speaks for itself; you don't need it to be an actual "artist" to get your point across.

 

[GaryPool]

Like I said, wasted effort on such subject matter. The "upmarket" art world is a joke, they just buy what they are told to. There are thousands of more deserving individuals that would have accomplished the same goal AND sold well. Art speaks for itself; you don't need it to be an actual "artist" to get your point across.

Regardless of how you feel you've missed the point of the release.

 

[67L88Stingray]

Regardless of how you feel you've missed the point of the release.

My feelings are irrelevant. I understand what you think they are trying to do, I just believe they could have gone about it more thoughtfully if that was the plan. They could have simultaneously earned hipster art world cred AND profit, all while doing someone actually deserving. Now, if someone gave them a blank check for this specific guy and they couldn't say no, then that is a different story of course. Either that or they just want an excuse why the next piece they do has a poor likeness a la Arwen so they can just lean into the classic BS "artist interpretation" excuse why they can't get it right.

 

[Gipetto0812]

Didn't they say that the licensor approached them to make this vs them seeking out to do him? So, it was more of agreeing to make him based on the licensor's request vs them begging to make him.

 

[GaryPool]

My feelings are irrelevant. I understand what you think they are trying to do, I just believe they could have gone about it more thoughtfully if that was the plan. They could have simultaneously earned hipster art world cred AND profit, all while doing someone actually deserving. Now, if someone gave them a blank check for this specific guy and they couldn't say no, then that is a different story of course. Either that or they just want an excuse why the next piece they do has a poor likeness a la Arwen so they can just lean into the classic BS "artist interpretation" excuse why they can't get it right.

Like Gipetto said below, they were approached/asked to make it, and would be the first officially licensed statue of the artist. JND clearly view themselves in a more artistic sense than just a statue company - they explain it all in their video.

But again, this is in line with what they do. This is the third statue which goes against the comic-grain in collecting, the first being a One-Punch statue, second being an Old boy statue. Even their main comic statues eschew the typical statue company approach, making Arthur Fleck instead of Joker, making WW84 over Justice League WW, making a suicide Squad Harley Quinn with no plans to continue that line etc. they like going against the grain and being different.

Funnily enough, the moment they stop going against the grain, making their first 1/6 a Heath Ledger Joker, they're lambasted for it.

Anyway, not quite sure what you're arguing? Surely this is them earning 'hipster art-cred'? And clearly, with the design, and how they explain in the video, a lot of thought has been. Put into it. Whether you like it or the likenesses of their other statues are another subjective point entirely.

But I'd be interested to know how you think they could have gone about it more thoughtfully?