Jackson Pollock's Studio Floor Goes Digital: A Close Look at Beyond the Edge NFTs
The Jackson Pollock Studio took a bold step in the name of preservation. Partnering with Iconic Moments, the foundation released a collection of limited edition prints and NFTs capturing a unique cross-section of the artist’s work and process.
Beyond the Edge consists of 4 works. Each image is a curated area of the artist’s studio floor in Upstate New York. One hundred twenty-five editions of each work are available for .8 ETH (or $1,800) and come with a physical print. The collection opened for Iconic Art Pass holders first, and the initial works sold out almost immediately. The remaining NFTs were publicly sold on July 19th at a discounted price for Iconic Art Pass holders of .5 ETH ($1500).
Beyond the Edge made $100,000 a few hours after its initial release. On the 19th, the Jackson Pollock collection sold out completely – taking in $450,000.
Beyond the Edge: Jackson Pollock’s Studio Floor
Pollock’s floor is an extension of his paintings, with layer upon layer of slashes, splatters, and cigarette butts. The areas at the edge of his works represent his process and serve as works of their own. His floor is a mainstay for the foundation. After uncovering it in the late 1950s, visitors have been able to trace the artist’s steps by walking across.
Curators have recognized gestures, colors, and paint strokes on the floor that connect to seminal Pollock pieces, like Number 3: 1950 and Blue Poles: Number 11, 1952. This release of NFTs marks the first venture into the blockchain for the Jackson Pollock Studio. The foundation had two goals in mind, 1; increase accessibility to Pollock’s work; 2; funding for studio maintenance. Pollock’s studio has been preserved as the artist left it in 1956, with minor, necessary refurbishments. A new roof, floor sealant, and termite control.
Through Beyond the Edge, the studio stands to earn $550,000, not counting profits from secondary sales. Though this may only be equivalent to a small original Pollock, it opens the door to digitizing and minting more of the artist’s works. The studio has planned two more digitized releases for this fall.
Further NFT Releases
As planned, the second and third releases are just a few more drops in the bucket. On the one hand, 50% of profits from primary sales and 5% of secondary sales will go to the Study-Center to support the studio and programming. On the other, Pollock isn’t like Warhol.
The Jackson Pollock Studio is releasing a second round of NFTs in the form of Ordinals, making the works accessible to those using Bitcoin rather than Ethereum. Following Ordinals will be a collection of minted artworks by artists inspired by Pollock.
Who Does Beyond the Edge Benefit?
NFTs may be an unconventional way to rebel against the trappings of canvas, but is this type of commodification fitting for Pollock?
Again, there are two sides to this.
Beyond the Edge allows collectors to own a Pollock for a fraction of the price of an original. The third release of the collection, works inspired by Pollock, offers artists the opportunity to feature in a permanent collection at the Pollock-Krasner House and Study Center. At $1,500 a piece and only 125 editions of each work available, Beyond the Edge doesn’t increase Pollock’s accessibility by very much. Further restricting the NFT initiative’s reach is the priority given to Iconic Art Pass holders.
The cherry on top of this whole initiative is the Pollock Enigma. This Web3 puzzle invites collectors and fans to try their hand at Pollock trivia to win a free Beyond the Edge work.
While the curation and minting of Pollock’s floor is ingenious, the studio may be stepping into kitschy territory. Pollock was notoriously reclusive, defining an era of stoic, hyper-masculine, detached American painting. The cowboys don’t play trivia.
Art foundations have the unfortunate responsibility of riding the line between exclusivity and accessibility. To maintain value and profit, works must remain elusive. To fulfill philanthropic missions, they have to be inclusive.
Beyond the Edge lives on this line.
It also sets the stage for other masterworks to be minted, doled out, and made the subject of Web3 trivia. For artists like Warhol, Picasso, and Dali, who lived simultaneously as artists and people in business, NFTs are a logical extension of their work.
Abstract Expressionists, such as Pollock, Rothko, and Klein, rewrote the language we use to describe art through their unapologetic rejection of convention in the name of solitude. They made appearances only at their patrons’ request, becoming the faces of American emotionality and setting us on par with the artistic traditions of Europe. Pollock, and the whole Abstract Expressionist movement, was the next frontier of painting. And for that reason, NFTs may or may not be the perfect media to preserve his work.