Los Angeles, CA, May 13, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Today, TestaMint, an invite-only NFT artist collective, marketplace, and platform for artists by artists has announced its launch. As the digital art world continues to flourish, TestaMint is creating a whole new dimension in the space by launching one of the first-ever NFT artist collectives that gives world-renowned talent the chance to showcase their creativity while taking their artwork to new depths.
Powered by patent-pending technology, TestaMint is an exclusive invite-only network focused on bringing integrity and emotional connection back into the digital world. Offering a streamlined and user-friendly marketplace where artists are invited to effectively buy, sell, and promote their art, the turn-key platform gives artists access to unique tools and templates that allow them to incorporate unlockable experiences and digital layers into their original pieces. Unlike other major NFT companies, TestaMint is written on top of EOS, an environmentally responsible blockchain, making it 66,000 times more eco-friendly than Bitcoin and 17,000 times more eco-friendly than Ethereum.”I look forward to rewriting the NFT narrative by injecting eco-friendly, creative, and innovative strategies into an industry that has limitless growth potential.” says Frank Agnone, CEO of TestaMint.
(Photo by: John Troxell | Picture TestaMint Team: Kylie Sullivan, Nico Agnone, Frank Agnone, Jaron Hinds, and Kerrie Geary)
TestaMint was created by artists and exists for artists and the company is on a mission to prioritize the creative control of creators, facilitate high-quality releases, and maintain the eco-friendliness on which their platform operates. NFTs have generated over $1 billion in 2021 alone, TestaMint is dedicated to giving the power back to the artists and helping them push the boundaries of NFT innovation and capabilities. NFTs will resuscitate not only the media sector but also serve as a medium in which all industries will modernize, says Jaron Hinds President and CTO of TestaMint.
TestaMint will make its entry into the NFT world this Wednesday, May 12th with the “Godfather” of the West Coast Graffiti movement, Kelly “RISK” Graval, and Billy Idol guitarist, Billy Morrison, Jane’s Addiction guitarist, Dave Navarro, and Jim ‘TAZ’ Evans. The initial NFT offering will include Future Jane. Future Jane is the result of a collaboration between Dave Navarro and Jim “TAZ” Evans, that began in 1997 when TAZ was commissioned to create a show poster for Jane’s Addiction’s concert at the Aladdin Hotel in Las Vegas. Attempting to come up with a new angle on the metaphorical Jane, TAZ chose a futuristic design and featured Jane as a melancholy cyborg, restrained by techno-bondage information feeder tubes, and leashed by BDSM straps. In 2016, TAZ was commissioned to create a show poster for a Queens Of The Stone Age show at the Teragram Ballroom in Los Angeles. Since the original Jane had not been finished to his liking because of deadline constraints, Jane 2.0 was created. In late 2020, TAZ and Dave decided to collaborate after being reintroduced by legendary graffiti art dealer and curator Eddie Dolandson, founder of GuerillaOne and member of The Seventh Letter and chose to use the Jane image as the basis of it. The birth of NFT art took that collaboration to another level, as the two artists began exchanging ideas about how to tell a bigger story. Future Jane represents the result of that collaboration. For the entire story about Future Jane NFT, click here.
Kelly “RISK” Graval’s NFT incorporates some of his most important imagery. The centerpiece of the NFT is Risk’s “WTF Icon”. As one of LA’s most prolific graffiti artists, the LA Police were on the hunt for Graval because of his graffiti tag name “RISK”, so instead, Graval switched to his now-famous “WFT Icon”. The “Icon” was his interpretation of Elvis Presley’s “TCB Symbol” (taking care of business). Risk’s “Icon” is made up of a stylized Lightning Bolt, Question Mark and Exclamation Point. The NFT incorporates an actual Risk “WTF Icon” piece made out of his “Metallic Tissue” panels. The panel is made of recycled spray cans (from Risk’s graffiti and studio work), license plates (which are a metaphor for humanity) like people, license plates come in all shapes, sizes, colors, and come from many different places. The NFT also incorporates Risk’s now-famous “Monarch Butterfly” imagery. The Butterflies signify Risk going from Anarchy, living in Venice beach, being into the early LA punk rock scene, and illegal graffiti art all over the world. He now lives with his four daughters in Southern California and is in a “Celebratory Stage of Life” and ignited his latest series of “Anarch to Monarch” artwork. The NFT was produced by taking the actual “WTF Icon” piece to the beach in Malibu, placing it on the beach so the waves could wash over the piece. Each wave activates the Butterflies and also Risk’s signature color wash. Risk’s “Color Wash” is used as a background on all his murals and studio work. The color palette used in all his murals and paintings is based on the “California Colors” line of spray paint produced by Krylon Spray paint in the late 1980’s and early 1990’s. Very few graffiti artists used the “California Color” palette because they did not think it was suitable for graffiti. Risk turned the bright fluorescent color palette into one of the most recognized graffiti styles in the world.
Billy Morrison’s NFT art was inspired by a strong and imposing male figure such as Darth Vadar, and suggesting that underneath all of that posturing is a sensual, fragile human being, that is struggling with his or her sexuality. “Now, more than ever, it is imperative that we ‘embrace our inner selves’ and encourage those around us to come from a place of compassion and love, says Morrison. “This piece stems from observing the racial and sexual unrest that pervades our society, and my desire to spread the message that ‘we are all the same, no matter what color or sexual orientation’ – and more importantly to inspire people to accept and embrace who they really are without fear of reprisal.” In addition, Morrison took the opportunity with the NFT Technology to add an exclusive track, recorded in his studio specifically to coincide with the image and shot video content in his studio and with some of his personal art collection to add unlocks to some of the editions being released.
To see the artwork and NFT by this collective of TestaMint artists, please visit https://testamint.net/
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TestaMint and Artist’s Collective EPK Here
About TestaMint: TestaMint is an invite-only, eco-friendly NFT platform and collective made for artists, by artists. We have an exclusive network powered by patent-pending technology, that gives the artists unique tools to create their art with new-found depth and expression. TestaMint is the world’s first NFT collective. Not just a marketplace, but rather a limitless platform for creative discovery, exploration, and growth. Social Media: @TestaMintApp
About Frank Agnone: Frank Agnone has worked in the entertainment industry for the past thirty-six years. Frank is currently an Executive Producer for the legendary TV show, South Park. Frank has been with the show since it premiered in 1997. South Park is in its twenty-fourth season and is one of the longest-running shows in television history. Frank is a five-time Emmy Award winner for Outstanding Animated Series and also received the prestigious Peabody Award back in 2005. Frank has produced two feature films, “South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut” as well as “Team America World Police”. Prior to beginning his tenure at South Park, Frank worked with Hollywood icons Bob Hope and Norman Lear. Now Frank has his sights set on a new venture in the NFT sector. He is looking to rewrite the NFT narrative by injecting innovative strategies into an industry that has limitless growth potential.
About Jaron Ray Hinds: Jaron Ray Hinds is the President and CEO of Elevated Games and the co-founder of TestaMint LLC. A full-stack game developer at heart, he has brought his skills into the foundation of the cryptocurrency and NFT sectors. Known for his innovative and thought-provoking thinking in bleeding-edge sectors. No noobie to the NFT sector, Hinds has been writing code on the EOS blockchain for two-plus years and deploying commits to NFT standards daily. Deeply integrated into the Wyoming blockchain sector, Jaron has sponsored and won NFT challenges for the last three years. For the sake of sanity, you can find Jaron either bombing blacks diamonds on Mammoth mountain or dinking on local Playa Vista pickleball carts.
About Dave Navarro: Dave Navarro’s interest in art stems from his childhood when he was surrounded by drafting tables and art supplies from his father’s creative work in advertising. He’s been a collector since the 80’s and his collection includes everything from original Picasso to street installations. His art is inspired by his own experiences with trauma and depression… his focus is bridging the divide that’s occurred in our society’s mental health system. His desire for lifting the stigma around mental health issues and an attempt to help those in trauma comes through in his thought-provoking stencil and spray-painted art. Dave enjoys many collaborations as “remaining teachable” is something he desires, not only in his art but in terms of spreading the same message within our humanity. He is currently bi-coastal and hitting the streets of NYC and LA.
About Jim TAZ Evans: Artist Jim Evans aka TAZ, began his career in the San Francisco underground rock scene. He has illustrated comics, album covers, rock and film posters, appeared in numerous books and has expanded his work into fine art and limited editions. Evans is the founder of the TAZ collective, which is responsible for hundreds of gig posters, album covers, and rock ephemera. TAZ has turned out numerous posters for bands like Foo Fighters, U2, Oasis, Janes Addiction, Green Day, Pearl Jam, Beastie Boys, Ramones, and Metallica, as well as doing several high-profile album jackets for Beastie Boys, Beck, Aerosmith, House of Pain, and Neil Young. Evans / TAZ art has been exhibited in galleries worldwide and featured in books, articles, and interviews. TAZ has appeared in gallery shows with RISK, Defer, Slick, Saber, and Estevan Oriol. TAZ was recently commissioned by Sony Pictures to do a large-scale street art activation for the release of Venom.
About Kelly “Risk” Graval: Heralded as “one of the most important multidimensional contemporary artists of our time”, RISK was the first graffiti artist to paint train cars, freeway overpasses, and billboards. His desire to put his work on dangerous, highly visible spots was called “Going to the Heavens”. Over the past two decades, RISK has become a force in the international art scene as his work has been exhibited in major galleries and museums throughout New York, Toronto, London, Paris, Miami, and San Francisco. He has collaborated with some of the most iconic names in the music industry including Aerosmith, Bernie Taupin, Michael Jackson, Ice Cube, Red Hot Chili Peppers, and Bad Religion.
About Billy Morrison: From playing guitar in multiple celebrity super-bands to joining historic bands like The Cult and Billy Idol, to releasing his own art, Billy is truly an artistic genius. Billy has shared the stage with some of the top names in music, including Ozzy Osbourne, Steven Tyler, Slash, and Dave Navarro. Morrison has been a long-time collector of contemporary art, and now he is taking that and bringing it into the NFT world. His provocative and thought-inspiring statements embrace concepts of duality and mixed metaphors, and his use of color and mixed media has been embraced by both the music and art worlds. He considers himself fortunate to be able to express himself creatively on canvas, as well as through his music. His provocative and thought-inspiring statements embrace concepts of duality and mixed metaphors, and his use of color and mixed media has been embraced by both the music and art worlds, and pieces are owned by Shepard Fairey, Sharon Osbourne, and other influential collectors. Morrison is excited to unleash his NFT universe on the world and explore new mediums and depths with his art.
Contact:
Priscilla Vento
Public Relations
30 Miles North
310-593-3988
[email protected]
