Jack Butcher to Release Digital and Physical Generative Works via Christie’s
As part of his latest collection, Checks Elements — which consists of 152 physical and NFT pairs, brought to life in collaboration with esteemed printer Jean Milant.
Jack Butcher, the artist behind the popular Checks VV Originals and VV Edition collections, which have seen over 74,000 ETH in secondary volume, has announced the release of a limited edition generative collection via Christie’s.
The latest collection, Checks Elements, features 152 physical and NFT pairs, brought to life in collaboration with celebrated and esteemed printer Jean Milant of Cirrus Editions, Los Angeles.
Bidding for the three Alpha Elements begins at 10am EST at Christie’s tomorrow, and runs for 7 days.
Reserve: Ξ0.0044 ($8)
— Jack Butcher (@jackbutcher) May 15, 2023
Checks Elements explores the fundamental aspects of physical matter and their transcendent nature. The collection delves into the classical elements of Earth, Fire, Water, and Air, drawing inspiration from their historical significance in understanding the world.
“The classical elements are one of the earliest examples of decentralized consensus; transcending language, culture, and location to make sense of the world,” shared Butcher in a recent tweet, adding that they are “a reminder that words, symbols, and stories are merely proxies for truth as we update our models of reality.”
Notably, each of the 152 works in the care of Milant, are meticulously crafted monoprints — meaning the image can only be made once, unlike most printmaking which allows for multiple originals.
To maintain the authenticity of their on-chain generative counterparts, the physical works are first hand drawn and then reproduced algorithmically on a Mailander 202 lithographic printing press, with additional hand finishings by Milant.
Each physical work measures 30” by 42” and includes a corresponding Ethereum-based NFT, which also includes rendering instructions that are entirely stored on-chain.
Butcher shared that the collection is divided into six tiers, all of which are multiples of the original four classical elements. These tiers are titled Alpha, Order, Isolate, Composite, Compound, and Complete, each said to offer a distinct artistic experience.
Those eager to collect will be able to begin bidding via Christie’s Web3 platform C3.0, starting Tuesday, May 16 to May 23. To provide value to a wide range of his collectors, Butcher announced that this latest collection will include a bidders edition titled “Infinity Check.”
To make the bidder editions as accessible as possible, the reserve for the Checks Elements auctions is set to .0044 ETH or roughly $8 USD — with holders of Checks, Opepen, and VV 1/1s being eligible to receive the bidder’s edition. Butcher also shared that holders of “single checks” will receive the entire set of editions airdropped to the wallet they hold the Check in.
The first three elements or auctions to be hosted by Christie’s also include a charitable aspect, with Butcher dedicating 30% of proceeds to be donated to St. Judes’s Children’s Research Hospital.
Following these primary auctions, which end on “Checks day 100,” Butcher shared that the remaining six-tiered auctions will begin to unfold, beginning with “Completes,” and ending with the last Alpha Element “Fire.”
The release of Checks Elements represents a unique approach to both traditional art techniques and exploratory use of blockchain technology, as Butcher continues to push what’s possible from a technical and creative standpoint — though as the artist often says, “this artwork may or may not be notable.”
For those looking to experience the works in person, Earth, Air, and Water will be on view at Christie’s New York, 20 Rockefeller Plaza from May 20 to 23.
Elsewhere in art, find ‘Sanctuary’ in the latest immersive work from Ryan Koopmans and Alice Wexell.
