On this episode I have a discussion with one of the coolest folks I’ve met through NFTs: Boxhead. Having become aware of her street art many years ago in NYC, it’s been wild to connect with her in person through NFT art. It means a lot to me, to meet other artists that have been creating physical art for so long, that managed to find a place in digital realms. Her journey is also laid out really well on her personal website.
Listening to her journey as an artist brought back so many memories, and is so relatable to my own. However, it stands out as a really unique one, because of where she started with her art, and where she is now. It’s rare to see somebody follow the creative path with so much commitment for so long, and still be so engaged with the lifestyle and industries that make up the landscape along the way.
I think that being an artist is about survival, just as much as it is about making art. The core skill to “making it,” is being able to adapt and evolve. In the case of Boxy, she not only cultivated a medium of art that fit her urban environments, she continued to get the creativity in her mental makeup out by adapting to software. From murals on walls to Blender, the girl with a box for a head lives across all types of canvases now.
The coolest thing about this to me, is that Boxy never compromised the identity of this character she developed. The style and environments she presents her in show subtle variations, and there is an underlying narrative to the character that communicates so incredibly much about human nature. I would almost say that Boxhead’s work is “dark art,” though I think this label would fall short of covering the scope of her body of work.
We talk a bit about mental health, and how Boxy’s personal experiences and struggles reflect in her work. Having gotten to know her more now, I can see her identity showing in the pieces she creates, and I’m so humbled that she chose to share this during our discussion as well. The depth in her approach to who we are and what we present, is incredibly mature and relatable.
It also helps that her work is approachable - I think that art that draws folks in easily, and surprises them when they get closer with important messages about our humanity is what qualifies as good art. It’s visually appealing, it has an aesthetic that’s relatable, and the narrative is impactful AF.
Touching on the topic of collaboration, it was pretty cool to get into her collaboration with CFW. the Boxhead Stacy Pill is one of my favorite pieces of art I’ve ever acquired as an NFT. It’s so pleasing to watch. I’ve shared it a whole bunch of times so far, and I’m going to share it again, because holy crap.
Speaking of collaborations, here’s another one Boxy did with another amazing artist in the space, Hiena. I think it’s important to note how her style is so compatible with so many different styles. She counts off a number of artists she has collaborated with, and I will try and list them as honorable mentions at the end of this post.
This podcast has been published exactly 1 month after we recorded it, some the projects Boxy mentioned she was going to drop, have dropped! Here is what I got out of her drop with Props. Check out the entire collection here.
And be sure to stay tuned to her Twitter account, because she is dropping the generative collection she mentioned this upcoming week! It looks like yet another gentle, but deeply thoughtful narrative yet again.
Honorable mentions:
Glowa
Hiena
Gael
Icasis
Bilnd
CFW (I wonder if substack will start punishing me for plugging CFW 24/7)
Miriampersand
Griff
And lastly, the book I totally did not tell anybody to pirate in any way whatsoever, “Turn the Ship Around,” by David Marquette.
The next episode is going to be a session I had with Robek. Instead of “what kind of art do you like” kind of questions, just got deep into all manner of topics about technology, the blockchain, and a bunch of weird shit in between. He is one of the most dangerously intelligent folks I have met over the years, and I value our relationship because our interactions are always educational in some way.
Check out his latest article on mirror, “rwx's cool cold reality: november 2022.”
I hope you enjoyed this episode! Please share it if you did, and you can always Gift a Subscription if it’s in your means, and you don’t know what to get your friends!
Transmission 3 - Boxhead