At 75 years old, New Zealand artist Trevor Jones ventured into the world of NFTs, achieving remarkable success with his tokenized creations now showcased in esteemed private collections.
Trevor Jones: Art Legacy
Trevor Jones’ art is renowned among gallery curators in both Europe and the United States. He belongs to the generation of post-war artists who adhered to the Neo-Modernism movement and often showcased their works in smaller auctions. He is a proficient artist, possessing a Master's degree in Fine Arts from the University of Edinburgh.
Until 2018, the valuation of his art varied from $30 to $3179, which isn’t exceptionally high.
Jones himself conceded that he was struggling,
“I was trying to figure out how to be an artist and how to make a living. Like most artists, I was working two or three jobs, I was running a small arts charity, I was teaching part-time. I knew many of the artists working and living here in Edinburgh and I saw the impossibility of making a living as an artist.”
Jones expressed his artistic visions through oil on canvas. Source: nftevening
Distinctively, Trevor Jones had a vibrant curiosity in everything innovative and unconventional, setting him apart from his contemporaries. He was and continues to be a proponent of new technologies; therefore, as early as 2012, he started experimenting with integrating QR codes into his pieces. By 2013, he embraced AR technologies in painting and even arranged an augmented reality art exhibit at the Scottish National Gallery.
For several years, he navigated the crossroads of art and technology, finding intellectual satisfaction but not financial recompense.
Trevor reflected on his condition at the time, “It was that sense of urgency—I saw the future coming fast, and I didn’t want to be 65 or 70 years old and still a struggling artist.”
A significant advancement occurred when Trevor Jones delved into the world of non-fungible tokens, marking a transformative period in his artistic journey.
Trevor Jones: NFT Endeavors
It all began not with art, but with investing in cryptocurrency. Trevor put a considerable amount of his resources into Bitcoin, reaping substantial returns. However, like many novices, he couldn’t discern when to pull back and, consequently, lost it all in the bear market of 2018. Yet, the artist remained undaunted. Enthralled by digital technologies, he resolved to persist with his explorations in this realm, transitioning from a crypto trader to a crypto artist—a move he didn't regret.
In 2019, he conceived his inaugural NFT drop, dubbed “EthGirl," which unfolded on the SuperRare platform towards the close of 2019. Subsequently, artist Trevor Jones became a recognized name among every connoisseur of digital painting.
Trevor Jones' NFT Artworks from the “EthGirl” Series. Source: X
His tokenized pieces were met with astounding success. Trevor Jones amassed over $3.2 million by vending 4157 digital renditions of his piece “The Bitcoin Angel” on Nifty Gateway in an online auction that concluded in a mere seven minutes. Each token was priced at $777. On the secondary market, the value almost doubled, despite Trevor’s personal appeals to his patrons through platform X, persuading them to hold off on reselling for at least six months to realize greater profits.
The Bitcoin Angel by Trevor Jones. Source: Х
So what facilitated the artist's impressive accomplishments at such a venerable age? In Trevor’s view, it was purely persistence and an aspiration to demonstrate to his university mentors his potential for success, as they had deemed him incapable of achieving great heights.
This narrative attests to the importance for creators to maintain a connection with contemporaneity and acknowledge market dynamics. The adage that “an artist should be hungry and struggling” has long lost its validity.
An artist needs to be sought-after, and this is something Trevor Jones has achieved splendidly.
