Sotheby’s LA to Present ThankYouX Solo Exhibit “inertia”
Sotheby’s Los Angeles is getting ready to showcase its latest solo exhibit, “inertia“, featuring the multifaceted works of Los Angeles street artist ThankYouX, which will run from Nov. 28 to Dec. 20 at Sotheby’s Beverly Hills gallery, according to an announcement shared with nft now.
The flagship street-level gallery space, which opened in October 2021, serves as the first public exhibition space of the global auction house on the West Coast, while it continues to expand its gallery footprint in Palm Beach (FL), Aspen, and Monaco.
Anchored by 13 paintings, including one hybrid work with a digital screen embedded into the canvas, the exhibition epitomizes ThankYouX’s ongoing exploration of movement.
“I’m fascinated by the idea of movement of all things happening at once. From currents of the ocean, the winds blowing the clouds, to the planet revolving around the sun. It’s this abstract chaos that we cant often see but feel or are aware of. I wanted to paint what that might look like, ” ThankYouX told nft now.
The gallery’s decision to anchor the inertia showcase is a cornucopia of artistic dimensions – from expansive canvases and pioneering physical-digital hybrids to purely digital designs that offer a new perspective on the concept of ‘movement’ beyond the canvas. Here, movement transcends mere physicality, taking on metaphorical forms across varying media.
ThankYouX utilizes abstract layers to capture the vigor of motion, breaking free from the confines of flat planes and expanding the horizons of visual perceptions as we have grown accustomed to traditional art galleries and museums.
“Ultimately, the goal was to question, “Why is there a separation between digital and physical art?”… I wanted it to be both. That drop was pivotal in my career moving forward and has helped bridge the two worlds that I love so much. I believe it helps traditional collectors who don’t fully understand blockchain-based art and its possibilities a little more. And also helps crypto collectors understand the physical side a little more as well,” ThankYouX shared with nft now.
“Ultimately, the goal was to question, “Why is there a separation between digital and physical art?”
ThankYoux
From the gritty streets of Los Angeles, where he initiated his artistic voyage as a street artist, ThankYouX, whose real name is Ryan Wilson, has witnessed an astronomical ascent. His works, a testament to his unique artistry, have graced global platforms from London and Miami to Korea, New York, and Los Angeles. Since diving into the digital blockchain-based art realm in 2020, he has emerged as a vanguard, intertwining the legacies of traditional art with the progressive realm of web3.
This exhibit not only marks ThankYouX’s triumphant return to Los Angeles but is also a testament to the growing synergy between the digital and the tangible in art. Back in May, ThankYouX’s painting, “Urge for Perfection,” launched into space aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, marking a historic moment as space exploration, art, and technology came together.
This isn’t Wilson’s first collaboration with Sotheby’s, as works by ThankYouX have also been offered in additional Contemporary Art auctions at Sotheby’s. Their 2021 collaboration, “Physical/Digital”: A Modern Diptych, was a harmonious blend of the tangible and the virtual, presented during Sotheby’s Contemporary Art Day Auction in London alongside other established artists, including Damien Hirst, Banksy, and Cecily Brown.
“I have found a great partnership with Sotheby’s over the years. They have been open to my ideas and supportive when I wanted to do things a bit differently. I am excited to do this new project with them in the gallery,” shared ThankYouX
Mari-Claudia Jimenez, Sotheby’s Chairman, President, Americas, and Head of Global Business Development, believes that the growing surge of blockchain-based digital art, such as ThankYouX’s works, has “opened myriad possibilities for artists” that go beyond the mere exploration of new mediums, but also to challenge market paradigms and have a more direct hand in shaping how collectors engage with their work. That spirit of digital art is underscored in this boundary-defying exhibition…and showcases [Sotheby’s] history of working with artists to present their work in new formats and channels,” she continued.
“…but also to challenge market paradigms and have a more direct hand in shaping how collectors engage with their work. That spirit of digital art is underscored in this boundary-defying exhibition…and showcases [Sotheby’s] history of working with artists to present their work in new formats and channels.”
Constanze Nogler, Sotheby’s Director in Los Angeles, also praised ThankYouX’s dexterity, noting that he was one of the first artists to have “crossover success” during the rise of digital art. “With his latest group of work in “inertia”, the scope of his practice is on full display, from his swooping brushwork that references Abstract Expressionist luminaries such as Willem de Kooning to embedding a digital screen directly into one of the canvases,” he shared in the announcement.
“With his latest group of work in “inertia,” the scope of his practice is on full display, from his swooping brushwork that references Abstract Expressionist luminaries such as Willem de Kooning to embedding a digital screen directly into one of the canvases.”
Constanze Nogler
The boundaries between digital and physical art, according to Nogler, are “openly blurred,” while “challenging perspectives, and bringing to light new ways digital production and thinking will continue to influence the future of art.”
Editor’s note: This article was written by an nft now staff member in collaboration with OpenAI’s GPT-4.