Welcome back! MSQ just moved into Open Beta, meaning you can now sign up, create a profile, and enjoy the full splendor of the New Homepage for the Decentralized Web! From Monday to Friday we bring you our Discovery of the Day, a series of special articles featuring some of our top picks from across the cryptosphere. Be it DeFi, NFTs, Blockchain games or otherwise, we cover all the important stuff you need to know! Today we explore the work of figurative expressionist artist and NFT creator Gavin Meeler!
Goodwill Hunting
Florescent lights illuminate scuffed linoleum as second-hand clothes dangle precariously from a well-worn rack. A Spring Forward: Colorful Shirts sign hangs in the distance in stark contrast to the scene of an early twenty-something male sporting a baggy black t-shirt shuffling around patiently for the next great find. Being your own boss is a risky endeavor, but this man and his wife likely found some much-needed freedom in their online shop. This undoubtedly showed Gavin Meeler that when you pursue what you love, you just keep moving forward—one foot in front of the other, and the ground will come up to meet you. This may have also been something that gave Gavin the time and courage to press on with his biggest passion: expressing himself and portraying the world around him through art.
‘This is my hustle. This is my “job.” This is my meditation. This is how I get ahead. This is what I choose to do. This is my happiness.’
I chose to feature Gavin not just because I love his art and the meaning behind it, but because he and his story are sincere and genuine. No YOLO posts on Twitter. No yachts. No flexing. No dunking or negativity. No trying to be anything other than himself—a shy guy who loves art, puts himself out there and wants to see others succeed too. I can’t help but admire and respect everything about what he does and how he does it.
Meeler’s Creations
Meeler’s Creations are a prolific collection of NFTs from artist Gavin Meeler . While it’s hard to pin down an exact number, Gavin’s art comprises hundreds of unique pieces across multiple collections, amounting to thousands of NFTs that speak to the human experience and what he sees in the world around us. 30% of all proceeds from his art go directly towards supporting other artists by purchasing their works:
Bored Ape Derivative in the 3rd Dimension—Screaming for help on the inside—Mumble Rap Sucks—Healing #2
I actually had quite a bit of trouble narrowing down which pieces to showcase in this article because they’re all so emotionally provocative. Gavin’s work covers some of the more ineffable aspects of the human experience that are not often translated from the world of the abstract to visual mediums: from humor and sorrow to grief and hopefulness, Gavin highlights and addresses the many issues concerning the modern condition, chiefly those related to mental health and personal wellbeing.
Woman and Man (Despair)—Bill says ‘We need to do more’—Trauma the Clown—Sometimes I can’t think
Some of them are hilarious…
Boomer—Bill wants to box with beeple
…and some of them are just…friggin’ terrifying!
Anguish the Clown—Jack the Clown Grinding Teeth—Fallen and I can’t turn back
Potato Head
Potato Head is a limited collection of Ethereum NFTs hand-drawn by Gavin and released bi-monthly. This series is a recreation of Mr. Potato Head and other iconic toys portrayed as being stuck halfway between human and toy.
There will only ever be 600 Potato Heads with 180 exclusive reward toys created. They are also released in 30 different generations with 20 1/1 Potato Heads and 6 exclusive 1/1 toys rewarded in each generation. The 1/1 exclusive toys are awarded to the top three holders from each generation.
Etherabloom
Etherabloom is a separate collection of digital crypto flower NFTs with each emotion-filled piece aptly named to touch on all of life’s questions. Only 7 out of 10 of these experimental 1/1 flowers have been released so far.
Etherabloom
(clock-wise from top left)
#1 Empathy, #2 Sensitivity, #3 Kindness, #4 Community, #5 Perspective, #6 Awareness, #7 Happiness
Holy Skully
Holy Skully is a separate 1/1 collection of 6 Skull NFTs on the Ethereum Blockchain. Like Etherabloom, Holy Skully is an experimental collection from Gavin.
Meeler Fish
Meeler Fish is a limited collection of two 1/1’s and two 1/3’s made available to holders of specific Meeler pieces.
‘Impact to the Psyche’
Impact to the Psyche is a limited series of Ethereum NFTs from Gavin that includes a mix of 1/1’s, 1/15’s, and a 1/100 that cover dark, cerebral, almost tangible themes that poke at the neurotic little demons we all carry around.
The heart protector—It’s not if it’s when—The Worrier—If I’m not on your radar then your radar’s broke—Tears of a human
Meeler’s Signatures
Meeler’s Signatures is a collection of Ethereum NFTs released on 10/19/2021. They represent Gavin as an artist and are priced for those in the community without deep pockets who still want to get involved in the space.
‘I hate that not everyone can jump into the space because of affordability…Think of them as if I’m signing something for you & putting a small doodle on it’
Gavin’s World
Gavin’s latest collection, Gavin’s World, is set to launch Thursday, November 25th, 2021. While his other collections focus on what’s important in the world around us, this collection will focus on the things that are important in his world.
This first image from the ‘Gavin’s World’ collection is already impressive as it is…but look closer. This piece is drenched in symbolism, featuring characters and elements that hold special meaning for Gavin.
In my many months of covering NFTs, I’ve yet to see this level of detail encoded into an NFT. Absolutely ridiculous!
Heart & Soul
Needless to say, Gavin Meeler is by far one of the best artists on the scene: A true up-and-comer with talent and humility who pours his heart and soul into every piece. He’s definitely someone you should acquaint and familiarize yourself with.
Be sure to follow Gavin on Twitter and join his Discord so that you can keep up with the latest news and releases or even just chat with him directly.
There are many people in the world who are disingenuous, conniving and greedy. Mercifully, Gavin Meeler isn’t one of them. Perhaps one of the most endearing aspects of his work is how his humility, humanity and kindness translate in an expressive, yet entirely relatable way that, despite its strangeness, feels incredibly close to home.
That about it does it for today. If you haven’t already, sign up for a MSQ profile and check out all the great content we have here. Be sure to check in daily for new articles, posts and projects, and don’t forget to tell all your friends! Later!
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