A warm welcome to all of you and thanks for joining us on this epic Discovery of the Day! MSQ recently moved into its Open Beta, meaning you can now sign up for a profile, list your project and check out all the site has to offer. From Monday to Friday we bring you our Discovery of the Day series of articles covering some of our top picks from the world of NFTs, Blockchain gaming and the metaverse! In today’s edition we take a look at a truly unique endeavor with an amazing story behind it…this is The Anatomical Project!
Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes
You are not just one thing—and no, I don’t mean all the roles you fulfill on a daily basis. Indeed, you are made up of billions and billions of tiny parts…atoms, proteins, neurons, a wide variety of intricately interwoven cells and an untold number of other microscopic things. Despite the incomprehensible vastness of the universe and the infinitesimally tiny building blocks that constitute all matter, one of the greatest sources of fascination and consternation is the human body. If you think about it, the mathematical chances of you being who you are is nigh impossible. If the universe is indeed 13.8 billion years old, that means it took about 13.8 billion years for you to come into being. Far out!
So what exactly are the odds? Well, according to a 2011 Tedx Talk by Mel Robbins, about 1 in 400 trillion. However, that can’t be right, can it? Because you’re here, reading this, so given the way time and the mechanics of infinity work, even that which is close to impossible must inevitably come to be…
Is your third eye open yet, anon? 🌌
The matter that constitutes us didn’t simply come out of nowhere. Indeed, all that which is here has ‘always’ been here, and even after we’re long gone, those things that once made us who we are will be somewhere else, part of something else. So yeah, when you look up at the stars at night, or even squint your eyes while trying to catch a glimpse of the Sun, the stuff that comprises them is more or less the same that comprises you.
The human body is truly a marvel of engineering, or perhaps more accurately, the product of a very long and profound evolutionary path. However, even though we are sentient beings, it’s easy to abuse our bodies with alcohol, narcotics, fatty foods, sugar and so on. The sad thing is that a lot of this isn’t necessarily conscious or even deliberate, but invariably we put our bodies through a lot of stress. It’s important that we take care of our health, both mental and physical, if we are to weather the many challenges that the modern world hurls headlong at us. If we want to remember who and what we are, we sometimes need to give some considered thought to the things that ensure our continued survival in this perilous existence.
Meet the Marvelous Melissa!
This isn’t usually how I start Discoveries of the Day, but because of this project’s strong human focus, I think it’s important to zoom in on the human being behind it. Melissa Freund is a self-taught artist and creator as well as a coloring book author. She is also a mother to a precious daughter and the wife of Ryan Freund, an NFT enthusiast and her biggest fan. Melissa is also the winner of the VeeFriends 2021 Pumpkin Carving Contest - I’m not going to try describe this, you can just bear witness to this incredible artistry yourself:
Melissa is definitely a believer and advocate of NFTs. In fact, she’s actually a 3x resident at Ethereum Towers, an epic project I recently covered which actually led to me finding out about Melissa and her work. Amazing how things work, right?
Check out this MSQ Discovery of the Day - Own Prime Metaverse Real Estate in Ethereum Towers!
So what I’m really asking is, ‘Wen Melissa Freund Art Gallery in Ethereum Towers!?’ For real though, I’d love to see this happen. Oh would you look at that? I’ve talked so much I haven’t even gotten around to Melissa’s project and artwork yet! Forgive me, but the above exposition is all entirely necessary and important, I assure you. Fear not, for your patience and dedication will be duly rewarded…now!
The Colors Within Us
Melissa is a talented NFT artist and the creator of The Anatomical Project, an effort that began as a result of something very personal and trying to Melissa and her husband. In her own words:
My parenting journey started with the heart. My daughter was born with a rare heart defect & needed open heart surgery at 11 days old. I decided to draw hearts as a way to cope.
Melissa then decided to take the hearts she was drawing and published a Coloring Book back in May 2021:
A few months later, in September 2021, Melissa created a 100 piece Genesis NFT collection called Anatomical Hearts. Here’s an example of one of these amazing hearts:
Melissa’s work features a beautiful cacophony of colors and, as seen here in Anatomical Heart #92, a huge amount of fine detail, unique patterns and intricate line work. Her work ranges in terms of its geometric designs and lucidity, but regardless, her Genesis project never fails to be anything short of visually compelling and stunningly rendered, evoking a strong emotional response from the viewer
Melissa was so inspired and moved by the overall feedback she received (as well as the many relationships she formed) that she decided to extend her collection in an effort to further support the medical community…
A True Body of Work
Yes indeed, the Anatomical Project includes the following different body parts that Melissa hopes will help others to connect her art with their own personal journeys:
- Hearts 100/100 (Completed)
- Brains 23/100
- Kidneys 22/100
- Livers 23/100
- Lungs 24/100
- Eyes 2/100
- Skulls 2/100
- Uteruses 2/100
- DNA 2/100
Disclaimer: The above information is accurate at the time of writing, but be sure to check The Anatomical Project’s OpenSea page for the latest details
As it appears, the final collection (at least at this point) will consist of no less than 900 pieces of original art by Melissa herself. She’s making sterling progress but has some way to go until the collection is complete, so you’ll definitely want to get your piece now while she’s still hard at work.
Let’s take a brief look at some of the current pieces from The Anatomical Project:
How about this super intricate pair of lungs?
Another imaginative but tasteful use of color by Melissa in this liver
I adore the colors in these kidneys - almost looks edible!
Body and Soul Stats
So as you can see, Melissa’s work is truly visionary, meaningful and lovingly rendered. There’s a joyful musicality within her pieces, and I can’t help but think about bands like Tears for Fears, Tool and even Alice in Chains when I look at these pieces (I’m sure you’ll relate your own worldviews and stories to these pieces, but these are just some of mine).
I think I could very well go on about Melissa’s work for ages, but the main point to keep in mind here is that, regardless of where you are in the world, because we are all made of the same stuff and share similar experiences, we can connect with Melissa’s work because it is so recognizable and characteristically human.
And now for some OpenSea stats!
Please Note: Stats are accurate at the time of writing, but be sure to check the original source for the most current information.
Anatomical Hearts
- Available Items - 100
- Owners - 67
The Anatomical Project
- Available Items - 122
- Owners - 56
Please also note the following disclaimer as per the Anatomical Project website:
Only limited personal non-commercial use and resale rights in the NFT are granted, and you have no right to license, commercially exploit, reproduce, distribute, prepare derivative works, publicly perform, or publicly display the NFT or the music or the artwork therein. All copyright and other rights are reserved and not granted
And that brings us to the end of this story my dear friends. You definitely want to follow The Anatomical Project on Twitter and join Melissa’s Discord so you can get all the latest news and updates as and when they become available.
So what do you think of Melissa and The Anatomical Project? Be sure to let us know on our socials. If you don’t have a MSQ profile yet, make sure you sign up as soon as possible so you can explore the site and enjoy everything it has to offer. Thanks for joining me today! Until we meet again, take care of your minds, your bodies and your souls, and keep supporting great artists and projects! Later!
Join the MSQ Discord and participate in weekly and holiday events when they become available! Make sure you join our growing NFT community so you can stay on top of news, the latest drops, and everything non-fungible.
Comments 0