CrytoArt Sundays: Interview with Joel Astor

Welcome to CryptoArt Sundays! This week I’m excited to introduce you to the wonderful work of Joel Astor.

Joel is a contemporary digital artist who is a master of modern surrealism. I was immediately drawn to his enigmatic style of art and the way he blends different styles together.

So let’s dive in and find out more about his journey as an artist in the wacky world of NFTs!

How did you find out about the NFT space, and what attracted you to create your own NFTs?

Since about 2018 I have been in the crypto world learning about trading…and one of the things you learn first is to check all the news every morning, so that made me aware of this whole world of NFTs.

I have been a graphic designer for more than 7 years and I have always done photomanipulation as a hobby, I love creating scenarios and fantasy situations.

My entry into the world of NFTs was somewhat hectic, I was a victim of a scam on the freelancing website where I worked and that forced me to look for other sources of income, in all that research I discovered that I could create my NFTs on the polygon matic network totally free (I always thought that minting was expensive) so I decided to finish several animated arts I was working on and minted my first NFT on September 29, 2021 and just a month after that, I got the message of happiness “Your Item Sold!”

There I understood that it was possible to dedicate myself to what I liked and live from it.

How often do you create?

Depending on the complexity of the art, between 1-3 artworks every two weeks. If they are animated they can take up to 3 weeks per piece. Although this is variable, if I have a good streak of inspiration I could do up to 5 in a week.

What is your creative process?

If I had to describe my process, it would be like solving a puzzle. I always have an idea or the sensation of something in my head, so I approach it in different ways, sometimes I start to make sketches, sometimes I put together a moodboard or sometimes I just collect resources in image banks that I like, then with all the pieces I begin to put it together until everything makes sense in front of my eyes.

Are there any CryptoArtists you would love to collaborate with?

There are many artists that I admire, both famous and emerging talents. But I would like to one day collaborate with the artist who has been part of the inspiration in my work, Marcel Van Luit.

What do you think the future of CryptoArt will look like?

The future is very hopeful, we are seeing how NFTs are becoming part of everything, movies, music, video games…and people who previously seemed skeptical are slowly accepting them. Just thinking that artists can do what they love and gain recognition and make a living from art is worth it. The great advances that will take place in the coming months will be related to AI art.

What are you currently working on?

I am currently working on the second drop of my LIFE PATHS Collection which is a combination of steampunk – the gods Chronos/Aion/Kairos from Greek mythology and my surreal touch. The first drop “Aion” is available on KnowOrigin.

There are only 100 editions at 0.005 ETH, an affordable price for those who want to acquire it. AION collectors will have surprise drops in the future as well as access to the Kairos and Chronos white list.