Jonathan Monaghan is an award-winning visual artist who works across a range of media, such as prints, sculpture, and animation, to produce otherworldly objects and narratives. This month, Monaghan will participate in his second NFT drop on MakersPlace featuring works from his ongoing Tetramorphs series.
The Tetramorphs collection is an ominous foretelling of the future of technology. The works are inspired by medieval depictions of otherworldly beings, and the symbols and colors of the Zodiac. Tetramorphs are hybrid creatures composed of soft fabrics, ambiguous hardware, and baroque regalia. They fuse together a mythical past with anxieties about an uncertain future.
“My work weaves together ancient myths and metaphors with wide-ranging references to science fiction, baroque architecture, and historical artworks. I am inspired by and reimagine everything from Faberge Eggs to specific historical paintings.
“The result is a cross-disciplinary, yet connected body of work offering critical reflections on the technological landscape they come from.”
For this Tetramorphs drop, Monaghan is introducing three new Zodiac representations: Aries, Aquarius, and Leo, each in a limited edition of 10/10.
Recent Highlights
In September, Jonathan Monaghan will present a solo exhibition at Phillips Collection in Washington D.C. For this show, Monaghan will continue exploring connections between modern technology and historical artworks, drawing inspiration from early 20th-century masterpieces from the Museum’s collection to create an immersive new installation. (Jonathan Monaghan: Move the Way You Want, Sept 22–Dec 31, 2022 – Phillips Collection, Washington, DC)
During Milan Design week in June, Monaghan will present a unique collaboration with the Italian luxury brand Visionnaire. Apollo del Capitonne is ground-breaking artwork that is both a 3D animation and a physical marble sculpture at the same time. Through the power of innovative NFT+ technology, Monaghan reimagines the ancient Greek masterpiece Apollo del Belvedere sculpture as an otherworldly bust in Carrara marble.
The Drop
Tetramorphs: Aries — Limited Edition
“Tetramorphs: Aries” references the fiery red color and animal symbolism associated with the Aries Zodiac sign. A surreal velvet ram’s head and an ATM combine to create a new hybrid creature. “Tetramorphs” brings together a mythical past with anxieties about an uncertain future to create an ominous foretelling of the future of technology.
Editions: 10
Pricing: $500 USD / Edition
*Limited edition artworks will be available for a flat rate; first come, first buy. The last limited edition (10) will be auctioned — a 24-hour auction will be triggered once the reserve price of $500 USD is met.
Tetramorphs: Aquarius — Limited Edition
“Tetramorphs: Aquarius.” In astrology, Aquarius is the water-bearer. Here this Zodiac symbol is transformed into a surreal combination of luxurious fabrics, surveillance cameras, consumer products, and Baroque regalia. “Tetramorphs” brings together a mythical past with anxieties about an uncertain future to create an ominous foretelling of the future of technology.
Editions: 10
Pricing: $500 USD / Edition
*Limited edition artworks will be available for a flat rate; first come, first buy. The last limited edition (10) will be auctioned — a 24-hour auction will be triggered once the reserve price of $500 USD is met.
Tetramorphs: Leo — Limited Edition
“Tetramorphs: Leo” references the color and animal symbol of the Leo Zodiac sign. Lion’s paws dangle from a strange furniture-like body. By imagining new legendary hybrids, “Tetramorphs” brings together a mythical past with anxieties about an uncertain future to create an ominous foretelling of the future of technology.
Editions: 10
Pricing: $500 USD / Edition
*Limited edition artworks will be available for a flat rate; first come, first buy. The last limited edition (10) will be auctioned — a 24-hour auction will be triggered once the reserve price of $500 USD is met.
About Jonathan Monaghan
Jonathan Monaghan is an award-winning visual artist who works across a range of media, such as prints, sculpture, and animation, to produce otherworldly objects and narratives. Monaghan’s work has been exhibited at the Sundance Film Festival, Russia’s Hermitage Museum, The Walters Art Museum in Baltimore, and the Palais de Tokyo in Paris. His work has been featured in several media outlets, including The New York Times, Vogue Italia, and The Washington Post. His work has also been acquired by numerous public and private art collections, including The Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art and the Washington, D.C., Art Bank Collection. He is represented by bitforms gallery in New York and Galerie 2248m2 in Paris.
Monaghan was an early adopter of NFTs. He experimented with using the Bitcoin blockchain to authenticate his digital artworks in 2013, collaborating on Keidom (later called Ascribe) — an important forerunner to modern NFTs. He’s remained active in the crypto art space, becoming one of the first artists on Foundation. And his work was also featured in the launch of crypto.com’s NFT platform, where he collaborated with TikTok musical sensation Nathan Evans to create a series of animations inspired by the viral hit “Wellerman.”
