While attending NFT London, host Tori Madison, speaks to Rich Simmons about the power of art to heal depression and anxiety. We discuss how art has saved both of our lives; Tori from the grief of the death of her younger brother and Rich from an "invisible straight jacket" of depression. A paintbrush, a spray can, a drumkit, and a skateboard were keys for Rich that unlocked negative energy to be channeled in a more positive, healthy way.
"Instead of having scars on your arm, you could have a poem, a song, a painting, a drawing, or you could learn a new skateboard trick."
Rich Simmons is a London-based Contemporary Urban Pop Artist who has exhibited worldwide. Simmons' work explores the intersections of visual culture, spanning pop art, comic books, the Renaissance, contemporary fashion, sexuality, and beyond. Rich has a global reach and celebrity following, exhibiting in some of the world’s most prestigious galleries.
2022 saw the launch of Simmons NFT debut, with Reflections selling out the 3,333 mint in under an hour and generating $1.8 million in sales on Opensea in the first month. The collection debuted in the top 10 Art NFTs on Opensea and earned finalist spots in the NFT NYC Awards as Best NFT Artist and Best Emerging NFT Artist.
Simmons' bold use of color, intricately detailed hand-cut stencils, sense of humor, and thought-provoking narratives running through his work prove Rich is both an innovator and a highly collectible artist. Simmons' work transcends galleries, and his street art murals can be seen worldwide, with the latest 3,400 sq ft mural being completed in Rogers, Arkansas.
Simmons is also the creator, and founder of Art Is The Cure, a Vinspired award-winning organization promoting art therapy, and has run workshops and talks around the world.
1:00 "Art is the thing that saved my life."
2:55 The connection between creativity and pain
11:30: Art should be taught differently. Rather than trying to draw a bowl of fruit, art can be taught as creativity and problem-solving in schools
12:35 How to teach people how to problem solve and think creatively or outside the box
13:40 Art is the Cure. Inspiring and educating people to develop tools to help them overcome their sadness as well as bring art therapy to their communities as a "creative revolution"
17:30 "Art isn't just something you see in galleries; it's something that saves lives."
18:36 Mentoring students in a safe environment where they can develop art skills to end self-harm, promoting leadership
21:09 "A New Renaissance Era for Art" how do we combine art with science, math, engineering, and now with NFTs and blockchain?
22:40 "Web3, blockchain, and NFTs have leveled the playing field and opened a "pandora's box" of creativity for people like me."
24:10 "The Rules and Regulations" of the art world that limit artists' potential
26:00 How NFTs are giving artists direct ownership of their artwork. There is less need for the old art gallery model to exhibit an artist's work. Now the artist can sell their art directly to their fans. They can even access their fans, whereas before, galleries kept buyers away from the artists as secretive intellectual property for the gallery only. "The art gallery model is potentially on its way out because of augmented reality... if you're not raising the bar to excite people with creativity in new ways, you're going to be left behind. It's evolve, or die. And that's incredibly exciting for the artist."
27:26 Rich Simmons' NFT Collections
https://www.richsimmonsart.com/
Produced by Kalo Sepulveda
