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Eleos3 OP t1_j89qjr9 wrote

Reply to comment by TylerJWhit in I'm a career Surrealist Artist, currently creating a live, interactive mural painting with embedded interactive puzzles! AMA by Eleos3

Hey, u/TylerJWhit thank you so much for your question and for giving me the ability to clarify.

That cartoon was made 12 years ago when I was regularly making caricatures for individuals, there was never an intention to represent Jewish individuals. Further, I absolutely do not associate myself with any forms of bigotry, including anti-sematic behaviors and completely distance myself from racist individuals. Further just for added information, this project Primal Tokens has another primary partner which you may see on stream in the background answering to questions, her name is Shoshannah and is Jewish and I could never think of a better partner for building this project!

We are also not affiliated with Bored Ape Yacht Club.

I hope that answers your concerns but I am more than willing to answer follow-up questions as needed.

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TylerJWhit t1_j89uh9x wrote

See edit in original comment.

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Eleos3 OP t1_j89wrim wrote

Absolutely, happy to follow up.

To address Ape Skull Iconography, the series we are currently working on can be found at PrimalTokens.com, I'd encourage you to look at the creatures as there is currently listed 16 of the 32 current paintings available. Many of those paintings are not apes but include bulls, horses, deer, and hippos and the new 16 (unlisted currently) include also dinosaurs. I am fascinated with fossils and skulls. In particular, there is a long history of skull iconography (typically next to fruits such as oranges or lemons). This iconography typically represents the temporary nature of life in contrast to the permanence of fossils that are all we really leave behind. Through surrealism, I re-imagine the creature and hope the patterns and colors can bring a voice to often endangered or extinct things.

Back to your primary concerns, this is the first time I truly ever was told or thought of this. I made thousands of caricatures of people at events throughout my career, particularly since they were popular 10-20 years ago. But you're absolutely right that unintended harm could have been perpetuated, so I am now intending to take that picture down after our live event concludes (I have to recover the account first).

Regarding your second point, I can only follow up by saying I never intended it to be antisemitic and that while we all have unconscious biases as a result of the society we live in, I sincerely do not hold negative racialized beliefs and actively support marginalized individuals.

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TylerJWhit t1_j89yhm9 wrote

Thank you for your candidness.

I spend a lot of time tracking white supremacists and the first thing I saw was the ape skull and it sent alarm bells off in my head.

When I found the profile photo I was extra concerned.

That being said, the fact that you have unequivocally rejected bigotry is comforting. I would just be cautious in the future. When using iconography that's often associated with racist phrenology, you might want to address it beforehand.

I'll remove my comments to ensure you aren't harassed.

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Eleos3 OP t1_j8a1hx4 wrote

Absolutely, I think it is quite a tragedy when groups like that co-opt imagery and prevent artists from expressing themselves, but it is something we need to be aware of (and I try to be).

I hope you are able to stop by the live stream, maybe try to solve one of the puzzles yourself, and win a painting! I'm sure your keen eye for detail may be of use!

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[deleted] t1_j8aopzy wrote

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Eleos3 OP t1_j8aqj2r wrote

Why choose a different tool? Hammers are great! Especially if you don't like the painting you made! Haha,

hope you were able to check out the stream!

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