Reflecting on my art and the process flow takes me to places I wouldn’t otherwise visit. These two particular artworks represent many things to me, so I will try to articulate them clearly and hopefully convey something of the meaning to you, the reader.

Let’s start with science fiction and in particular, the Stanley Kubrick film: 2001. The first time I saw this movie in a theater I was almost literally blown away. The cinematography, the music, the realistic portrayal of life in space, followed by the mystical experiences of the protagonist, Dave, brilliantly underplayed by Kier Dullea, as he goes through profound experiences of accelerated aging, death and rebirth, of timelessness, wove an unforgettable tapestry into my consciousness. So these two pieces are a tribute to Stanley Kubrick, and to his film, which was based on a story by the great science fiction author, Arthur C Clarke.

Utopia vs Dystopia. Questions arose as I was creating these two paintings: Is there a perfect world? A perfect place somewhere in this world? A perfect inner state? A better planet on which we humans could start over? Can we create a future world that’s free from hunger, poverty, climate change, suffering? We seem to have a vague sense that there is, somehow, somewhere, but where is it? And can it truly be attained?

Many dystopian films, novels, TV shows, are being produced these days. Why are we obsessed with a ruined future for humanity? Is it a way to warn ourselves not to continue the consumption and pollution of our world? Can we slow and eventually reverse the radical population explosion that threatens all life on the planet?

In modern psychological astrology, Neptune is considered to be the planet of illusion and fantasy, of fateful fascination with glamour and of self undoing. A dystopian lifestyle of indulgence and addiction might look good on the outside, but it would bring painful results in the long run.

Neptune is also a transpersonal planet, signifying the dissolving of boundaries and dualities. It is a symbol for oneness, transcendence, timelessness, miracles, synchronicities. Obviously, the physical planet is not habitable so it could never be a true Utopia. In the first painting it is a representation of refuge, a place of transcendence. In the second painting I wanted Neptune to symbolize a dystopian place (hence the crack), also an inner dystopia, a lifestyle of unconscious and addictive behaviour.

While creating these pieces I was reflecting on my progress toward minting NFT art. Back in June 2021 I was tempted to just post all my best paintings on Opensea.com, the largest and most openly available site for NFT’s and see what happens. Since then, I have slowed considerably, continuing to reflect on my best possible path; my options and opportunities. First, I want to finish and post my new website. Artbyinglis.com will be reborn sometime in September. I also now understand that the wise and careful choice of an NFT website will be of great importance to my ongoing career as an artist and for my financial future.

I believe I can create a comfortable income from my art in the next few decades, while I travel and continue my experiment with slowing the aging process. Also, a steady income will allow me to continue to paint in total freedom! My personal art Utopia! My artist ego will be overjoyed!