I'm now selling the original Last (Bitcoin) painting by French painter Youl as part of transaction #9 with Project Bitcoin. It's 140 centimeters by 70 centimeters. The story behind the painting is below!
Our opportunity in life, when we get knocked down, is to brush ourselves off and get back up.
The knockdowns are inevitable. No matter how much we prepare or how good our intentions are, life has a way of making things interesting... as it did with Project Bitcoin's 8th transaction --> the case of the misidentified statue:
http://www.projectbitcoin.com/1/post/2014/03/the-statue-blew-up-oh-well.html Today, I get back up... and not with my head down. I am in awe of what I get to share with you for my 9th transaction. You see it above: a huge 140x70 centimeter interpretation of Da Vinci's Last Supper painting! Here's the story of how it came to be...
About a month ago, I received an email from a French painter named Youl. A friend had introduced him to Project Bitcoin, and he felt called to be a part of it. I checked out his work, and I was floored. His work is a rare combination of heart, edge, and technical brilliance. Even his quick water colors filled me with emotion.
As I was figuring out the transaction with Michael for the statue-of-doom, Youl and I began planning out his painting for what would be the next transaction.
I've never worked with a painter before, so I don't know how a creative process is supposed to look. What I know is that with Youl, there was magic. The guy has so much heart, and - like me - he was interested in getting to the core of the bitcoin story.
When we started throwing around ideas for the painting, I was struck that we both had stumbled upon the same basic thought: bitcoin as Jesus. We saw Jesus as a messianic figure who fundamentally changed the world... and for that change he was both worshipped and despised. We felt that bitcoin has taken a similar role: thoroughly world-changing, but also worshipped and despised.
After days of discussion, we decided Youl would paint a huge 140x70 centimeter canvas interpretation of Da Vinci's Last Supper. We believed that Youl's painting could tell the story of bitcoin with a profundity few words could even approach.
Most painters, I imagine, might approach a project of this size with either delusional ego or paralyzing fear. Youl embraced it with plodding steps, with deference to the history, and with total humility. [I've attached a making of the painting below]
Youl and I spent a number of nights until past 4, 5, 6, and 7am in France learning about and understanding the history of Da Vinci's Last Supper, and the stories of each of the disciples, and the depth and profundity of how the stories of Bitcoin and Jesus intertwine.
Then with the plodding steps of a true master, Youl began to put together the pieces. Each disciple mapped to a person or archetype in the bitcoin community. Each piece of clothing, each body part, each stroke of the brush had a purpose.
And of course, the QR code on the painting: You'd think perhaps it might link to Youl's personal wallet or mine. No, no. It links to a wallet we set up that will donate 100% of any funds received in it to nonprofits specifically doing work to support bitcoin.
There's one other piece of this story that needs mentioning. Youl believed when we agreed on doing this transaction, that he'd receive somewhere between 4 and 30 bitcoin - as we both erroneously believed in the exorbitant value of that Paul Revere statue.
When that transaction blew up, he told me he didn't care. One bitcoin was payment enough for the painting... riches weren't his motivation anyway. But one glance at the painting would have anyone agree: that's not cool!
So instead, we agreed to this: he and I would split them profits after 2 bitcoin. If this painting sells for 10 more bitcoin, he'll get 5. If it sells for 30 more bitcoin, he'll get 15. He deserves it!
I guess the last thing I want to say is this: If you buy this painting, please let me visit you and the painting sometime. Its the coolest piece of art I've ever seen, its meaning goes deep, and I feel such crazy gratitude for having the opportunity to play a small role in its creation!
