Of everything I created during the Summer of 2023, nothing quite resonated with me like Erewhon has.
I was in a deep creative rut from the time Tessera closed in the middle of May, through a sober June, and into mid July. Every time I opened Midjourney and Pqhotoshop I felt an immense sense of dread and frustration as I pounded away at concepts that failed to yield any fruit.
In the middle of July, I started smoking heavily again, and I had a creative breakthrough.
I was focused on creating an homage to Jen Stark that highlighted her use of sacred geometry, psychedelic fractals, vibrant rainbow colors and matte paint.
While I was deep in the rabbit hole looking for the correct Jen vibes, I was hit with an output of a distant vibrant castle surrounded by rainbow tendrils, a slightly golden tinged road, and a rocky ocean between the two.
This visual resonated with me immediately and after a bit of refinement, I knew I had something special.
To me, Erewhon represents one's journey down the path of enlightenment.
There is a semi-clear path, adorned with many colorful and enticing distractions along the way. Between the destination and the start is a giant trap, full of turbulent waters and jagged rocks. If one can make it safely through the treacherous waters onto the mainland, then they've made it "home."
I used this piece for the We Do A Little Season 3 premium passes. None of the pass buyers knew they'd receive this piece airdropped to them when they bought the pass, they simply bought to support us and enjoy dinner.
Their support means the world to me, and I hope they enjoy Erewhon as much as I do (of course I'm referencing a Utopian-like place and not the upscale grocery store in LA!)