may newsletter

hope you’re having a restful memorial day weekend and welcome back!

we’ve been heads down shipping new features to enhance your primitives experience. next time you visit us on desktop you’ll notice a new layout optimized for your trading. additionally, when you mint, you’ll see a new way to share your creative process with gem story.

read on for an interview with chi-based photographer tj walus; a recap of our gem story launch; and some of our favorite artwork to collect.

let’s dive in!

chicago-based visual artist tj walus blends photography, video, and hand-drawing creating thoughtfully layered pieces. following his feature in our gem story launch, we had the opportunity to interview tj and learn about his background and artistic evolution.

how did you get into photography / videography? 

i got into both in my later years in high school, inspired by cinema study classes and other creatives in my circle. i had a sensation to always make videos as a young kid but never really took my ideas seriously until i learned how to use a camera, then i found out just how freeing this medium is.

what are your favorite subjects to shoot? 

i love shooting high intensity moments - anything that makes you want to move. speaking of moving, i think one of my favorite things to shoot is movement itself, whether it's fast action or just a harsh camera movement, i’m here to feel the video.

what themes do you explore most? 

i love working with grunge or punk themes, ideas that make you want to feel free and appreciate cinematography at the same time. i would hope that at the end of any piece of art i make people just feel a bit more joy or happiness or even eagerness to do their own thing.

what do you hope people feel when viewing your work?

inspiration. so many creatives in my circle inspire me to no end and i’d hope that my work could make the same impact or larger.

has photography cultivated a community for you?

yes and no, i’d hate to limit myself to only a community of photographers but the truth is everyone's work can be contributed to more than one thing and in this case it's the community. although i have my fair share or photo/video creatives i really enjoy talking to musicians and painters, even poets. people with other values in art, other ideas. perspectives i would never have had if it weren't for those select groups of people allowing me to enter new areas of art. being an artist is the community.

what is your favorite photo you've taken so far? 

i recently did a shoot for a magazine some months back, a real ethereal photoshoot. all of them were absolutely priceless but i have this unique favorite of one of the models silhouetted by the light, and after coloring and editing it it's one of the craziest, most beautiful shots i've ever gotten.

this week we launched gem story!

after speaking to many of you we felt your desire share more about yourselves and your art.

to further foster connection with others we made gem story - a way to share your work’s narrative. now others can see what makes you, your creative practice, and your art unique! our hope is to bring more people together through shared stories and sentiments.

get started

tell your gem’s story by adding its:

1. background — what inspired this piece?

2. process — how did it come to life?

3. impact — what should the viewer take away?

get inspired and read featured stories by @tjwalus and @phillipmorrisart 

we’re continuously inspired by your unique art pieces and curated galleries! view and collect some of our favorites this month, then go make your own.

lastly, we’re exploring new ways to communicate with you all, one of them being telegram! we’ll be sharing product updates, answering user questions, and generally speaking fluidly with our community. be one of the first to join the channel.

until next time, keep creating and be on the lookout for more to come!