Symbiocene Mythologica

January 2021 ––

In early January 2021, during the initial days of the NFT surge on Nifty Gateway, Munky booked his first drop on the platform and wanted to create indelible impression with his first entry into the exploding Digital Arts space.

With his genesis drop, Munky wanted to create a series of Elemental Titans, using live-action as his paint brush, and utilize high-speed cinematography to suspend these larger than life human forms in synthesized moments of interaction with the four elements, Earth, Wind, Water and Fire. So he collaborated once again with legendary choreographer Kitty McNamee and uber-talented cinematographer Daniel Stewart to create a series of portraits that were detailed, emotional, atmospheric and focused on the intimate co-existence of humanitys beauty and the elemental power of nature.

Symbiocene Mythologica reimagines the ancient gods and goddesses of the human-centered Anthropocene epoch as talismans of the new Symbiocene era of interdependence and eco-homeostasis. Each titan holds a unique facet of the new mythology which surfaces in this critical moment, like cosmonauts in search of some heavenly grail: the suspension of consciousness. In which death is not the terminus.

It is the portal to ascension.

OCEANUS

OCEANUS was the primordial Titan god of the great, earth-encircling River Okeanos, font of all of the earth's fresh-water rivers, wells, springs and rain-clouds.

Edition of 13
Created by: GMUNK
Collection: Symbiocene Mythologica
Published by: Nifty Gateway Curated
Auction Type: Open Edition
Released: Jan 8, 2021
Original listing: $500.00

Type: born-digital, single-channel digital video
00:00:25 seconds (1284 x 2778 pixels)
Executed in 2021. This work is unique and is accompanied by a non-fungible token.

VOLTURNUS

VOLTURNUS was a god of the Tiber, and may have been the god of all rivers.

Edition of 16
Created by: GMUNK
Collection: Symbiocene Mythologica
Published by: Nifty Gateway Curated
Auction Type: Open Edition
Released: Jan 8, 2021
Original listing: $500.00

Type: born-digital, single-channel digital video
00:00:27 seconds (1284 x 2778 pixels)
Executed in 2021. This work is unique and is accompanied by a non-fungible token.

ZEPHYRUS

ZEPHYRUS was the god of the west wind. He was also the god of spring.

Edition of 10
Created by: GMUNK
Collection: Symbiocene Mythologica
Published by: Nifty Gateway Curated
Auction Type: Open Edition
Released: Jan 8, 2021
Original listing: $500.00

Type: born-digital, single-channel digital video
00:00:26 seconds (1284 x 2778 pixels)
Executed in 2021. This work is unique and is accompanied by a non-fungible token.

IRIS

IRIS travels with the speed of wind from one end of the world to the other and into the depths of the sea and the underworld.

Edition of 13
Created by: GMUNK
Collection: Symbiocene Mythologica
Published by: Nifty Gateway Curated
Auction Type: Open Edition
Released: Jan 8, 2021
Original listing: $500.00

Type: born-digital, single-channel digital video
00:00:27 seconds (1284 x 2778 pixels)
Executed in 2021. This work is unique and is accompanied by a non-fungible token.

ATLAS

ATLAS was the Titan god who bore the sky aloft. He personified the quality of endurance after he was condemned to carry the heavens upon his shoulders.

Edition of 21
Created by: GMUNK
Collection: Symbiocene Mythologica
Published by: Nifty Gateway Curated
Auction Type: Open Edition
Released: Jan 8, 2021
Original listing: $500.00

Type: born-digital, single-channel digital video
00:00:27 seconds (1284 x 2778 pixels)
Executed in 2021. This work is unique and is accompanied by a non-fungible token.

SATURN

SATURN was son of Uranus (sky) and Gaea (earth). He was a god of generation, dissolution, plenty, wealth, agriculture, periodic renewal and liberation.

Edition of 16
Created by: GMUNK
Collection: Symbiocene Mythologica
Published by: Nifty Gateway Curated
Auction Type: Open Edition
Released: Jan 8, 2021
Original listing: $500.00

Type: born-digital, single-channel digital video
00:00:27 seconds (1284 x 2778 pixels)
Executed in 2021. This work is unique and is accompanied by a non-fungible token.

PROMETHEUS

PROMETHEUS was the supreme trickster, and a god of fire. In common belief he developed into a master craftsman, and in this connection he was associated with fire and the creation of mortals.

Edition of 16
Created by: GMUNK
Collection: Symbiocene Mythologica
Published by: Nifty Gateway Curated
Auction Type: Open Edition
Released: Jan 8, 2021
Original listing: $500.00

Type: born-digital, single-channel digital video
00:00:27 seconds (1284 x 2778 pixels)
Executed in 2021. This work is unique and is accompanied by a non-fungible token.

NYX

NYX was the goddess of the night, one of the primordial gods (protogenoi) who emerged as the dawn of creation. She was a child of Khaos (Chaos, Air), and coupling with Erebos (Darkness) she produced Aither (Aether, Light) and Hemera (Day).

Edition of 14
Created by: GMUNK
Collection: Symbiocene Mythologica
Published by: Nifty Gateway Curated
Auction Type: Open Edition
Released: Jan 8, 2021
Original listing: $500.00

Type: born-digital, single-channel digital video
00:00:46 seconds (1284 x 2778 pixels)
Executed in 2021. This work is unique and is accompanied by a non-fungible token.

The Process

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Since every pixel of the series was captured practically through the lens of a cinema camera, the filming had to take place on an effects stage in Los Angeles to capture the elements. Walls of water, kinetic fireballs, cannons of dust and debris, bars of fire, tornados of wind, cyclones of fire and large-scale rain machines all were utilized and translated practically with legendary effects artist Jim Gill and captured at Reel EFX.

The pairing of the subject and setting was filmed with anamorphic glass in a portrait orientation to mesh the practical elements and interactions of humanity in soft and beautifully textured frames, and overcranked to 1000fps to take moments of rapid speed slowed down to otherworldly moments of zen and meditation, a true study of the human form and all its beauty.  

Credit List

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Director: GMUNK
Director of Photography: Dan Stewart
Production Company: Commandeer
Producer: Micah Ross
Production Manager: Kevin Dalit
1st AD: Derek Jaeschke
2nd AD: Joe Battaglia
Choreographer: Kitty Mcnamee
Dancer: Cilia Trappaud
Dancer: Derek Tabada
Dancer: Wilson Mayo
Dancer: Stephanie Kim
Fire Dancer: Eve Harper
1st AC: Nate Cummings
2nd AC: Edgar Gonzalez
Phantom Tech/ VTR: Matt Drake
Gaffer: Skott Khuu
Best Boy: Vassily Maximillian
Electric: Amber Jones
Electric: Grant Gilligan
Key Grip: Henry Martinez
Best Boy: John Portillo
Grip: Annie Ganec
Grip: Channing CT Thompson
Prod. Design: Ali Isaksen
Art Asst: Manuel Mancilla
Art Asst: Yohann Abrial
Script Supervisor: Talia Brahms
HMU: Jamie Leonard
Medic: Michael Smith
FX: Susan Milliken
FX: Karyn Beaman
Pyro Tech: Jim Gill
Process Photography: Daniel Stewart
Process Photography: Adrien Oniega