Terrell Jones is a Michigan-based digital artist whose style is named “pop-precisionism.” This style combines Pop Art, Precisianism, & Realism movements. His works have gained popularity due to deep character arcs, bright, striking colors, and influences from his own family and childhood.
In the last six months, Jones’ work has taken off on platforms like Foundation, SuperRare, and at auction houses like Sotheby’s. In January, his piece The Maestro sold for an all-time high of 24.9 ETH. He has partnered with Micah Johnson from Akutars, and has gotten the nod from popular NFT collectors like VincentVanDough, jakethedegen, and Farokh.
But his artwork wasn’t always so quick to sell; his first digital work of art sat for four whole months before someone purchased it.
Learn more about Terrell Jones and his work in NFTs in our artist guide below.
Who Is Terrell Jones?
From an early age, Jones was exposed to art. His aunt was a talented portrait artist who would bring him art supplies to practice with. As he honed his craft through high school, he would showcase his work in local galleries and auctions. From 2017 through 2021, he was doing small art commissions. Jones worked in shoe design, and then at FedEx, before discovering NFTs as a way to share and sell his art.
In March 2021, Jones’ first work Margret was published on Foundation. It sat for many months before it sold for 0.15 ETH. After this, he began posting more work on Twitter and Instagram, including the narratives and stories behind them.
He quit his FedEx job in May 2021, and dedicated every waking hour to making art. Jones self-studied art theory, color theory, and composition. His Genesis piece got a bid in August 2021, and that was the beginning of his burst in popularity in the NFT art community.
Margret
Style and Influences
Many of Jones’ characters are based on memories from his childhood. For example, in Space Boy, he depicts building cardboard hats and forts, something that he used to do as a little boy. The illustrations are childlike versions of him; the boy character is named Terry, also seen in the Good & Evil series.
The same style is seen in Joy & Wonder, including the first piece in the series, Birthday Boy. These nostalgic themes are recurring throughout many of his pieces, combined with an 80’s city-pop feel.
Jones’ works have contrasting themes of bright, bold colors alongside gangster-inspired characters, ideated from films like Goodfellas. Jones’ unique style is also inspired by renowned artists like George Condo, Takashi Murakami, and Edward Hopper.
Good & Evil and Space Boy; Jones portrayed as child character Terry
Evil in Colour
There are fourteen parts of Evil in Colour, which tells the stories of the Deville Crime Family and other associated characters.
The description for the piece The Fruits of Our Labor states: “The main goal of Evil In Colour is to express boundless creativity. Art can often be limited and put into boxes in order to fit someone else's narratives or to force the art to make sense following someone's rules. The aim for this series is to do the opposite.”
Ten out of the fourteen works in the series are made up of editions, many of which are part of the Born 2 Die mechanic. This collection also includes Never Too Late, which rewarded burners with Blanco 911.
The Fruits of Our Labor
Born 2 Die
Born 2 Die is the first piece in the Evil in Colour collection. It was an open edition released in 2022 on Manifold.xyz that depicts a character named Skelliot Deville. He holds a sacrificial (origami) lamb on a hilltop.
The reason the work is named Born 2 Die is that it was used as a burn mechanism for additional works of art. Jones was early to this “open edition meta” that exploded after Manifold.xyz took off in December 2022.
The Dead of Night was the first burn of the series. The art description says that it “conveys being alone with yourself, in your thoughts, in your own world. Not in a lonely way, but alone.”
The Getaway was an exclusive piece that Born 2 Die holders got to mint.
Crash was the second burn in the series. It shows Jones’ characters Damon & Skelliot Deville watching their car go up in flames.
There have been rumors of a third or even fourth burn for Born 2 Die, keeping it a bit of a mystery to the holders as the supply dwindles.
Born 2 Die
Sotheby’s Auctions
In February 2023, Jones’ 1-of-1 piece American Dream Life was auctioned at Sotheby’s. This was his first auction at the famous auction house. The piece is an exploration of the “American Dream” and the pursuit of success, and is a part of the Evil in Colour series. It sold for $22,600.
Nearly right after American Dream life was sold, Jones announced an additional piece would be auctioned at Sotheby’s. This one was for Motel 777, also part of the Evil in Colour series.
The description of the piece says: “Motel 777 expands the overall Evil In Colour universe and the places that occupy it. Maybe it’s a place for angelic acts, maybe it’s a place to get lucky.” At the time of publishing, the auction is still live.
Summary
Terrell Jones’ style is instantly recognizable and stands out from the crowd. The artist’s personal story and narrative come also through in every piece he creates. The momentum of interest in his art has also led to the creation of a community through his new Discord server.
Encouraging other artists and celebrating good art is something that is important to Jones. He is often tweeting about other artists’ successes and bidding on their work. He has noted that part of his growth is due to the closeness of his own artist community supporting one another.
Jones continues to focus full-time on creating art that stands out in a world of endless digital art supply. Some of his future goals include being in MoMA, creating a scholarship for art students, and having his own solo show. The dynamic characters from Evil in Colour may even be developed into a series.
For more information about Terrell Jones, check out his official links– and don’t forget to check out his new Discord server.
