Alpha
Trevor Jones’s Vision of a Bull Future
Read the Makersplace blog about Trevor’s history and vision for Talos and the Steampunk world.
Before Time and Cosmos there was formless Chaos – dimensionless, lightless, meaningless. And then there was something. The something was nothing of substance. One might call it a point of inspiration, a spark of imagination, a creative impulse. It has been called all these things and has been given many names. But in this account, it will be called ‘Alpha’. And with the being of Alpha, Time began.
How long the developing awareness of Alpha gestated in the dark cannot be said. Time was a novel idea, not yet confined to rigidity by the passage of stars or the mechanics of clocks, and a fraction of a second was indistinguishable from an eon. In whichever measurement of time we might choose to ascribe, Alpha grew, evolving its existence into sentient awareness, repelling the darkness with light, condensing shapeless void into matter and form. As Alpha matured it expanded and kept expanding, through space and through dimensions beyond those that we comprehend. As it grew it filled the voids with ever-turning spheres that burned with elemental fires. And it made worlds of earth, water, and winds, on which walked beings that had something of the nature of their creator. So, with the growth of Alpha the Cosmos was formed.
As for what came next, opinion differs. Most philosophies agree that Alpha took form and walked on the worlds it had created, some say on two legs, some say on four, and some say it depended on who was looking. There is also consensus that it created for itself a mate, who later became a foe.
And this is what we believe: that Alpha came to our world in the form of a great Bull, who was called Talos, and its rival took the aspect of a terrible Bear, who was called Artos. And the two are destined to fight across our world and across all the worlds of the Cosmos and in all their forms until time ends and Chaos reclaims them.
Extract from the Codex Taurus, scripture of the Cult of Talos
Much as in the story above, Trevor’s latest work Alpha began with an idea: a painting of a mechanical bull readying itself to charge. Titled Talos after the bronze giant of Greek myth (often depicted as a man but also as a bull in some versions of the tale), the painting became the origin for a larger collection of paintings and animated mythologies. This series is realised from the combination of a multitude of creative media and processes, including oil paint and canvas, storytelling and essays, animations, soundtracks, digital models, augmented reality and artificial intelligence. It depicts the steam-powered machine-world of those who dared to capture the essence of the bull and the misadventures of Sialia the clockwork bird. Alpha, created in partnership with Apollo Entertainment, will be the next work in this line. It will be released as a ranked auction of 21 NFTs with bonus physicals on MakersPlace on 9th November.
The image of the bull has fascinated humanity since its beginning, being depicted in palaeolithic cave paintings, featuring in the legends of the world’s most ancient civilisations, and shining down on us from the night sky as the constellation Taurus. The bull’s muscular bulk and wicked horns can be seen to signify threat and danger. But for those with the courage and strength to master the beast – such as Gilgamesh, Heracles, and those unnamed prehistoric hunters – it becomes an emblem of challenge with rich reward. This symbolism carries through to modern times We speak of grasping opportunity as “taking the bull by the horns”. A “bull market” means the unhindered upward surge of stock prices. And a charging bronze bull sculpture (the spark for the original oil painting of Talos) inspires investors on Wall Street. Similarly, the title Alpha has various meanings: a beginning, a socially dominant person or animal, a successful financial strategy, and (in the world of Web3) advantageous information about NFT projects for those who pay attention to the clues seeded by creators.
Alpha is the most recent work in Trevor’s creative partnership with cutting-edge and visionary studio Apollo Entertainment. It follows their previous collaborations, including The Fallen Angel, The Oath, The Crown, and Talos. In combining Trevor’s artwork and concepts with innovative, cinematic 3D animation, this world-class production company has become an essential partner in the ever-expanding trevorjonesart Multiverse.
And to the community who have followed Trevor’s artistic journey, no matter where along the road you joined him, a million thanks, and stay tuned.
Remember: Alpha is the beginning.