Max Denison Pender, a renowned London-based artist, is on a mission to go to space in 2023 alongside Japanese billionaire Yusaku Maezawa, who is choosing eight crew members to join him on his SpaceX mission. Max wants to paint the Earth from the unparalleled view provided by the moon.
In his quest to paint the earth alongside the stars, Max has entered the Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) realm and traveled to Reykjavik, Iceland, with his crew to paint a self-portrait. This self-portrait is like no other, however. Using a volcano as a stepping stone to the moon, Max set shop near the steaming hot lava and began painting.
The extreme conditions make for a fiery show. Max can be seen in clad his spacesuit and ready to go on his journey to space. “TAKE ME TO THE MOON” can be read on the painting, along with the Icelandic saying “petta reddast” which can be roughly translated to “it’s going to be alright”.
The piece has been digitalized and it has been turned into an NFT on OpenSea which can be found here. The way that Max chose to dispose of, or better yet, part ways with its self-portrait was by dropping down into a steaming stream of lava. The incredible destruction of his work has been covered by national and international media, capturing the footage in drones and helicopters.
Speaking of its amazing journey, Max Denison Pender gave a brief how-to for all the ambitious artists out there. He stated:
“How to make an NFT of a volcano and get to the moon at the same time; Go to Iceland and climb the volcano with easel, canvas and paints. Paint the volcano – don’t get gassed… Get in a helicopter and fly as close to the volcano as you can. Find a drone man crazy enough to fly your painting into the volcano – don’t forget to take a picture of the painting – it’s going to be an NFT, remember? Make sure you ask Yusaku Maesawa to take you to the moon. Fly painting into the volcano and get on Icelandic news. Painting is now tokenized. You have your NFT.”
About Max Denison Pender
Since his first sold-out solo exhibition, The Heart of London, in Kensington, in the summer of 2019, Max’s work has gone from strength to strength, attracting new patrons and noteworthy commissions.
In the run-up to his solo show, he was the first artist in 30 years to gain access to paint the iconic exterior of 10 Downing Street. Following his exhibition, Max was invited to join Team GB as their Artist in Residence for the 2020 Olympics. He painted several known sportspeople, including the world champion boxer Anthony Joshua, in his gym during his training camp.
Max has also painted a series of everyday heroes, including the two critical care nurses who the prime minister singled out for saving his life. The pictures painted from life are currently displayed in Number 10 next to the Prime Minister’s office.
Max is on track to become the hottest artist of the 21st century and if he goes to space in 2023, we will be seeing a lot more about Max in the many years to come. You can find out more about the NFT and how to purchase it here.