About
The Prototype
For anyone who grew up in the 90s, there are few things more nostalgic than Pokémon. The original Gameboy series and TCG have become cultural artefacts that continue to have a profound impact with each new generation, just as they did for us. Pocket Pictura is a passion project and the culmination of an idea which began to germinate over 15 years ago. The question had arisen, what would Pikachu look like had he been conceived by Picasso?
This project, developed and produced entirely by a team of 2, is first and foremost an homage to art history and an appreciation of an iconic cultural phenomenon. Taking the artistic styles of some of the most famous, recognisable and unique artists ever known, we have recontextualised Pokémon into the world of fine art.
From the Renaissance right up to the present day, through all manner of periods and movements, we explore that which arises (be it meaning, interpretation or emotive response) when merging characters and settings that exist in the minds and memories of people the world over. The often amusing results, both parodies of the artwork and the characters themselves, seek to investigate the relationship between fine art and popular culture, the differences between them, where they intersect, and how they will synthesise in the future on blockchain technology.
This project was meticulously planned, every card was matched with an original artist and style, often contrasting, or striking a harmony between, the idiosyncrasies of the characters and the art itself. We then organised them into thematic sets and compiled them into a release strategy spanning 12 seasons.
Over thousands of hours, every portrait was hand drawn digitally. The templates and icons are all original assets, again hand drawn. We took the time to reimagine the attacks and rewrite the bios for every single card, taking inspiration from the original Pokémon and the referenced artist.
Great care was taken to price the cards in such a way that allows both serious investors and newer or more casual NFT collectors to find a price point that suits them. We did this by creating a scarcity/pricing scale, influenced by the format of the original TCG.
We created this gallery as a space to showcase the cards in full size and detail, and also to display them in their thematic sets, in release order.
Over the course of the next 12 seasons we will be releasing regularly, with special events planned for holders, such as competitions, giveaways, auctions, special releases, and much more. We hope you’ll stick around.
Disclaimer: This project includes incorporated elements, and references work, from the Pokemon TGC, the Pokemon anime and manga series, as well as from all 156 featured artists. The incorporated elements are not original to Pocket Pictura, and we recognise the aforementioned elements as property of their respective owners. Incorporated elements (including but not limited to characters, objects, backgrounds, styles or other referenced material) were included in the project in good faith, with the intent to invoke fair use in creating a series of transformative compositions. These compositions were created as both parody and pastiche, in order to comment on and give new meaning and interpretation to the preexisting works.
But I’m Mandi the Astounding. How could I lose?
– Mandi
Pocket Pictura 