non-fungible me, non-fungible you

30.APR.21

After watching (and notionally investing in) the crypto space for the last ~4yrs, I’ve taken the leap into NFTs. Why? Because I believe in myself. Myself as an artist and my art as assets.

I also believe in you and the value your appreciation brings to my art.

I’m fully happy to share my work by making it available across the internet for consumption. Please pin these works to your inspiration hubs and share them with your people. This exploratory flow is inherent to the human spirit and is something that needs to be championed. Art should be publicly viewable and accessible, this goes for physical, digital and everything in between.

no. 17 phases. the midpoint piece in my minimals series.

The above falls down when work loses its provenance. Making something publicly viewable shouldn’t negate the possibility for the world to recognize the origin of a work and the person who crafted it. In fact, it should do the opposite. By bringing the flow back to the artist, the audience is prompted to participate in the evolving value of the items they are viewing, downloading and sharing. There are humans behind these creations. Humans you can connect with in ways never before imagined. The gallery has moved from flat artists statements to deep links connecting you with as much information the artist desires to share. You can see their process, you can connect with their vision, you can buy their creations. The time has arrived where artists can, if they choose to, view themselves as independent, public business entities. Why not further diversify the patronage model by building upon the idea of the publicly traded company? Where the company is the independent artist themself, and their art, the investors share? Growth happens when boundaries are stretched and new connections are formed.

Value is an iterative conversation to be had, not a singular assignment to be made.

The technology of the blockchain, and the non-fungible tokens (NFTs) that are written into it, have opened up the possibility for the above to happen. It has been happening for a handful of years. Now things have matured to a point where an artist can readily bring their work to platforms rather than having to overcome the hurdle of standing up the technology themself. With the ability to mint a work, artists may now assign the provenance of a piece as theirs, before sharing it out to the masses. Their work now leaves a breadcrumb back to its origin, the human behind it –– an artist with which an audience can engage and support, or even take a position in. I’ve made the leap into NFTs because I want you to take a position in my future and the future of all artists. By doing so, you are laying a stake in your future and growing along with me. Thanks for being here. /// Disclaimer: nothing I write is meant as financial advice, nor does it represent the views of my employer. Please always, always do your due diligence.