NFT Proof-of-Work Art Edition - March 2020
In order to be more inclusive, I have decided to switch up the Art Edition of NFT Proof-of-Work. Instead of only showcasing the personal updates from a limited number of NFT artists, I am pivoting to focus on recent notable NFT art sales from the previous 30 days. Also, I am including a mini Q&A with a featured artist so we can get to know more about the artist, what inspires them and other related info. I hope with this new approach we can learn more about the NFT art market and feature a wider range of artists.
Market activity from leading NFT art platforms.
Async
The previous month was dominated by the new NFT art platform, Async. Async is focused on enabling artists to create programmable art. For example, the piece below is the “master” NFT and there are 22 “layers” (layers are also NFTs) which make up this piece. The “programmable art” comes into play with these layers as they can be altered by the layer owner. For example, if someone owned the Mona Lisa but you owned the layer NFT for her eyes and her eyes had two separate states to them (crying state and normal state), you could alter the master Mona Lisa NFT by changing her eyes from crying or normal, whenever you wanted. This allows for art to become reactive and programmable.
The First Supper sold for an astonishing 103.4 ETH (~$23,529) on February 28. A few days later on March 1, the auction for the layers was closed and the 22 separate layers sold for a combined 266.45 ETH (~$58,086). The master and layers sold for a combined 369.85 ETH which at the time of sale was worth $81,615. The piece was a collaborative effort between thirteen different artists.
Banksta - 66 ETH (~$15,312 ). Created by the artist XCOPY
The Cunégonde Dilemma - 40 ETH (~$9,280). Created by the artist Alotta Money
SuperRare
SuperRare is a leading NFT art platform. Many of the pieces on SuperRare have either animations to them or sound so if you are interested in a piece I suggest clicking on the links to view them directly on SuperRare. All of the below pieces are animated in some fashion which definitely enhances the viewing experience.
Rubik's Misery - 25 ETH (~$5,625). Created by the artist Pak.
Ra'red-eyed Frog - 13 ETH (~$3,405). Created by the artist Hackatao.
Seeing the Light - 11 ETH (~$2,165). Collaboration piece by the artists’ Coldie & ekaitza.
MakersPlace
MakersPlace is also a leading NFT art platform. Again, many of the pieces have animations so if you are interested in a piece then click directly on the links for the full viewing experience.
Tomas y Zafaduras - 2018 - 8.5 ETH (~$1,853). Created by the artist Franco Verrascina.
/ DRAWING THE SPRING / - 3.3 ETH (~$446). Created by the artist Gala Mirissa.
CryptoBull Skull | ETH edition - 3 ETH (~$406). Created by the artist Skeenee.
Gathering information on specific art sales on OpenSea is harder than other platforms because OpenSea is a marketplace for any type of NFT so you have to specifically scroll through “rankings” and find artists. From what I could determine, the biggest sales from the past month came from the artists Josie and Joy.
Yours Truly - 50 ETH (~$13,280). Created by the artist Josie.
Floating on the Leading Edge of Thought - 15 ETH (~$3,430). Created by the artist JOY.
Featured Artist Q&A - FuturePunk
"Tears of a Porcelain Doll" - Click here to view on SuperRare
What is your background?
I’ve experimented with many different disciplines, from sculptures, traditional painting, 2D animation, logo design, motion graphics, music, the list goes on. I’m an explorer when it comes to expressing myself and I like to push myself to learn new crafts, software and techniques. I often find the skills I learn are interchangeable between disciplines. Right now 3D is my focus.
"Saturn Rising" is animated with sound so click here to view on SuperRare
What inspires your artwork?
I’m inspired by materials, patterns, personality and story, particularly classical design such as baroque, roman sculptures, pottery and ethnic textiles. For me, everything has its own personality and I’m Intune with how an object makes me feel. I find there’s been a significant decline in craftsmanship since the industrial revolution. Earlier designs are often full of life and character, they tell an interesting story. Much of what is created today lacks a compelling personality, one need only look at modern office blocks or mass-produced household products to see what I mean.
How did you discover NFT art?
My first introduction to NFT art was rare Pepe cards, although the content left a lot to be desired, the concept of collecting digital assets was exciting and new. A while later I watched a video about people tokenizing traditional art through the blockchain art collective, at that point, I wanted to get involved but I’m a purely digital artist these days. A few years later I heard about Makersplace and other platforms emerging through twitter, I applied immediately.
Why did you start to create NFT art?
I’ve always found it difficult to monetize digital art, I relied on commissions. NFT art is a chance for me to focus on my own creations and run wild with my creativity, all while having financial stability. I see NFT art as the future for marketing digital art, where artists who create exceptional work get the value they deserve.
“Warmer Than Gold” - click here to view on MakersPlace
What do you think is the future of NFT art?
As the popularity of NFT art increases the gates to access the big 3 NFT art platforms will continue to narrow. We will see a rise in people self-publishing their NFT’s and new, more inclusive and accessible marketplaces will emerge. With accessibility comes oversaturation and while these new sites will cater to the average or aspiring artist, they will end up devaluing the NFT art posted on them, new creators will struggle to be seen due to the sheer volume of creations. Ideally, today’s big 3 platforms will become more exclusive and continue to grow in profitability, reputation, and reverence, elevating the early adopters.
I hope you enjoyed this month's NFT Proof-of-Work Art Edition. Stay tuned for next month's edition and subscribe to Zima Red for more info on all things NFTs.