Put aside the Bored Apes, the Lambo memes and the claims about the climate destroying impacts of crypto. Now, let’s talk about shoddy artists. They are the ones unable to make rent, ignored by art museums, and gagged by a system artificially weighted to protect privilege. You believe NFTs are only a short-term money grab for wealthy innovators. Think again. You're missing the whole point.
Art World's Dirty Little Secret
As one creator Mike Henkens put it, the traditional art world is a bit of a rigged game. Galleries take gargantuan cuts, collectors hoard masterpieces as investment vehicles, and the young talents are instead left to battle over arid wastelands of crumbs. It’s a world not even built on meritocracy, where what you produce is secondary to who you know. Recollect that feeling of fury you experienced when you heard that your favorite artist earns 0.004 cents each time his or her song is streamed on Spotify. The art world is often worse.
Now I am suggesting that every gallery is evil, but the power dynamics are really, really tilted. It’s a recipe for enriching the privileged few at the expense of the disadvantaged many. Now, picture a smart, elegant plan to challenge that rigged system. Imagine if we could give control back to the artists.
Blockchain: A New Canvas for Freedom
That's where NFTs come in. Indeed, they’re more than mere digital collectibles—they’re the future of artistic ownership. Think of it like this: imagine a world where artists can directly sell their work to collectors, cutting out the middleman and keeping a much larger percentage of the profits. That's the promise of NFTs.
Dan Sickles’ new documentary, “New Here,” is doing its best to prove just that. This isn’t about the noise, this is about artists getting paid. It’s about the ways that blockchain technology can help artists better take care of themselves without working for others. Here’s the section that really gets me going.
With their works coded directly into the NFT, every time the artwork is resold, the artists are able to program in a royalty for themselves. This endows them with a relentless stream of income for their creations, a notion which is practically unfathomable within the conventional art realm. It’s especially dope when you get that payment for your genius, even oh so many years later.
Forgotten Voices Finally Amplified
The true strength of NFTs is their potential to elevate the work of underrepresented artists. Artists of color, LGBTQ+ artists, and artists with disabilities have some of the most radical, transformative voices. Unfortunately, the mainstream art world tends to suppress or outright skip over these experiences. NFTs provide them with a global, decentralized platform to go over the heads of the gatekeepers and directly reach audiences who value their work.
Imagine a dance artist living in a small rural community, where access to galleries or other venues isn’t simply a challenge—it’s an impossibility. Now, they have the ability to present their works of art to the world by listing them on a global NFT marketplace. Or think about a disabled artist who needs more time, but can’t find it physically maneuvering through the chaotic and competitive space of art fairs. Through NFTs, they’ve found a new egalitarian digital home where they can publish their work, reap the financial rewards, and control the narratives and storylines.
Rhea Myers, a digital artist featured in "New Here," wants to challenge the notion of NFTs as just another VC-backed intrusion. Dig into Brenner’s story, and you’ll find the deeper history of blockchain technologies and digital art. She claims that blockchain has the potential to empower artists and marginalized communities by giving them economic independence.
And in the end, it’s no longer even about making money to some exclusive club of super elite oligarchs. It's about having the freedom to create without having to compromise your vision or kowtow to the demands of the art establishment. It’s all part of creating a more equitable, diverse, and inclusive art world.
Beyond the Hype: A Sustainable Future
Look, I get it. Like it or not, the NFT space is still relatively new, still rapidly changing, and unfortunately, still rife with scams and junk projects. That doesn’t discount the promise of that technology. It’s time to drop the hype and get back to reality and work towards a sustainable and ethical ecosystem for NFTs.
Support the artists who are using the potential of NFTs to create a new paradigm. Foster transparency and accountability in the marketplace, as well as widespread awareness of the risks and potential rewards associated with investing in digital art. That looks like prioritizing community and collaboration, rather than competition and individual gain.
Another terrific example of this is DPOP Studios, which was co-founded by Sickles. With NFT sales they fund the production of collaborative large-scale art projects. This approach ensures that the cast will always earn 25% of the revenue. This is the type of pioneering model we should all be clamoring for and eager to support.
The film New Here is definitely a movement in the right direction. It makes a case against the perception of NFTs as an exploitative evil and showcases the myriad ways they have been positively life-changing for artists. Go watch it. Open your mind. And begin to understand NFTs as a way forward that is less about making millions overnight and more about helping people thrive. After all, the future of art may very well rely on it.
This isn’t about getting rich overnight. It’s about creating a more just, equitable, and inclusive art world. And that’s something worth fighting for.
