21/12/2021 Brian Eno is not a fan of NFTs

brian eno-shamil tanna-01

If you were saving up Ethereum for a set ofDiscreet MusicNFTs, we’ve got bad news. Inan interview withCrypto Syllabus(conducted by longtime tech criticEvgeny Morozov, of all people), Eno outed himself as a skeptic of cryptocurrency — and NFTs in particular.

“NFTs seem to me just a way for artists to get a little piece of the action from global capitalism, our own cute little version of financialization,” Eno told Morozov. “How sweet — now artists can become little capitalist assholes as well.”

Best known for his pioneering ambient work and prolific producer credits, Eno seems like the perfect artist for the NFT era. He’s spent decades making art with an eye towards technology and its social implications, often made available assoftwareorlimited-edition product drops. Eno was a particularly early proponent ofalgorithmically generated art, pioneering the same basic process that produced those endless minutely varied monkey portraits for the Bored Ape crew. It would be easy for him to bank a few million pounds by turning this generative iPad app, say, into a string of 10,000 numbered NFTs.

But as he describes it in the interview, taking the NFT turn would be pointless as an artistic move and craven as a financial calculation.

“I am not sure what is being brought into the world that makes any difference to anything other than some strings of numbers moving about in some bank accounts,” Eno continues. “People I like and trust are convinced they’re the best thing since sliced bread, so I wish I could have a more positive view, but right now, I mainly see hustlers looking for suckers.”

Arts

https://www.theverge.com/2021/12/20/22846654/brian-eno-nft-crypto-skeptical-morozov-suckers

Interesting NFTs
T(r)opical
Inspired by and for the 2018 North American Bitcoin conference in Miami, Florida. The palm tree that has a cracked open Bitcoin coconut suggests that by traveling you can enjoy this tropical digital fruit. The peacock nesting in the tree has spread its wings to flaunt other integrated crypto logos as well. The famous Miami skyline at the bottom incorporates the coins, as well as the code that is transforming the banking buildings that made it. The origin of that skyline is in the 80's cocaine craze, so it is all incorporated into the story of foundational transformation, linked to a global movement. The file size is suitable for an 8K TV. Mr. Moe Levin, the founder of the conference is a collector a physical print of the work. Explainer video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2J0ZfPCJdxY&feature=emb_title Upload resolution 8000x4000 PX at 300DPI
#3401
By OthersideDeployer
Ragdoll Gerbil Virgin
Mahalo! I'm Ragdoll Gerbil Virgin. I'm often referred to as the Neville Longbottom of the group. My great-great-great-great-great-great grandkitty lived with Nelson Mandela. Can you make my vegan dreams come true?
The Harvest
An anthropomorphic figure stands, wide eyed, staring at the viewer; its body masculine, muscular, and humanoid. Its “mind” dissociates into a conglomerate of structures resembling feathers, grain, teeth–as well as a radial flower “node”, casting linear rays throughout the composition. To his left, a vat of bodies gesture and writhe in a kind of amniotic soup, attended by a video game robot. The bot's red display reads “uWu”. Behind the robot and filling the left side of the composition is an archaic figure composed of a variety of vintage objects and symbols. Among them are a hardbound book with ancient cuneiform scripts, indicating barley, beer, bread, ox, house, and sky, behind which is a grimacing, salivating jagged toothed maw; and an old Commodore floppy drive. The figure’s head tilts toward an illuminated crescent moon, suggesting the Egyptian Sacred Bull. The archaic figure is composed of a variety of mutating cells, which shift in color, and pattern; eventually breaking free into an ephemeral broadcast of bubbles which move across the background. The work came into being against a psychological introspection, which included associations to pop culture such as alien abduction and pod people, as well as quite a bit of reflection on grains as a symbol of civilization, agriculture, sustenance, life, and imbibing (mainly whiskies).
Domestic - 2017
“Domestic is the manifestation of the cultural patriarchy in my home. The wooden "woman's" tragedy of false desire. It was done in a moment of breakup. The hollow 3d body & its lost eyes, invites you to fill up. Trying to reach out, encumbered and wrapped in its own fragility, the new mother rises."