The creators of the world’s first non-fungible token are back with a new collection, and they’re ready to talk about the future of Web3. These tokens have taken the world by storm, and now the team behind the concept is ready to unveil their latest project. Designed in collaboration with a range of artists and designers, the new collection promises to be just as revolutionary as the first. But the team is also keen to discuss the broader implications of Web3 technology and what it means for the world of art, collectibles, and beyond. So if you’re eager to learn more about NFTs and the future of the decentralized web, don’t miss this fascinating interview with the creators of the original NFT concept.
Jennifer and Kevin McCoy are renowned artists who made history by minting the very first art NFT, Quantum, on the Namecoin blockchain in 2014. By establishing the provenance of the digital image, Quantum solved the problem of ownership in the digital age, showcasing how blockchain technology could play a crucial role in documenting the history of digital art. The million-dollar sale of Quantum at Sotheby’s auction in 2021 cemented its position as a historic landmark in the NFT world.
Ten years after Quantum, the McCoys are releasing their first NFT collection, Land Sea and Sky, on Artwrld, a collection of 310 collages that combine elements of AI-generated landscapes. The collages are created by analyzing the body of work of Ansel Adams, the famous photographer, and using AI art tool, Stable Diffusion, to create recombinant landscapes.
As individuals who have been creating art for decades, the McCoys appreciate the value of historical developments in art and technology. They advocate for people to learn and honor these developments and not forget them every time a new development occurs. In their opinion, forgetting history slows down the market, and the recent Sotheby’s auction showed how vital it is to recognize historic landmarks in the NFT space.
Despite the recent fraud and controversy surrounding NFTs, the McCoys believe that Web3’s egalitarian potential is still finding its way. Decentralization is the core argument for crypto, and the idea of digital scarcity, uniqueness, and property is here to stay. While traditional art institutions provide some clarity in separating signal from noise, the idea of direct peer-to-peer disintermediation is exciting.
The McCoys utilize AI art tools in their creations, and they acknowledge that there are ethical quandaries associated with their use. However, they appreciate how these tools evoke the idea of a visual statistical average and are fascinated by visual and cultural preferences expressed collectively by people. They highlight the work of Vitaly Komar and Aleksandr Melamid’s 1994 work, The People’s Choice, as a parallel, which shows how artistic expression should not be an elitist endeavor.
In conclusion, the McCoys’ upcoming NFT collection, Land Sea and Sky, is a fusion of 20th-century landscapes as filtered through 21st-century technology. The McCoys’ unique position in the annals of Web3 provides a bird’s-eye-view of how the crypto and NFT space has evolved since they minted Quantum in 2014. Their experienced eye on the NFT space is valuable, and their belief in Web3’s potential is unwavering.