Exploratory Writing 7A
I find myself constantly met with feelings of uncertainty in regards to the NFT. In many ways my own personal art is dependent on more traditional means of existence, but I rarely partake in digital mediums in a serious capacity. All the same, the concept of how NFT's have changed the digital art world as well as the world of digital assessment is hard to ignore. Its popularity seems to grow despite what is a growing sense of caution from many experts. I can’t help but also think of fellow artists who I know have made a firm stand against NFT's.
I have a few digital art friends who have made the claim that NFT's are actually a for ecological problem. By this they are referring to the carbon foot print left behind as a direct result of the commercialization/demand of the NFT. When someone purchases an NFT using Ethirum for example, that person is then responsible for some of the green house emissions generated by those “miners". And the increase in NFT interest has lead to an increase in Ethirum transactions. While in many ways NFT's allow the for a digital assessment to become more scarce/rare, and this is a good thing for a digital artist. It is without out a doubt hard to truly calculate the environmental impact. Of course NFT's do no necessarily make up a large portion of the green house gas emissions, but have become big enough in recent years to warrant further attention. (This is a particularly new side effect in the world of digital art transactions, but for many the business of NFT's themselves are purely monetary in nature)
But as with all things in art things tend to evolve. I wouldn’t be surprised if the personal value of the NFT will change over the years. Resulting in a new found understanding, appreciation, and desire to acquire such peculiar digital assets. The traditional concept of the patron has only become more modernized as technology influenced the visual arts. Perhaps the contemporary patron of today seeks more the creation rather than the creator. Or has it always been this way? Or is it the way in which we share, explore, and communicate that has undergone such drastic change that we choose to consume the arts differently? All the same this concept of digital assets represented through various “artistic" forms seems here to stay. The art community will learn to adapt for better or worse, and ultimately impact how we have come to cognitively, emotionally, and physically embrace digital arts. (Physically is referring to more economic/monetary impacts specifically)
This I also believe brings up issues regarding true ownership. Something somewhat touched on within the articles provided. But I think people fail to acknowledge how owning a physical work of art differs from something less tangible physically. And the potential issues this may have legally for those who choose to purchase a digital asset, as well as those who may abuse such a system. In many ways the concept of ownership itself is called into question. As simply possessing a visual form of an NFT is simply not enough. It is rather a more complex process that involves an array of peripherals in order to support the transaction as well as the long term established of property.