Why Traditional Artists should consider NFTs

Many articles might say the opposite, and I am honestly not surprised by that. Changes are hard to accept because they scare us. We can assume that a phenomenon is just a temporary trend and it’s not even worthy to put effort into it.

But what if we tried instead?

If you think about it, 1900 was a very scandalous century in the art field. It all went crazy: all the traditional values were disrupted and some artists decided to shift from classical artistic expressions to provocatory meanings and disgraceful exhibitions. At the time, the avant-gardes had really shocked the art scene and many artists didn’t have the audacity to try to “follow the trend”; How could you go so far from traditions? How could you manage all the critiques about you and your art? To face all the shame and judgments, a lot of courage was required.

But as we can notice now, avant-gardes’ artists were both criticised AND praised; we study them now, we appreciate their art; they made it, after all. It was worth it to take the risk.

But again, I understand the general discontent.

I mean, imagine being used to the classics of Romantic and Renaissance painting, to believe in the delicacy and innate talent of the artist, in the deep meanings and the aesthetic beauty of the work of art. The artist, for you, has the aim to communicate and offer to the viewer a beautiful world full of grace and love.

Well, now imagine noticing the spread of avant-gardes, and seeing works such as “Fountain” by Duchamp or “Artist’s Shit” by Piero Manzoni. In short, we would all be a little upset; it’s hard to accept that our values are not absolute, that things can change and not everyone feels things as we do.

Thanks to this “shock”, today our whole perception of what can be considered art is different, and generally our minds are more open to new possibilities. 

But why is it still difficult for someone to see the potential in NFTs? There’s no right or wrong, but I think that more information could help artists to be more aware of the opportunities this market can offer them, and then choose if it’s worthy to try or not!

Let’s discover the benefits of blockchain technology applied to art.

| NFTs and Traditional Artists

It’s common to think NFTs can be used exclusively by digital artists since digital artworks are prevalent right now in the market, but this doesn’t mean it excludes in any way traditional artworks. There are many ways to convert a physical artwork into an NFT. 

This majority of digital works is because digital artists for the first time can now offer unique and ownable artworks, as traditional artists always had the opportunity to do. From today digital files too can have a special Certificate of Authenticity, which makes all the NTFs’ story more interesting.

| A New (and Better) Authenticity Certificate + Proved Ownership

The Certificate of Authenticity is the most important aspect of the circulation of artworks. It’s an indispensable physical document that accompanies every artwork, usually done and signed by the artist himself, who determines the artwork’s provenance declaring any useful info about it.  

But papers aren’t fully reliable since they can, unfortunately, be stolen, copied or faked.

Blockchain technology, the same on which cryptos are based, guarantee secureness to both artists and buyers. Anything that is on a blockchain cannot be copied or changed in any way; this means that anything on there is authentic.

Digital COA’s are becoming more and more common to prevent scams, and give both the artist and the collector more assurance and security. It’s also another way to connect our physical pieces to the digital world. 

Despite their importance in proving the authenticity of a piece, these papers can only certify the authenticity of the work, but not the ownership. I’m sure collectors would love to prove proudly their ownership of a piece for sure. How to do it? Now it’s finally possible! Thanks to the blockchain technology everyone can easily prove their exclusive ownership: the unique token (the NFT) a buyer receives in the wallet after the purchase it’s the only proof that has to be shown! 🙂 + all transactions are public and visible in the list of transactions in each artwork.

| For Artists: why should you give a chance to NFTs in Your Career?

Commissions on Sales

We all know art is not all about money.. but it’s important to think about your incomes if you’re willing to build a career!

Imagine if Picasso was still alive. Now, try to think about the amount of money he could have made if he gained a commission on every sale of his works. For Picasso unfortunately is too late, but every artist now has the opportunity to do it thanks to NFTs! I’ll try to explain briefly what I’m talking about: an artist automatically receives royalty payments in his own wallet after every sale (even future ones) of his piece. The average percentage he could gain is around 5 an 10%. Total passive income; not bad, huh?

Management of your Own Market

NFTs have a lot of advantages: they in fact guarantee a faster access to the public, more visibility online and way less complicated steps in the sales process. The artist won’t need any gallery or other part to manage the sales and the content he decides to put on the marketplace: artists can now have their complete autonomy in what was before managed by third parts.

Copyright

While the certificate of authenticity goes to the buyer with the art piece after the sale, as in the traditional market, the artist won’t lose any right to his art, such as copyright and reproduction rights. You, as an artist, can still use it, print it and share your artwork – even if the piece is sold and owned by the collector.

| How will they affect the future?

There’s no reason to see an enemy in NFTs. Technology is a tool that can help us explore new opportunities, and destroy physical boundaries as well as stimulate artists upgrade themselves and their art. 

The world works like this: it all changes. There’s a continuous renewal and evolution in every aspect, even in art and in its collective perception.

Honestly, I think NFTs will bring lots of positive changes in the art market, such as more visibility for artists, more comfortable steps in selling and managing works, more flexibility and huge economic opportunities. I see in them a great growth opportunity for every artist, from beginner to professional – you just have to get people to believe in you and invest in your artworks!

NFTs are just in their beginning stage, probably that’s why we are still feeling a little threatened by them; but as soon as they’ll spread more and people will be more aware of their potential, they’ll become a lucky chance for lots of artists! – At least, I hope so 🙂

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Wanna know more?  

If you want to learn specifically what NFTs are, how they work and if this is the right solution for you, I recommend you to check the article published by Kanvas.ai, in which NFTs are explained in detail, as well as how artists can benefit from them.

Also, why not try to apply? Kanvas.ai is a great platform that could meet your needs – we also interviewed them! 

Let us know if you decided to throw yourself in this new opportunity!

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