For digital artists, NFTs are promising – and problematic

Image caption: Nate Mohler’s “Grunge City,” 2021, 57 seconds. Edition of 1. Part of the “Painted Cities” series. Mohler, a UCLA design media arts alumnus, has released 12 artworks as NFTs, and nine have sold. Image courtesy of SuperRare. Article by Avishay Artsy. UCLA Newsroom – April 22, 2021.

UCLA design media arts faculty and alumni share their thoughts on the crypto-art craze

he challenge that digital artists, curators and collectors have faced for decades has been how to sell artwork that is by nature infinitely reproducible. Unlike a painting or sculpture, digital artworks can be reduced to a series of 0s and 1s, or an algorithm that can easily be copied.

Non-fungible tokens, or NFTs, offer a technological solution. They work as public ledgers, using blockchain technology to track digital transactions. When a collector buys an NFT, they’re essentially acquiring a tamper-proof digital receipt. That also allows the artist to retain a percentage of the revenue each time their work is sold. […]

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