“The art world is already seeing a significant shift, I believe. The entrance of NFTs and the crypto blockchain in selling and collecting art are changing what can be owned. I remember Marina Abramovic talking about how performance art couldn’t be sold. Maybe you could take a video of a performance or photographs as excerpts from the performance. (…) With the format of NFTs, ownership and authenticity of a digital file (JPG, MP4, WAV, PDF) can be proven via the blockchain I, for one, have done performance works that extend from my paintings, and now with NFT, I can allow people to collect them. So as saturated as the art world has felt, this new technology is starting to add a breath of fresh air and room for all types of contemporary artists. The environmental impact of NFTs does need some attention, and the jump from Ethereum’s POW (Proof of Work) to a POS (Proof of Stake) system should reduce the energy needed for this technology.” (Ashley in Gordon, 2021)

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“They (artists) expose all facets of their life out to the open. And in a society where many of us feel afraid of people discovering our identities, what we love, what we hate, the embarrassing things we’ve gone through which don’t make our social media highlight reel, we need artists.” (Ashley in Gordon, 2021)

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”Currently, Zora and Foundation are the only marketplaces I am on, but, in terms of building community, platforms like TikTok and Instagram are where my work is most seen. Like most artists, I have struggled to stay on good terms with the algorithms that dictate who gets to see the work. Since I started creating my performative painting works that extend objects and forms from a painting using camera tricks, my art has been pushing further into new communities. I am super grateful, and hope the algorithm gods will stay on my side. Twitter is also helpful for connecting with collectors, but I wouldn’t say I have got the complete hang of it yet – I am definitely more of an image-maker than a deep tweeter or a digital marketing guru.” (Ashley in Moore, 2021)

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”Visualising your artwork as a growing asset is much easier than the traditional method of accumulating work physically until the right collector knocks on your door. There is an all-compassing transparency that operates around the sales of the NFT digital market; everyone can see your market value in real time. Previously, the artist has had to [retain] an air of mysteriousness about the price points of their work, avoiding coming off tacky or low-end, which is quite ridiculous when most art cannot coexist without money to fund artworks and artists.” (Ashley in Moore, 2021)

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“I think the most exciting thing about Instagram is the format. You’re squishing your art into a compressed thumbnail on your profile. Yes, Instagram allows you upload at many different ratios, but it’s a square, very low detailed image on your profile. So, say someone finds your page; the first thing they are seeing is those cropped squares. I think inherently; it affects how we make art later published on Instagram because we have to factor in what our painting will look like on a screen and in a small square. There are a couple of artists’ works who I’ve loved on Instagram, but when I’ve gone to their shows, the work feels completely different in person. And I almost feel tricked in a way, but I don’t think it because the work isn’t the same; it’s just I was accustomed to seeing it presented in a particular light.” (Ashley in Gordon, 2021)