Dear Bankless Nation,

NFTs have forever altered the creator economy. Artists of all stripes are creating ways to sustainably thrive on the blockchain. The medium may vary, but the potential is the infinite. Kristopher Shinn, aka The Ferry Guy, has been realizing this potential, becoming a sensation in the field of photography NFTs. Kaf dives in with an interview.

Adoption of blockchain technology continues as gaming engine Unity integrates with web3. Kouros provides the details.

The Rug brings us this week’s mostly credible web3 news: a vital overview of EthDenver projects; Chippi throws shade on the gobbledygook some presenters arrive with at crypto conferences; DustyEye has managed to extract and make available some of the legion they’ve attracted; and nonsense brings us the alpha for this week’s d’ART Drop.

Welcome to Decentralized Arts.

Contributors: BanklessDAO Writers Guild (Grendel, Kouros, Kaf, nonsensetwice, Frank America)

This is the official NFT newsletter of BanklessDAO. If you were a Premium Member of the Bankless Newsletter as of May 1st, 2021, you have been subscribed to this newsletter at launch. To unsubscribe, edit your settings here.

Curated NFT News

Gaming Engine Unity Adds MetaMask Functionality

MetaMask, the popular web3 wallet provider, has partnered with Unity, a video game development platform. The partnership allows game developers to easily connect their games to MetaMask wallet and enable web3 features such as crypto and NFTs.

Unity has added the MetaMask SDK to its asset store with the purpose of assisting developers interested in web3 technology to streamline decentralization efforts and to create new experiences and possibilities for gamers.

In the announcement last week, the wallet provider also presented Sidequest, a grants program by MetaMask’s parent company Consensys that is aimed at game developers interested in transitioning to web3. The program will include workshops, online game jams, and 100,000 USD grants.

The Rug

ETHDenver’s BUIDLathon Creates Eight New Projects That No One Knows the Legality Of

Brought to you by The Rug

This years ETHDenver lead to a lot of projects in a legal gray area. We’ll leave it up to the SEC to decide.

“Legality is for the politicians and courts to decide,” one BUIDLathon judge said. “In the meantime, we are committed to recognizing the very best ideas in the ETHco-system and that’s exactly what we’ve done with this year’s finalists.”

Collect these ambiguously legal projects as an NFT on optimism.

Kristopher Shinn: The Ferry Guy Who Became an NFT Photography Sensation

How NFTs Empowered an Artist to Establish Provenance and Immortality in a World of Image Theft

by KAF

Images have become a powerful currency. As such,society today is constantly bombarded with an endless stream of photographs. This has created a challenging environment for professional photographers, who often see their work stolen and plagiarized on social media without proper attribution or compensation. With the emergence of NFTs, a new solution is provided, giving artists the ability to establish the provenance and immutability of their work while retaining control over their art.

Despite the challenges that artists face in an oversaturated market, some have managed to break through and achieve success. Kristopher Shinn is a shining example of this, with his innovative and captivating work capturing the attention of buyers and collectors alike.

Who is Kristopher Shinn?

Kristopher Shinn is a photographer with a unique style, preferring to shoot on film with minimal post-processing to create calm imagery. His passion for photography began in middle school when his parents gave him a Canon PowerShot digital camera.

Since March 2021, Shinn has been actively involved in the NFT space and has released numerous successful collections on Foundation, SuperRare and Opensea.

One of Shinn's most popular collections is "By Way of Water," a series of 100 images captured on the Washington State Ferries that quickly sold out. The success of “By Way of Water" caused the community to nickname Kris as the “Ferry Guy.”

kristopher @kristophershinn

Before I became "the ferry guy" in the NFT space, I was lucky to have some 1/1 landscape pieces collected by @caktux, @chevy_pop, @GuyNorcal, and @FordNi. These first few sales really gave me confidence moving forward in web3 and I'll forever be grateful for my early adopters 🧡

7:40 PM ∙ Jul 22, 2022

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While Shinn's exceptional talent is evident in every piece he creates, he understands that talent alone is not enough to succeed in the art world. Shinn has invested a considerable amount of time and effort in building his network and connecting with others in the art community. 

His recent collaboration with POSTWOOK demonstrates how web3 technology enables artists to collaborate in unprecedented ways.

kristopher @kristophershinn

"Space Travel" by @POSTWOOK has officially been airdropped exclusively to BWOW holders 🛸 Natasha is an absolute legend, and I'm so thankful we could work together to bring this incredible piece to life 🤝 If you're interested in secondary, I'll link that in the thread 🧵

8:13 PM ∙ Mar 3, 2023

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By engaging with others and keeping up-to-date with the latest trends and developments in the industry, Shinn has established himself as a prominent figure in the NFT art world. 

Interview with the “Ferry Guy”

➢Can you tell us a bit about your journey as a photographer and how you got involved with NFTs?

I started taking photos seriously around 2015/2016 when I was hired to manage some small business social media accounts in the Bay Area. One aspect of the job was creating photography content for marketing, which I quickly discovered was my favorite part of the job.

After I quit that job, I bought a camera and went out shooting landscapes quite a bit. I learned a lot about my style of photography and how to operate a camera during that time.

I got involved with NFTs when I noticed some conversations about them in a group chat I was in on Twitter. I leaned on the likes of Judy Lindsay, Daniel Stagner, and Dillon Gogarty for guidance and information before my first mints.

➢Could you describe your experience in the NFT space and explain how it has influenced your photography?

My web3 experience has been truly remarkable. I've connected with so many amazing artists and collectors, and it's been a really fun ride so far. I would say that NFTs have had a positive impact on my work because I can be more present when I'm creating. Being able to sell NFTs has allowed me to earn more income which inherently reduces stress and allows me to focus more on art and less on other things.

➢What drew you to the art of photography and what kind of narratives do you aim to convey through your creative expression?

I would say that being visually absorbed by photography was what drew me to it. Some photos are so powerful. My goal is to give viewers a glimpse into the things that I find inspiring and enjoying in life. I'm not pushing any great life story or narrative, but rather sharing things I love in the hope that they will resonate with someone, somehow.

➢In what ways do you differentiate your photography from others?

I really don't think anything differentiates my photography from others. That is not what I intend to achieve. Instead, I'm just trying to be as authentically myself as possible and leave whatever mark I can in the bigger scheme of things.

➢What have been some of the biggest challenges you have faced as a photographer and how have you overcome them?

I think learning to capture the images you imagine in your head is one of the most difficult challenges. It takes a long time to find your own unique style, and it can be a frustrating process leading up to that point. Like any other skill set, photography takes time and patience.

➢Could you share any interesting upcoming plans or projects you have? Is there an interesting project you are working on right now?

I'm going to keep shooting, always. I'll be traveling a bit later this year, so maybe we'll see a new body of work coming from those trips. Maybe not. For now I will continue to push my work forward and build on what I have already created!

Thanks and Good Luck, Kristopher!

Kristopher Shinn's journey as a photographer and his success in the NFT art world are a testament to the power of dedication, hard work, and passion. Despite the challenges he faced along the way, he never lost sight of his love for photography and his desire to share his creative vision with the world.

At Decentralized Arts, we have already discussed the 5 most renowned NFT photographers and have expressed our optimism about the promising future of this technology.

As the art world continues to evolve and adapt to new technologies and trends, artists like Kristopher Shinn will continue to inspire and innovate, pushing the boundaries of what is possible and reminding us of the power of creativity and self-expression.

D’Art Drops

By nonsense

Introducing weekly NFT art drops for the Bankless community, brought to you by Decentralized Arts.

This week we present the fourth and final installment of the DA collaboration with cryptoartis.eth, “Financial Apocalypse.” A man stands at the edge of a world collapsing in financial ruin. Despite the perceived loss this collapse may suggest, the man is filled with hope; his future was not dependent on a predatory financial system but was built on the promise of financial liberty through cryptocurrency. As the old world falls away, the man sees the potential of a new world to be raised in its stead.

This piece will be made available during the BanklessDAO Community Call as part of the community NFT showcase. Head over to Rarible and add it to your favorites so you’re ready to collect it when it goes on sale. 75% of each sale will go to the artist, 10% will be returned to BanklessDAO, and 15% will be retained by Decentralized Arts.

Chippi Corner

By Perchy

THE LEGION OF 444 – Part 8

by DustyEye

Dear BanklessDAO Readers,

To summarize: 

We have received a Legion of 444 demons since the 24th century, which is quite a large responsibility. With the help of Turinglabs, Hybridcode_ and L.Elrah, the 444 demons have been isolated in a collection of rather unstable digital simulacra. It was therefore urgent to translate the entities into safer supports than a frivolous hard disk or an ambiguous drive.

Among the many suggestions collected by BanklessDAO readers, we started by following a particularly analogical one:

“Expose the demons to the celestial cloak on a full moon night, then press them one by one into plastic test tubes with cork stoppers no longer than 16cm. Don't forget to place a sphere container and android ashes in the row."

You can see the result in the attached photo. 

To sum up, the process followed ensures stability to demon containment, but there is also a downside. We were only able to apply it to 10% of the entities, the remaining 90% resisted strenuously in contact with the plastic tube.

While we study other containment methods, anyone wishing to take charge of the custody of one or more of the 44 demons captured within these vials, please write to us at info@DustyEye.com. It should be emphasized that the demons have no cost, but for techno-ritual reasons the delivery can only be made by hand.

See you next week,

Dusty Eye

______________________

WEB: www.DustyEye.com
IG: @DustyEye_DE
TWITTER: @Dusty_Eye

Meme

A small joke contributed by The Rug.

PostScript & Acknowledgements

Decentralized Arts is written and produced by a small team of contributors who are passionate about art, both visual and written, and its growing place in crypto and NFTs. With each edition, we aim to bring you not only the most current and relevant news in the NFT space, but also explorations in what it means for our culture and societies for this market to continue to grow and expand. When everyone is an owner of art, we all gain a deeper appreciation for it.

If you enjoy reading this newsletter, please share it with someone who you think will appreciate the content. We also welcome suggestions via our feedback form.

With great appreciation for you, we thank you for reading and subscribing to Decentralized Arts.

Cordially,

Grendel, Kouros, Kaf, nonsensetwice, and Frank America