Underwater Art now as NFTs

Non-fungible tokens (NFTs) are an interesting new trend in the online art world. While per its very design, a digital computer file can be copied without loss of information and the original is hence completely identical to any of its copies, the NFTs, via block-chain technology, introduce a new way of ownership of digital art.

I have in fact a few prints of artwork of the late great Keith Haring hanging in our living room, originals of which I could never afford. This is extra ironic, since Haring started out by popularizing New York graffiti style art, which wasn’t only something considered no art, but even considered vandalism which had to be removed – something with a negative commercial value! Once Haring’s art started to be shown, rightfully, in museums, its price tags skyrocketed.

My point is: copies and originals have never been divided in such a completely clear-cut  manner as they seem. In the digital world, simply the copy came before the original. Ownership is an abstract concept. Now you can own digital art in a much more definite way.

The three shots of mine which are for sale as NFTs were all taken underwater in Dauin, on Negros Island in the Philippines:

The title shot is of Amphiprion clarkii, the yellow tail anemone fish, which is one of the “Nemos” which spend their whole post-larval lives in anemones, usually as groups, with the largest animal being a female. Here is the anemonefish as an NFT.

This is an image of a warty frogfish, Antennarius maculatus, a very curious fish which mimics a piece of pebble overgrown with algae. It sits in the sand motionlessly for most of its time, and feeds on unsuspecting crustaceans or small shrimp which come too close to it. The frogfish is available as an NFT here.

 

Finally, we have a thorny seahorse, Hippocampus hystrix, which is generally rarely seen, but encountered somewhat regularly in the muck diving heaven which is Dauin. This is a fish! Even though its body has evolved away from the “typical” fish shape seen in a trout or a tuna. Amazing. The seahorse NFT is here.

So, you can own these the originals of these artsy photographs. It took scuba diving skills, sharp spotter eyes (thank you Laura for the frog fish!),  quality underwater photo gear and – I want to believe – some significant underwater photo skills to get these shots.