Rovingrivera NFT artist interview | NFT CULTURE | NFTs and Crypto Art
Where are you from? (State a bit of your background, have you moved, etc.)
I am from New Jersey USA, but I have been traveling for the last 10 years as a photographer and have been to 45 countries.
Can you tell us about your background and what led you down the path to becoming an artist and eventually experimenting with NFTs?
Traveling and living in 4 countries over the past 10 years, I began documenting my travels through photography. After establishing a presence through Instagram, many of my family and friends inspired me to look at NFTs as a way to show my art to a wider audience. 6 months ago I decided to make my first collection which was a series of photos from Cuba, I generated 6 Eth volume in 6 months and sold 48 NFTs so far.
When did you make your first NFT? Which platform did you choose and why?
6 months ago I embossed my Genesis collection which was a series called Cubano Streets. I used opensea to create my first collection, now I’m on several platforms like foundation and know origin.
Can you tell us one thing you can’t live without? (and why)
I can’t live without the flexibility to travel. It’s a necessity for me and a big part of keeping me happy and balanced. I literally can’t stop learning from travel experiences, it’s the only thing that motivates me to keep creating.
Who is your favorite artist(s) (Not NFT)? What about their style resonates with you
Fan Ho was a Hong Kong-based photographer from the 60s, his way of capturing light and shadow through film photography was absolutely amazing. He is my favorite artist and since I lived in Asia for 10 years, his pictures really resonated with me.
Who is your favorite NFT artist? What makes this artist unique?
Ali Sabet is my favorite NFT artist, his style is so vibrant and his work flow is so fluid. Watching him create is therapeutic. He is also one of the nicest people in the room. He’s unique in the sense that even though he’s had tremendous success, he’ll still take your calls or jump into a room with you and share knowledge. He is a down-to-earth, genuine artist.
What made you pursue NFT art?
I have always been into crypto and learning about the new technologies being created on the blockchain. When NFTs came around, I immediately knew this was an opportunity to get my art out there for people to see. It wasn’t until a friend of mine pushed me to create my first collection and had the patience to curate it thoroughly.
What is the one NFT you wish you had bought but missed out on
Bored Ape and Mutant Ape yacht club
If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go? Why this location?
Well this question is interesting as I made a life of traveling and have been to 45 countries so far but for me my top destination has always been Mongolia, Georgia and Armenia. I love history and these places are historically a dream come true for me. I want to live among the nomads on the Mongolian steppe and experience their lifestyle in yurts. Document them in a photojournalistic manner. The landscapes in all those places are very motivating for me to create.
What are your other passions besides art? Why?
I think we can confirm that my biggest passion is travelling, learning new languages and experiencing history and culture. I really enjoy being out of my comfort zone because it forces you to adapt and absorb knowledge. Being abroad has also made me more aware of the world and has helped my art style to be unique compared to other artists.
Do you make other forms of art?
As a photographer, I have found myself entering other art media through collaboration. It has been an interesting direction to combine my photography with other artists’ styles such as illustration, oil painting and digital art.
Are you self-taught or trained?
Yes, I am self taught, I would say that for the past 6 years I have studied the basics and continued to learn more intensive strategies and skills through tutorials and other photographers
How did you arrive at your specific style?
To be honest, I’m still trying to figure out if I even have a style. All of my art has varied over the last few years and I did that on purpose because I rarely do things exactly the same. My art is inspired by my location, so I never stick to the same theme. Maybe the audience can tell me if they can find a style in my art eventually.
How has your style evolved over the years?
I’ve been experimenting a lot over the past few years, fine-tuning a lot of how I understand color gradation combinations and what I want the focus of my art to be. I started as a drone photographer with a focus on landscapes, and now I work with storytelling, photojournalistic work that strengthens change with a focus on history and culture.
What is coming in the near future?
I’m working on some amazing collaborations with some great artists, including my favorite artist that I’m really excited about. I also plan to move to Latin America or Asia.
If you could collaborate with one artist, who would it be? (and why)
Wow what a question because I have already started collaboration with that artist but let’s keep it interesting here. If I had to choose another artist to collaborate with now, I would go with Michael Yamashita. He is a New Jersey native like myself, I think I can learn a lot from him as he is an experienced photographer especially with national geographic which is a goal of mine to be in.
What was your biggest failure and what did you learn from it?
My biggest failure was probably not getting into NFTs sooner, but time in the market and patience are absolutely key in this area. I’ve had a lot of success even in a bear market, so I’m looking forward to the next cycle. We must realize that we are all artists even before NFTs, so our failures should only be inspiration to keep creating.
How much was it sold for
The last NFT I sold was my highest sale which was 1,666 Ethereum
Do you have any upcoming drops?
Yeah, I’m currently getting super rare. When that happens, I will give myself a very important collection.
Link to website
www.rovingrivera.com
Social links and NFT market links
Anything else you want to share?
Thank you very much for the opportunity to be seen. Exposure for artists is more important than sales in my opinion and thanks for this platform being recognized
