Dawn Of Bitcoin Art Renaissance – Bitcoin Magazine
This is an opinion editorial by Dawdu M. Amantanah, author of “The Bit On Digital Coins: A Quick Practical Guide To Understanding Cryptocurrency.”
The Renaissance was a time of significant progress in human understanding. Intrepid explorers began to travel the open seas, scientists developed new ideas, and cities exploded into important hubs of trade and culture. One of the period’s most radical changes occurred in the art world, where artists took back styles from antiquity and created new ones. Similarly, Bitcoin is a new technology poised to make radical changes in every facet of our lives.
The famous artist Donatello trained as a goldsmith, but was one of the most famous sculptors from the Renaissance. A number of artists in the Bitcoin ecosystem, such as Brekkie Von Bitcoin, create art that is a record of time and a call to action through sculptures. The Renaissance brought forth compelling examples of art and revolution; Bitcoin is doing the same in parallel with renaissance-like developments that mirror the explosions in philosophy, literature, music, science and technology at the beginning of this digital revolution.
Many say that art is subjective, but the Bitcoin ecosystem’s creativity in art is groundbreaking and unique. Whether it’s through sculpture, oil painting or portrait production, Bitcoiner’s technology is splicing into art and creating something new. It’s a kind of “proof on paint”, conveying the message that Bitcoin is a paradigm-shifting technology that should be celebrated through art and self-expression; proof of work is in full swing.
During the Renaissance, the printing press provided information to people all over the world at unprecedented levels. Printing increased literacy, art and education for millions. Ideas transcended borders and the gold-backed florin coin lasted for 281 years, changing serfdom, trade and stores of value across Europe. Now here we are again, in the 21st century with the digital printing press, aka the internet, dismantling the need for higher education and ushering in magical internet money, aka bitcoin, demonetizing gold and eliminating the need for central banking.
Have you ever wondered why art and architecture are no longer produced in such an opulent fashion with attention to detail? Dr. Saifedean Ammous postulates in “The Bitcoin Standard” that this is because the people of the world centuries ago had hard money as the basis of their flourishing civilization. People could then spend their time and energy on actual productivity (including creating masterful works of art) because their sound money wasn’t tying them to an ever-expanding hamster wheel. With an increase in interference from governments and banks, our money lost quality and gained quantity, and so did art. But this doesn’t have to be.
Proof of paint
Bitcoin will demonetize economics through code, energy and hash functions, but it is also dematerializing art for the dominant right-brain bitcoin enthusiasts. There are too many to mention here, but artists like Marcus Connor, creator of The Bitcoin Roller Coaster Guy, have been seen by millions of people and in some cases may be the creators of the first Bitcoin art people are exposed to.
One of my favorite Bitcoin artists goes by the name Proof of Paint, who is a master at adding a sense of depth to his paintings and a sense of warmth to his human figures using luminous colors. His “Sister Of The Coin” piece is etched with art paper. Proof of Paint has partnered with Blockstream to showcase his art, where each of his paintings tells a story that brings the viewer closer to understanding Bitcoin. The sister’s theme is a play on the three graces with a Bitcoin spin, depicting the idea of the divine powers that help man and oversee everything from above for his happiness and prosperity. They are protectors of our ambitions and dreams.
Absolute scarcity
The cypherpunk moment is still alive and well in the Bitcoin art scene. FractalEncrypt is a “cypherpunk artist who infuses software, mathematics, art, technology and chemistry into biological interfaces.”
When you think about art and low time preference, one-of-a-kind artwork increases over time as people bid on its collective intentionality. There are cases where art is duplicated or plagiarized, which leads to my point that two things in the universe are absolutely scarce – time and bitcoin.
The art created by Bitcoiners will outlive other forms of artistic expression solely due to the longevity of the subject matter, as new issuance of bitcoin will not cease until 2140. Attention to detail is everything when creating art. The Bitcoin Magazine article titled “Decoding The ‘Bitcoin Full Node Sculpture,’ A Cypherpunk Chronometer” goes into detail about how different creative forms of bitcoin art can be. Artwork’s value is determined by supply and demand, and there is a limited supply of artwork on the market at any given time, which makes art expensive.
Some of these bitcoin bits are rare, and the people who collect them are from all walks of life, including high-net-worth individuals like MicroStrategy CEO Micheal Saylor, who purchased a Full Node sculpture in April 2021. It is also very common that if an artist’s work has been owned by influential collectors or shown in an important gallery, it will positively affect the price.
Micheal Saylor often says that “Bitcoin is hope” – which it is, but Bitcoin, for many, is a second victory, and that applies to artists all over the planet. It is more valuable than older systems because of the monetary autonomy it gives users. Bitcoin seeks to solve the problem of conventional currency: trust. Artists seek to address the root problem with artistic expression that conveys a message: Art is influential because it can potentially influence our culture, politics, and even the economy. When we see a powerful piece of art, we feel it touch deep within our souls, giving us the power to make changes in real life.
Conclusion
This is why Bitcoin is so important. The Bitcoin protocol started in 2009 and, like most renaissance periods, it took time for artists to onboard their passion to create visual masterpieces that reflect their love of art. The digital currency bitcoin is changing so many aspects of our society; when people realize that, articles like this will resonate differently. Thanks to Bitcoin, art is making a comeback.
This is a guest post by Dawdu M. Amantanah. Opinions expressed are entirely their own and do not necessarily reflect those of BTC Inc Bitcoin Magazine.
