Street artist destroys his colourful mural to create crypto-worthy artwork
The destruction of the freshly created mural by Nathan Murdoch is part of an artistic project.
By Reuters |
Reuters
The original image will not survive, but two versions will, one a print and the other a digital file called an NFT.
PETERBOROUGH, ENGLAND: British street artist Nathan Murdoch contemplates the mural he has just spray-painted, a giant image of two hands wearing rainbow-coloured gloves and joined in prayer, then hurls a large dollop of white paint straight at it from an open tin.
The destruction of the freshly created mural is part of an artistic project straddling the physical and virtual worlds. The original image will not survive, but two versions will, one a print and the other a digital file called an NFT.
"We're going to do a singular print which will go to an eBay auction, and then after that we'll do a singular NFT print, which will also go to auction, which is essentially crypto-art," said Murdoch.
NFT stands for non-fungible token, a type of digital asset verified using blockchain technology. NFTs are increasingly popular in the art world because they make a file unique by allowing it to be permanently authenticated, regardless of copies.
For Nathan Murdoch, the decision to immediately destroy his mural is a new departure from his previous projects. In a record-breaking auction at Christie's, an NFT by U.S. artist Mike Winkelmann, known as Beeple, sold for nearly $70 million in March, raising the profile of NFTs which some artists and collectors see as key to the future of the art market.
ADVERTISEMENT
"Anybody can take photos of pieces of art, but they don't own it," said Murdoch. "This will be, you're buying the ownership to the file."
For Murdoch, who is based in the central English city of Peterborough, the decision to immediately destroy his mural is a new departure from his previous projects. It allows him to transfer the status of original work to the print and the NFT.
"All other evidence of it will be destroyed," he said.
"I essentially create art in the real world, but then I'm going to convert this to be used in the digital space... opening to a much larger and worldwide possible audience."
ADVERTISEMENT
The image represents a praying doctor or nurse, and the coloured gloves are a reference to pictures of rainbows that many British people displayed in their windows during the first COVID-19 lockdown as a sign of solidarity with hospital staff.
Murdoch plans to donate the proceeds of the sales of the print and NFT to Britain's National Health Service.
ADVERTISEMENT
The artist drew international attention after a mural promoting racial harmony that he painted in a Peterborough underpass in 2019 was widely shared on social media, including by the U.S. rapper Ice T, during the 2020 Black Lives Matter protest movement.
Banksy, KAWS & More: 5 Things To Know About Collecting Street Art
1/7
Street art is no longer spray painting on bus stops, street corners and walls. It’s making its way into your home, and if you’re a collector, it’s a genre to consider.
Works by pioneers such as Haring, Stik, Banksy and KAWS have gained popularity in recent years as we have seen an urban liberation of art media, pushing through the conventional parameters of paper, cardboard and canvas and on to pavement, sidewalks, subways and the bricks of buildings.
As the personification of movement, freedom and spontaneity, art inspired by graffiti has taken centre stage, both literally in scale and visibility and in its burgeoning popularity.
Street art is no longer spray painting on bus stops, street corners and walls. It’s making its way into your home, and if you’re a collector, it’s a genre to consider.Works by pioneers such as Haring..
Read More
“Since the hip-hop crews of Philadelphia and New York turned graffiti into an elaborate language, encrypted in a range of unique styles, Street art has become an established art form. While its very public presence may scream manifesto, perhaps with subversive intent, Street art nonetheless promotes a sense of the uncompromising, a radical ethos that consistently attracts clusters of fervent supporters throughout the world,” says Noah Davis, Specialist, Post War and Contemporary Art at Christie’s Inc. They share their tips on what you need to know if you’re considering going street.
In pic: INVADER (b. 1969), Alias SP_43, 2011. Ceramic tiles on perspex. 28? x 14 in (71.5 x 35.6 cm). Estimate $40,000-60,000. Offered in Trespassing, 5-19 August 2020, Online
“Since the hip-hop crews of Philadelphia and New York turned graffiti into an elaborate language, encrypted in a range of unique styles, Street art has become an established art form. While its very ..
Read More
Artists inspired by graffiti often revisit a theme or rely on a repeated technique in their work, creating a recognisable trademark that forms an essential part of their visual vocabulary. Haring developed his man figure; Jean-Michel Basquiat combined symbols and epigrams; and Banksy fashions irreverent, politically-charged subjects.
In pic: Left - KAWS (b. 1974), Untitled Ad Disruption (Prima/Paris), 1999. Acrylic on found advertising poster. 68 x 47¾ in (173.5 x 120.1 cm). Estimate: $100,000-150,000. Offered in Trespassing, 5-19 August 2020, Online
Right - KAWS (B. 1974), Untitled (Astro Boy), 2003. Hand-painted resin. 18½ x 12 x 4½ in (47 x 32 x 11.2 cm). Estimate: $150,000-200,000. Offered in Trespassing, 5-19 August 2020, Online
Artists inspired by graffiti often revisit a theme or rely on a repeated technique in their work, creating a recognisable trademark that forms an essential part of their visual vocabulary. Haring dev..
Read More
Some street artworks are site-specific, such as Haring’s infamous ‘Crack Is Wack’, a 1986 public project still visible along the Harlem River Drive in New York City. As a way to represent the whole, a distinct element of the work may be replicated in a more portable form. Haring’s iconic figures and symbols repeat throughout his oeuvre, finding themselves not only on his murals and canvases but also on his screen prints. This is also true for artists such as Stik and Banksy.
In pic: Banksy (b. 1975), Girl with Balloon — Colour AP (Gold), 2004. Screenprint in black and gold. Sheet 695 x 495 mm. Sold for £395,250, 24 Sep 2019, Online
Some street artworks are site-specific, such as Haring’s infamous ‘Crack Is Wack’, a 1986 public project still visible along the Harlem River Drive in New York City. As a way to represent the whole, ..
Read More
Street art can be easily duplicated. As stencils can be used and infinitely reused, the question of originality that plagues all art becomes particularly critical for this genre. Consult a specialist. For prints, it is extremely important that they match the catalogue raisonné for the artist or compare well to other examples from the edition.
In pic: HAROSHI X KARIMOKU (b. 1978), BE@RBRICK KARIMOKU HAROSHI 400%, 2019. Repurposed skate deck maple wood
Street art can be easily duplicated. As stencils can be used and infinitely reused, the question of originality that plagues all art becomes particularly critical for this genre. Consult a specialist..
Read More
Street art is, by its very nature, exposed to the elements more than other kinds of art. Restoration may be possible — some artists, such as Stik, make a point of personally touching up their works in situ whenever they can — but some level of wear is to be expected. Collectors should keep in mind that, as with any kind of artwork, condition may impact the perceived value of a piece.
In pic:D*FACE (b. 1978), London — LA, 2014. Acrylic and printed paper collage on panel. 60 x 48 in (152.40 x 121.92 cm). Estimate: $12,000-18,000. Offered in Trespassing, 5-19 August 2020, Online
Street art is, by its very nature, exposed to the elements more than other kinds of art. Restoration may be possible — some artists, such as Stik, make a point of personally touching up their works i..
Read More
Since Street Art is a relatively new movement in art history, it’s important to know what came before in order to understand where it’s going. Most are aware that graffiti — and more specifically, Wild Style — represented the nascent form of Street art in the 1970s, but Pop art also paved the way, incorporating many of the same topics for the first time, from mass consumerism to elements of pop culture.
In pic: Barry McGee (b. 1966), [Untitled], 2007. Double-sided — silkscreen on envelope. 10¾ x 6? in (27.3 x 16 cm). Estimate: $2,000-3,000. Offered in Trespassing, 5-19 August 2020, Online
Since Street Art is a relatively new movement in art history, it’s important to know what came before in order to understand where it’s going. Most are aware that graffiti — and more specifically, Wi..
