In 2017, Jason Bailey immersed himself in the world of NFTs, with the hope of slowly shaping a better art world. Four years later, the industry exploded into the mainstream, and although it looks different from what Jason had imagined, the increased levels of access and democratization keep him passionate about, and inspired by, the space. Even before becoming involved with NFTs, Jason lived his life at the intersection of art and technology, with undergraduate and postgraduate degrees in art and 20 years of experience working for tech startups. For these reasons, we thought he would be the perfect guest to join us for a deep dive into the work of the winners of this year’s FIR Awards! Listen in as Jason shares his thoughts on artists Cath Simard, Deafbeef, Beeple, and XCOPY, and why the legacy of the NFT revolution will be the social change that it has brought about.

Key Points From This Episode:

• An overview of Jason’s journey navigating the intersection between art and technology.
• Jason’s entry into the world of NFTs in 2017, and how things have changed since then.
• Motivation behind the founding of ClubNFT.
• An introduction to the work of NFT artist Cath Simard.
• The original crypto art collectors and what that bulk of new NFT collectors are buying. 
• Factors that make the work of Deafbeef unusual in the NFT space.
• Thoughts on the accessibility of Deafbeef’s work.
• How most of the traditional art world views NFTs, and why Jason disagrees. 
• Changes to the art world brought about by the NFT revolution.
• Jason’s love/hate relationship with Beeple’s $69 million sale. 
• Exploring the work of XCOPY, the winner of the FIR Awards!

Tweetables:

“In NFTs, it’s not just that the art stands alone, but there’s also a sense that you can follow along with the artist, look up to the artist, or at least admire them for their principles and their approach.” — Jason Bailey

“[NFTs] really did, to some degree, democratize who gets to make art and ways of selling art and who feels comfortable collecting art. We probably have more art collectors today than we’ve ever had in history, and maybe more artists selling work than we’ve ever had in history.” — Jason Bailey

Jason Bailey

Floor Is Rising