Week 2 March 2023 - SamJ Studios

As of this week I am finally coming down from the high that was NFT Paris. It feels like it was simultaneously yesterday and a year ago. I’ve been always been apprehensive about staying in touch with the lovely people I connect to at these IRL functions… Specially, after the last six months of the twitter algorithm deteriorating. That’s a major reason I started this newsletter and I’m very grateful, once again, that all of you have subscribed!

I will have to say, though, I have noticed a significant increase in my engagement, following Paris, and many of the people that I have connected to are still carrying on conversations through DM’s or on the timeline. It has been a very refreshing experience, given how much of social media has been an uphill battle lately.

There was a follow up event in Amsterdam at a small gallery in the center last week, and that was a nice experience to reconnect with some of the local community that I met while in Paris. I hope to be able to participate within the Amsterdam Web3 community more in the future, even though it is so very small compared to New York, London, and Paris.

Next on the topic of social media, there’s been some discourse around a prominent artist @Photonisdead. People have recently discovered that their work often is just minimal edits of cc0 stock imagery from Unsplash. While technically legal, I think this is where people get into their minds that art can be a scam. I haven’t been following Pho and I’m not totally familiar with their work but it does seem disingenuous to a degree. Disingenuous not to collectors but rather the other artists in this space, a “work smart not harder” approach. I personally believe there is a difference between the titles of “artist” and “producer”, and what I have seen from Pho is that they are producing. There is nothing inherently wrong with this, but it seems to be missing significant or coherent intention. Personally I have many w artist statements I’ve written that accompany my artwork and the process involved to create each piece. I enjoy writing, that’s why I have this newsletter, but many artists find it difficult to speak about and share the meaning of their work. At what point do we accommodate the desire of an artist to be “mysterious” with the risk they are “hiding” a gimmick of their creative process? What does it mean to “hide” your process?

Pho responded with a thread on artistic “reference” but very clearly alteration of an original image is not reference. I used a Banksy for reference when working on @Username. Pho is not using a Banksy.

To be honest the only thing this revelation of stock imagery does for me is that we should be more inquisitive of how artists create work and where the value of an artwork is derived. I personally value ingenuity and creativity, but not everyone does. Taste is subjective and most people in web3 have a green taste. Green as for the fresh and under developed, green as for the money behind each work. I will finally say though that it seems Pho has creatively and ingeniously created a solid community of supporters that connect to the art, regardless of their creative practice.

Stock imagery outrage can be paralleled to how many artists also threw up arms about AI for the last few years, as well. Each time a conversation like this arises it only serves me to reflect on my own practice and how I use the resources I am provided. This really is none of my business but I think it does prove to be an interesting discussion I am happy to partake in. Please feel free to let me know your thoughts if you are a supporter of Pho or if you think what he is doing is suspect or anything in between.

Usually I wrap up each week by linking my playlists which I continually update, but today I’ll be linking one of the new Skrillex albums. I’m not huge into EDM but this album had many features and collaborators that made for a playful and nostalgic experience. I remember listening to Jack Ü in 2015 over the summer in high school and this feels like a return to that sound with a more grim and mature outlook that reflects our current headspace in 2023. Over all a refreshing listen. My top tracks: RATATA, Tears, Rumble, Xenakis, Hydrate

Slay the house down besties,

SamJ