This week, my guest is an art collector, the creator of Alphadoggg, and a really great supporter of artists in general, Mondoggg. I got to connect with him via CFW for the first time, roughly a year ago, and he has been a source of great advice ever since.
It’s been a while since I had a discussion with a collector like him, and I’ve certainly never had one on this podcast, so it felt really good to switch the gears a little, and talk about the NFT scene, its culture, and its ever changing mechanics.
I was pleasantly surprised to find out that Mondoggg is a former a frontend web developer, like myself. While he bought his first crypto over 5 years ago now, he didn’t really get into NFTs till much later, which makes his story stand out, considering how well he has done in the space, and how much he has done for others.
When we talk about a “new art economy,” his experience reflects a large chunk of the potential I think we are talking about with that label. It is a place where anybody without an academic or professional background with art can thrive, and even carve out a legacy. Art is for the people, by the people, and his relationships with art and creators in the crypto art world is a great example of that in action.
Talking about market and artist behaviors, Mondoggg gets right into the realities of what he has found it means for artists (that he speaks with regularly) to create work in the face of market expectations. Between things like the market being down and new mechanics such as Open Editions becoming a standard, there are a lot of examples of how keeping up with it all to stay relevant can cause anybody to burn out. Not just creators, but collectors and investors as well.
He notes that focusing on what he likes, and not just what may or may not be profitable is a much healthier approach. This is a resounding sentiment across all parties engaged with Art, both on or off chain. His attitude towards it all reminded me a bit of Path; here’s a tweet that reflects this:
The space is moving so fast, and there are so many new tools and features being released that were previously cost-prohibitive for artists, project builders, and developers alike. There is a reality to how the market will react after they engage with something due to hype. In a sense, the tech is rolling out faster than the folks using it can comprehend the consequences of using it.
Mondoggg muses that some of the unreasonable behavior we are seeing from consumers in the space, may be a result of artists incorporating the technology as part of their art’s narrative. So in a sense, the brush becomes part of the final art piece, instead of just being a tool used to create it. Using minting/burning mechanics is definitely a form of gamification, and there’s nothing wrong with that - it’s just really interesting to think of folks adapting to the technology in this way.
I like that we approach the mint/burn mechanics as a “choose your own adventure” approach. Storytelling NFTs anyone? That’s not the tweet though; this feels like a form of survival for a lot of artists, and it may have some unexpected consequences unless it is a really well thought out approach.
As artists we already have a hard enough time being our own marketing agents, and now we have to start thinking about new mechanics to stay engaged with the ecosystem. I really appreciate Mondoggg’s honesty about this though, and how he acknowledges the humanity in the folks behind projects that do well. The dangers of approaching all of this without a clear understanding of whether you’re following the artist or the art are a very valid point.
He never really says it outright, but I think he’s very clearly breaking down the importance of intention, not just for collectors, but for artists as well. I talk about this with other artists all the time, but hearing it from a collector’s perspective kind of validates that intention is pertinent in all things.
Trying to get a gauge for whether he looks for art that makes him feel a certain way, I find that his preference a matter of what speaks to him. “Buy what you like,” may sound simple, but I don’t think it is. He does speak about looking for consistency in artists’ bodies of work, but I find that this is not about consistency for sake of output frequency, but perhaps because he is looking to support folks who are serious about what they are doing.
Join the AlphaDoggg community on Discord: https://discord.gg/alphadoggg
I also found it really neat that when it comes to communities and time spent on Discord (which is where literally all of my correspondence with him takes place), he’s mostly connecting with folks on artist-centric discords. Just as importantly, he’s indirectly acknowledging that it’s important to get on other folks’ discords, and interact there. I don’t think correspondence should be specific to Discord of course, but it’s a good tool for avoiding scammy interactions. Twitter DMs feel stressful often, in my humble opinion. Point is, he is out there connecting with artists, and not just lobbing bids from a distance and avoiding contact with the humans behind the art.
Talking about CFW’s art, he expresses what all of us (and by all, I mean anybody that has seen CFW’s work) already know: it’s insanely high quality and undervalued. I actually unceremoniously cut Mondoggg off (sorry dude!) to say it’s not just about how talented CFW is, but how much integrity folks like him continue to exhibit in the face of the bullshit in the NFT world. Many people could have cut profits and run, but instead of rugging anybody, they continue to stay on and build. I’m protective over CFW because he boosted me in the space so much, but also I think CFW’s example connects with Mondoggg’s points about consistency and longevity in the space.
Subsequently, I ask Mondoggg what he thinks keeps people here. And his answer is really just so freaking human: people need to feel like they’re moving forward. Whether you’re making art, or trying to make profit off of something, you have to feel progress. Little things like communities saying GM every day go so far. And folks building and creating things that bring some joy to others, is massively invaluable to everybody’s mental health (behold, I have made fire dot gif).
Forking the topic, I change the subject towards touching grass and physical health, because I know Mondoggg’s been focusing on working out and putting in some hours to sweat shit out. It also made sense to me to go this direction, after all of our talk about burning out, integrity, and just surviving in these digital spaces. And his answer was really personal, and I am thankful for his willingness to share some of his personal journey.
As it turns out, he’s got a bit of history with going from being fit to gaining a lot of weight, and there’s a story there about the complexity of changing your lifestyle to get healthier. Now some folks just hit the gym and get happy about it, but Mondoggg apparently went ham and committed to competing in a Spartan Race. Which is, well, fucking amazing. That shit is no joke. What I love most is how much it has had a positive impact on his mental state, and quality of life.
He’s got some serious goals for the next couple of years, and I am kind of stoked to see him go further into his fitness journey. Maybe Mondoggg will take me up on letting me suspend him one day. 🤣
Next up on Transmissions from the Void: Ainslie! This tweet should be a good place to start discovering him if you haven’t already:
Transmission #22 - Mondoggg