As the 30th podcast episode of TftV approaches (and this, the 54th Orbisms entry) I figured it would be a good time to do a little recap, and give a breakdown of what’s coming up next. A really big and genuine thank you to everybody that’s joined me on this ride so far.
It’s been a really wild bunch of months doing this. When I first decided I wanted to do a podcast at all, it was early in the pandemic. I waited till November of 2022 to have my first attempt at it, in the form of Twitter Spaces, with guests AndoutFM & Enhypnion.
From there, it turned into a run of roughly 30 episodes, including a few unofficial episodes. For example, around Christmas, Javier Moldoror and I got drunk and minted a mindlessly moshed up variant of a collaborative piece we sold on Foundation. It’s still listed on the Tezos network for 3,866 ꜩ.
While I still co-host Spaces with my friend Hiena, who is a most excellent host for this sort of thing, my preference is the more intimate 1-on-1 podcast format. You should still check out our Spaces sometime, it’s usually on Tuesdays around 4PM EST | 8PM UTC.
I’ve achieved my goals of exploring inter-disciplinary art with this publication and podcast, from interviewing performance artists and painters, to 3D artists and motion designers; we’ve covered a ton of different genres. The crossover of technology and art is an excellent place to absorb information, and also be exposed to a world of things and stuff you wouldn’t be able to experience otherwise. And this is why I want to start exploring a few different modes of connection with artists, collectors, and everybody in between.
But before I get into that, let’s rewind a bit.
My first actual podcast episode was with c_mrlx, on December 7, 2022. Fast forward a bunch of months to NFT NYC, and I’m suspending him (yes from hooks) here in Brooklyn. How crazy is that?! What a time to be alive.
I loved kicking this whole thing off by talking to somebody that’s not only a collector in the digital art space, but also actually researches probabilistic consensus protocols on blockchains. This allows him to have a qualified perspective on not just the art he collects, but the technology we’re using, and its various implications.
I’ve gotten to interview Robek and Mondoggg as well, who are well established collectors in the space, and like c_mrlx, are also project builders. More importantly for me, all of these folks have a really good grip on the culture behind this new economy, and are incredibly respectful towards, and supportive of artists as human beings. Coming from different background predating NFTs, they are prime examples of how blockchain tech can be beneficial for all walks of life and industry.
As for the list of artists I’ve interviewed, SHEESH. Looking back is incredibly humbling. Every single one of them is special to me, and it’s difficult to highlight any one specific one over an other. I do want to shout out a small list of artists though, because they have been direct influences on what I do in life.
CFW (Chapters From Within) has given me the opportunity to really get into the guts of what it means to build a project in the space, from marketing and web development, to building minters and project lore. More importantly, he is profusely talented and proficient within the realm of digital art he inhabits, and continues to create absolutely brilliant art in. We continue to work together, and I continue to learn from him regularly. I would hate the space without him.
Jeanelle Mastema has had one of the most profound impacts on what I do with my work in suspension. She is my creative muse, my fellow bruja, my Virgo sister, and an incredibly thoughtful friend that I am often frustrated about not seeing more often. She is so insanely talented, and her work with performance art is nothing short of prolific.
Margherita Tisato is the lady that is suspended in my genesis piece on Foundation - you know, the spinny cubes! But that’s just secondary to the fact that she is one of my closest friends in NYC, is my cat sitter when I’m out of town, has worked on my suspension projects with me for years, and just happens to do all of the following any more: somatic body movement work, yoga instruction, yoga therapy with inmates at a major penitentiary in New York City, acclaimed Butoh dancer, and a pro-level fun haver. You want to tune into an episode about the importance of the connection between mind and body, and get a grip on what productive discussions about mental health look like? This is the one you need to tune into:
Beka Rios is somebody I connected with much later into my journey into the digital art world, but our conversation felt like we had known each other for years. We are both immigrants that grew up traveling a bit, and share similar concerns over where things like AI and blockchain cultures are headed. And in a very different sense, we share an almost identical approach of “what the fuck” in our constant state of surprise by how awful, wonderful, or absolutely weird everything in this life can be. I love that we connected, and that we’re somehow in the same boat on this insane ride. His insights into creative process should not be overlooked.
It’s difficult to write these things without wanting to mention every single person. I have to do a shoutout to the core MoveIt crew that I have interviewed here, because they have been instrumental in connecting me with artists that I continue to interview for the podcast. Big thanks (no particular order), Boxhead, TheHiena, Images_sombres, Glowa, Griff, and Everfresh; I continue to learn so much from you all.
So what’s next?
Well, all podcasts go public (no paid subscription necessary) after 6 weeks, and I intend to continue doing that. However, I will be starting to share some much more specialized episodes starting this summer, that will be permanently paywalled. It’s time to start addressing some elephants in the room, providing functional solutions and insights, and generally creating a support methodology for those that are trying to find their way through an age of social media and technology as artists.
Some of these discussions will be with artists, some will be with collectors and builders, but all of them will be more specialized and focused on productive outcomes.
Lastly, I plan on starting to distribute the public episodes across more platforms outside of Substack. It’s time to get more serious. If you’re into what I’m doing, please consider a monthly paid subscription to support me. That’s a cup of coffee, and a fraction of what most folks blow on shit-ass collectible jpegs monthly 🤣
Reminder that you can gift subscriptions, and there are group sub options as well:
As always, send me your thoughts, and you can find me on Discord if you want to chat directly. See you all next week!