Traditional Art and NFT Art

Traditional art and NFT art have many similarities.  Both traditional art and NFT art are created by artists.  Both traditional art and NFT art may come in digital formats.  Traditional art and NFT art generally have an aesthetic attractiveness that draws the viewer in.  But there are also many differences between NFT Art and traditional art.  Here we attempt to examine the many things traditional art and NFT art have in common.  We will while also examine some of the many differences between traditional art and NFT Art. 

Mona Lisa and More

Traditional art consists of all art that is not created with and maintained by blockchain technology.  It is the most simple and honest definition.  Traditional art consists of paintings from the classically trained Masters to the incredible sculptures found in museums and gardens throughout the world.  It is appealing to the eye, while also giving the art collector a bit of social status.  For example, if someone owns a Leonardo, this brings with it a certain amount of status that many art collectors seek. In many ways it becomes a very significant status symbol. 

Traditional art comes in many forms.  Traditional art consists of paintings, sculptures, even performances, such as theater and music.  All of these are forms of traditional art.  Some traditional art, such as the Mona Lisa below, is so valuable the actual value of the art is considered to be priceless.  In other words, there is no possible exact monetary value that could be placed upon it.  Mona Lisa may be seen in person at the Lourve in Paris.

traditional art mona lisa

Da Vinci’s Mona Lisa.

The Differences Between Traditional and NFT Art

So how does one differentiate from traditional art and the world of NFT art?  Let’s take a look at some of the qualities and characteristics of NFT art and traditional art and see what the differences and similarities  are.  

A non-fungible token, or an “NFT”, is code that is a digital representation of an underlying asset.  That underlying asset can be anything that you would normally find in the traditional art world, e.g., videos, paintings, digital art, music, etc.  

Indeed, while NFT Monkey art can be a photo or a painting, just like traditional art, the code that references the painting – the non-fungible token itself – is unique just to the NFT Monkey, Monkey NFT, and NFT art, as traditional art does not have any unique code associated with it.  Why does this unique code matter and why should any of us care?  This is a great question.  In fact, because the NFT itself is a piece of immutable code – code that can never be altered, changed, hacked, or manipulated – it adds tremendous value to the underlying digital asset it represents. 

Let’s examine why adding unhackable code to a digital asset provides tremendous value.  Hint:  it’s a problem the traditional art world has had since its inception:  AUTHENTICITY. 

Traditional Art has a Forgery Problem

The traditional art world has always had a significant issue with forgery and authenticity.  In fact, some estimates are that over 40% of all traditional art is not real.  The purported artist of the painting is, in fact, not the artist.  Here, in the traditional art world, the provenance of a painting is extremely important. Provenance means the origin of something from very beginning.  It is to know where something came from, where and when it was created, and who has owned it since it was created.  In the blockchain world, this “chain-of-custody” is at the heart of the technology.   

The NFT has solved FOREVER the provenance and authentic issue that has and will always interfere with the traditional art business.  

The pre-2020s version of confirming whether something was authentic or not was nothing more than a holographic sticker, a wax stamp, simply the assertion by an expert that the underlying artwork was genuine.  This is simply not good enough when the entire value of a particular piece of art is dependent upon who actually created the art in the first place.  

notary authentication

Notarized document.

 

Traditional art has a “authentication” problem that NFT Art, NFT Monkey Art, Monkey NFT art and all other non-fungible token art do not have. 

Utility beyond the beauty

NFT Monkey art provides utility beyond the art.  This is a huge difference between traditional art and NFT art. Utility is not a word that is ever used in the traditional art setting.  However, in the NFT Monkey, Monkey NFT and NFT world it is a word that is used as much as the word “art.”  Utility is defined by Oxford Dictionary as:  “the state of being useful, profitable, or beneficial.”  NFT Awkward Monkeys, NFT Monkeys, and Monkey NFTs provide utility.  

Traditional art does not provide any utility.  Of course, one receives joy from looking at traditional artwork.  But this is the only benefit one receives.  There are some significant benefits and utilities offered in the NFT Art space.  Let’s look into some of the utilities offered by NFT Monkey Art, Monkey NFT art.  

Almost No Utility in Traditional Art

Traditional art not only has a forgery problem, but traditional art already has a “what have you done for me lately problem.”  In other words, traditional art, while providing an initial buzz when first purchased, traditional art has no functionality besides looking good.  Of course, there is nothing wrong with owning traditional art.  Art brings countless joys to millions of people.  However, there is no utility in traditional art.  Conversely, there are numerous beneficial reasons one should own an NFT.  

NFT Art Grants Access

NFT Monkey Art provides access to events.  In fact, NFTs can operate as a ticket, granting the NFT holder access to real-world physical events.  This may include access to backstage, access to a restaurant, to a club, or to VIP access within a certain location.  

Owning NFTs may also grant the NFT owner access to future NFTs from the same project.  Unlike an owner of traditional art, an owner of an Awkward Monkey NFT, or another Monkey NFT may be eligible to obtain future airdrops of NFT Monkeys. 

“Airdrops” in the cryptocurrency environment simply means that a consumer is given or “dropped” an NFT or cryptocurrency directly to their cryptocurrency wallet – without doing anything at all.  It is used to reward the community and to provide goodwill to the individuals that support that particular NFT Project.  

NFT Giveaways

NFT Monkey Art provides giveaways.  Similar to the “airdrops” there are often several giveaways that go along with owning an NFT Monkey. These giveaways can be in the form of Monkey NFTs, NFT Monkeys, or even cryptocurrency.  

NFT Community

NFT Monkey Art provides a deep and well-connected community.  Unlike traditional art, within the NFT Monkey community there is a vibrant and deep space. This community is spread out on Twitter, Discord, Tik Tok, and other social media platforms.  The NFT Monkey community may share news on other Monkey NFT Projects.  The community also provides information to each other on other NFTs. 

Also, NFT Monkey Art, like traditional art, just looks really cool.  

Genesis NFT Awkward Monkey

Genesis Awkward Monkey NFT.

Thank you for checking out our blog post!  Come back and check us out for more updates on the NFT Art Community!  We will also have a bunch more NFT resources, and updates on our Awk Monk Project!  And don’t forget to check out the Ultimate NFT Monkey Guide, which can be found here:  The Ultimate NFT Monkey Guide.