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A self-proclaimed jack of all trades and grasp of none, OSF has change into a prolific determine within the non-fungible token world in simply over two years, buying and selling his former life at Barclay’s to focus full-time on web3, his digital artwork pursuits, his PFP undertaking Rekt Man and residing the lifetime of a degen collector.
The self-deprecating 34-year-old Englishman has a Swiss military knife of abilities suited to a contemporary world of making digital objects — being a self-taught coder, understanding web tradition, with a capability to seize consideration and never take himself too severely.
Whereas he wears many hats, OSF, the artist, has been featured at Sotheby’s and has bought a number of items for six figures. He describes himself most as an artist and undertaking founder.
“I discover it actually robust to categorise myself as one factor or one other, but it surely’s actually a query I get requested fairly a bit. I do have durations the place I’m extra centered on sure issues like buying and selling however general, an artist and undertaking founder is the way in which I’d describe myself,” OSF tells NFT Creator.
“I hate the thought of constraining myself to 1 factor. I believe it’s simply most likely an issue I’ve in life. My consideration will get simply captured by something actually and as you most likely can guess, I’ve ADD and all that type of stuff. I do really feel that I simply take pleasure in a number of totally different elements of the [web3] area, and I type of need to be part of all of it.”
Whereas initially a crypto skeptic, OSF reduce his enamel in early 2021 when he purchased some Bitcoin, but it surely was his good pal Mando who offered the nudge required for OSF to really catch the NFT curiosity bug.
It wasn’t lengthy till he discovered himself making use of his previous decade of expertise as a dealer in conventional finance to this new rising asset class of NFTs. Initially minting 150 Bored Apes (0.08 ETH every) in late April 2021, OSF bought most of them a couple of week later for 5 occasions the mint worth however remained a big Ape holder, teaming up with Mando in September 2021 to mix their collections.
The duo made headlines in February 2023, promoting round 70 Apes at a wholesome clip of 78 ETH every into Blur bids as liquidity rushed again into NFTs after Blur Season 1’s airdrop occurred. Apes’ present flooring worth sits at 26.7 ETH, with NFT costs being down for many collections since that iconic commerce.
“It’s not like we have been bearish on Apes. We weren’t even actually bearish on NFTs at this time limit. I do know it now seems like a terrific commerce, however I’d be mendacity if I mentioned at that time limit, I believe NFTs are going to go to the place they’re now. I didn’t actually see that; I solely suppose that turned clear in a while,” OSF says.
“In our previous jobs, if somebody may let you know you’ve made all this cash, however you continue to have all this danger, and you may clear up that danger in two trades and simply take the cash, you’d do it. You wouldn’t suppose twice.”
Crypto tradition, nostalgia and XCOPY
In an analogous vein to the likes of Josie Bellini and Trevor Jones, OSF has leaned into crypto tradition with a ardour for nostalgia that shines by his work.
That is exemplified by his artwork and Rekt Guy, his PFP assortment launched in Could 2022, shortly after the demise of Terra. Rekt Man, a group of roughly 8,800, was a free mint that noticed its flooring run up as most different PFPs went the alternative method. The ground nonetheless sits at 0.47 ETH.
“I actually like nostalgia and capturing moments over time. I’m the form of one who seems by my images from 10 years in the past simply to see what I used to be doing then. I’ve organized my music into quarterly playlists. I’ve 2008 Q1, 2008 Q2 and so forth. I’ve accomplished that since 2008 Q1, so it’s been 15+ years now,” says OSF.
“Once I hearken to a playlist from, say, seven years in the past, I can keep in mind what I used to be doing presently. I actually like that concept of nostalgia and capturing moments and looking out again on it. I believe artwork is a unbelievable method to try this.”
As a fellow Brit, OSF mentioned XCOPY’s fashion of artwork and his capability to seize tradition have performed a major function in his personal creation course of.
“I’d say XCOPY is certainly an inspiration — clearly, the fashion of the artwork but in addition the ideologies I really like. I really like his items by 2020. They’re very British items that you just wouldn’t actually get until you have been residing within the U.Ok. throughout COVID-19; possibly the Aussies would, too,” he mentioned.
“I believe that that’s what I really like. That’s what artwork is. It’s like if you see one thing and simply actually join with it and get it. I believe items that may seize tradition in moments in time find yourself being those which might be iconic.”
“With my artwork, I believe I simply acknowledged that, and I noticed that’s how XCOPY did it. I suppose I wished to do the identical factor, and half of it was as a result of I assumed it may very well be profitable. However half of it was actually only for myself.”
Pink Lite District dedication until I die
OSF likes to experiment, and for holders of his assortment, the “Red Lite District,” it comes with a “until the day I die” dedication, with OSF promising a brand new piece of artwork each single month till his time on earth concludes.
The story behind RLD, an version of 210 NFTs changing into an airdrop ticket to free artwork, entails his brother-in-law, who actually preferred what would change into the primary airdropped piece: “Fuck Cash Grabs.”
OSF wasn’t as bullish on the piece initially however was impressed to create it off the again of many “NFT money grabs,” similar to Pixelmon. His brother-in-law’s reward ultimately satisfied him to launch the piece, however as a substitute of promoting it, he determined to airdrop it to everybody who held an RLD.
“After a few days of the primary piece [Fuck Cash Grabs] being airdropped, I used to be like, wow, the worth of this piece is nearly the identical as the worth of the Pink Lite District. I assumed it might actually simply be a type of issues that was value zero. Folks actually valued it, and I assumed that was actually highly effective,” says OSF.
“That’s the place I assumed I’d simply do it as a month-to-month factor for anybody that holds an RLD version. After I airdropped the second piece, “Skilled Degen 3,” which is de facto good and was speculated to be a 1 of 1, I believe that’s the purpose the place folks realized. They have been like, ‘Oh shit, this RLD ought to be value quite a bit’ since you’re going to get this stream of cool artwork.”
Learn additionally
Following the dedication of artwork without end to RLD holders in April 2022, OSF continues to get requested if he can actually maintain that promise.
“I’ve zero doubt in my thoughts if I can maintain it going or not. I don’t really feel like creating a brand new piece each month is a pressure on me; I actually take pleasure in it. I’ve a whole lot of concepts written down, and it’s most likely my favourite a part of the month. And it’s additionally my favourite option to launch artwork as a result of [when] contrasted with a 1 of 1 or an version, there’s an expectation. For instance, what worth will it promote for? Will the version promote out? Have you ever taken care of your collectors and all that type of stuff,” OSF tells NFT Creator.
“I can’t assure that after I’m 105, the standard of my artwork goes to be pretty much as good as it’s now; who is aware of? Going again to the nostalgia factor, I really like that in 10 years’ time, I’m going to look by seasons one and two of airdrops. Proper now, in season two, it’s so early, however I’m going to have the ability to look again on all these items, and it’ll be like a month-to-month doc of both my life or the crypto area or no matter it’s that I’ve drawn for the remainder of time.”
From an early morning gymnasium session to Sotheby’s
OSF has a whole lot of artwork concepts in notes however loves the spontaneous nature that artwork can deliver out of him, just like the piece he did titled “Carnaby Street,” which ended up promoting at Sotheby’s for $75,600 in December 2022.
“The origins of “Carnaby Avenue” is a good instance of how issues typically occur within the second for me. I rocked as much as a Barry’s boot camp class and turned up too early. It was about 5 am, and I used to be simply sitting exterior Soho in London, which is normally extraordinarily busy. It was lifeless. There was nobody there. Dawn was approaching, and there have been all these purple lights, and I keep in mind pondering, I’ve to attract this now,” says OSF.
“I had about an hour to kill, so I pulled out my iPad and sat down on this bench in my operating gear, drawing this factor whereas folks have been coming by gathering the bins and stuff. That “Carnaby Avenue” piece solely would have labored in that setting as a result of I used to be truly simply drawing it within the second.”
“The fact is, although, events like which might be few and much between. They are often magical items when it occurs, however typically there are blocks within the inventive course of.”
Notable gross sales so far
Speedy fireplace Q&A
Influences:
“I actually like Alpha Centauri Kid. I believe the rationale why I actually like him is as a result of I believe he’s somebody who simply places out artwork primarily based on his personal private emotions or feelings or no matter he’s going by with out actually caring about what anybody else will suppose.”
I see a bit of his, and it simply goes deep. He does issues on his personal phrases and his personal guidelines. He’s similar to, ‘I’m simply creating stuff that I need to create, and right here it’s on my phrases, and if you wish to purchase it, you should purchase it. If not, then not.’”
“I additionally like the way in which he gamifies issues and makes folks really feel a bit uneasy generally. I believe it’s good. He’s undoubtedly an enormous inspiration. I really like his stuff, however simply the way in which that he goes about conducting his artwork, I believe it’s wonderful.”
Which sizzling NFT artist ought to we be being attentive to?
“I believe die with the most likes is wonderful. I don’t know if he’s nonetheless upcoming or not as a result of he’s been on the timeline quite a bit. However that man is unimaginable. He’s a efficiency artist, and other people haven’t seen his efficiency artwork but as a result of a number of the stuff is in actual life. It’s simply unimaginable.”
“He’s a author as properly. He writes amazingly, and he simply captures this theme of a memetic that nobody else does. His stuff is totally different from every other artist. You can say, listed here are the animated artists, listed here are all of the glitch artists, listed here are the neo-precision artists or no matter, however there’s nobody like die with essentially the most likes.”
“His stuff is simply so in your face and crass; I believe it’s good, and truthfully, I actually suppose he’s going to massive massive locations. He’s fairly a well known artist now, however in a 12 months’s time, I believe he may very well be up there with the largest folks within the area.”
Favourite NFTs in your pockets that aren’t your personal
“I am my own suffering” by ACK, and “Retention pond baptism” by die with essentially the most likes.
What do you hearken to when creating artwork:
“I’ve a extremely bizarre and huge style in music. It could be Taylor Swift in the future. It could be like Creed the opposite day. It’s simply actually random primarily based on what I really feel like listening to. It may very well be as random as piano covers of in style songs or reggae covers of in style songs. It’s simply essentially the most random stuff. It’s most likely a testomony to how scatty I’m normally.”
Hyperlinks:
X: https://twitter.com/osf_rekt
Web site: https://www.osf.art/
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Greg Oakford
Greg Oakford is the co-founder of NFT Fest Australia. A former advertising and communications specialist within the sports activities world, Greg now focuses his time on operating occasions, creating content material and consulting in web3. He’s an avid NFT collector and hosts a weekly podcast masking all issues NFTs.
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