Digital artist OSF gives fans a pledge of ‘art until I die’: NFT Creator

11 months ago

A self-proclaimed jack of each trades and maestro of none, OSF has go a prolific fig successful the nonfungible token satellite successful conscionable implicit 2 years, trading his erstwhile beingness astatine Barclay’s to absorption full-time connected Web3, his integer creation pursuits, his PFP task Rekt Guy and surviving the beingness of a degen collector. 

The self-deprecating 34-year-old Englishman has a Swiss service weapon of skills suited for a modern satellite of creating integer objects — being a self-taught coder, knowing net culture, with an quality to seizure attraction and not instrumentality himself excessively seriously. 

While helium wears galore hats, OSF, the artist, has been featured astatine Sotheby’s and has sold aggregate pieces for six figures. He describes himself astir arsenic an creator and task founder.

“I find it truly pugnacious to classify myself arsenic 1 happening oregon another, but it’s surely a question I get asked rather a bit. I bash person periods wherever I’m much focused connected definite things similar trading but overall, an creator and task laminitis is the mode I would picture myself,” OSF tells NFT Creator. 

“I hatred the thought of constraining myself to 1 thing. I deliberation it’s conscionable astir apt a occupation I person successful life. My attraction gets easy captured by thing truly and arsenic you astir apt tin guess, I person ADD and each that benignant of stuff. I bash consciousness that I conscionable bask tons of antithetic aspects of the [Web3] space, and I benignant of privation to beryllium a portion of it all.”

“Dinner” by OSF. (SuperRare) 

While initially a crypto skeptic, OSF chopped his teeth successful aboriginal 2021 erstwhile helium bought immoderate Bitcoin, but it was his bully person Mando who provided the nudge required for OSF to genuinely drawback the NFT curiosity bug. 

It wasn’t agelong until helium recovered himself applying his past decennary of acquisition arsenic a trader successful accepted concern to this caller emerging plus people of NFTs. Originally minting 150 Bored Apes (0.08 ETH each) successful precocious April 2021, OSF sold astir of them astir a week aboriginal for 5 times the mint terms but remained a ample Ape holder, teaming up with Mando successful September 2021 to harvester their collections.

The duo made headlines successful February 2023, selling astir 70 Apes astatine a steadfast clip of 78 ETH each into Blur bids arsenic liquidity rushed backmost into NFTs aft Blur Season 1’s airdrop occurred. Apes’ existent level terms sits astatine 25.84 ETH, with NFT prices being down for astir collections since that iconic trade. 

“It’s not similar we were bearish connected Apes. We weren’t adjacent truly bearish connected NFTs astatine this constituent successful time. I cognize it present looks similar a large trade, but I’d beryllium lying if I said astatine that constituent successful time, I deliberation NFTs are going to spell to wherever they are now. I didn’t truly spot that; I lone deliberation that became wide aboriginal on,” OSF says. 

“In our aged jobs, if idiosyncratic could archer you you’ve made each this money, but you inactive person each this risk, and you tin cleanable up that hazard successful 2 trades and conscionable instrumentality the money, you’d bash it. You wouldn’t deliberation twice.” 

Crypto culture, nostalgia and XCOPY

In a akin vein to the likes of Josie Bellini and Trevor Jones, OSF has leaned into crypto civilization with a passionateness for nostalgia that shines done his work. 

This is exemplified by his creation and Rekt Guy, his PFP postulation launched successful May 2022, soon aft the demise of Terra. Rekt Guy, a postulation of astir 8,800, was a escaped mint that saw its level tally up arsenic astir different PFPs went the other way. The level inactive sits astatine 0.47 ETH. 

“I truly similar nostalgia and capturing moments implicit time. I’m the benignant of idiosyncratic who looks done my photos from 10 years agone conscionable to spot what I was doing then. I’ve organized my euphony into quarterly playlists. I person 2008 Q1, 2008 Q2 and truthful on. I’ve done that since 2008 Q1, truthful it’s been 15+ years now,” says OSF. 

“When I perceive to a playlist from, say, 7 years ago, I tin retrieve what I was doing astatine this time. I truly similar that thought of nostalgia and capturing moments and looking backmost connected it. I deliberation creation is simply a fantastic mode to bash that.”

“Rekt Guy 4214” by OSF. (OpenSea)

As a chap Brit, OSF said XCOPY’s benignant of creation and his quality to seizure civilization person played a important relation successful his ain instauration process.

“I would accidental XCOPY is decidedly an inspiration — obviously, the benignant of the creation but besides the ideologies I love. I emotion looking astatine his pieces done 2020. They’re precise British pieces that you wouldn’t truly get unless you were surviving successful the U.K. during COVID-19; possibly the Aussies would, too,” helium said.

“I deliberation that that’s what I love. That’s what creation is. It’s similar erstwhile you spot thing and conscionable truly link with it and get it. I deliberation pieces that tin seizure civilization successful moments successful clip extremity up being the ones that are iconic.”

“With my art, I deliberation I conscionable recognized that, and I saw that’s however XCOPY did it. I conjecture I wanted to bash the aforesaid thing, and fractional of it was due to the fact that I thought it could beryllium successful. But fractional of it was truly conscionable for myself.”

Red Lite District committedness till I die

OSF loves to experiment, and for holders of his collection, the “Red Lite District,” it comes with a “till the time I die” commitment, with OSF promising a caller portion of creation each azygous period until his clip connected world concludes. 

The communicative down RLD, an variation of 210 NFTs becoming an airdrop summons to escaped art, involves his brother-in-law, who truly liked what would go the archetypal airdropped piece: “Fuck Cash Grabs.” 

“Fuck Cash Grabs” by OSF. (OpenSea)

OSF wasn’t arsenic bullish connected the portion initially but was inspired to make it disconnected the backmost of galore “NFT currency grabs,” specified arsenic Pixelmon. His brother-in-law’s praise yet convinced him to merchandise the piece, but alternatively of selling it, helium decided to airdrop it to everyone who held an RLD.

“Red Lite District” by OSF. Source: OpenSea

“After a mates of days of the archetypal portion [Fuck Cash Grabs] being airdropped, I was like, wow, the terms of this portion is astir the aforesaid arsenic the terms of the Red Lite District. I thought it would virtually conscionable beryllium 1 of those things that was worthy zero. People truly valued it, and I thought that was truly powerful,” says OSF. 

“That’s wherever I thought I would conscionable bash it arsenic a monthly happening for anyone that holds an RLD edition. After I airdropped the 2nd piece, “Professional Degen 3,” which is truly bully and was expected to beryllium a 1 of 1, I deliberation that’s the constituent wherever radical realized. They were like, ‘Oh shit, this RLD should beryllium worthy rather a lot’ due to the fact that you’re going to get this watercourse of chill art.”   

Following the committedness of creation everlastingly to RLD holders successful April 2022, OSF continues to get asked if helium tin truly support that promise. 

“I person zero uncertainty successful my caput if I tin support it going oregon not. I don’t consciousness similar creating a caller portion each period is simply a strain connected me; I truly bask it. I person hundreds of ideas written down, and it’s astir apt my favourite portion of the month. And it’s besides my favourite mode to merchandise creation due to the fact that [when] contrasted with a 1 of 1 oregon an edition, there’s an expectation. For example, what terms volition it merchantability for? Will the variation merchantability out? Have you looked aft your collectors and each that benignant of stuff,” OSF tells NFT Creator. 

“I can’t warrant that erstwhile I’m 105, the prime of my creation is going to beryllium arsenic bully arsenic it is now; who knows? Going backmost to the nostalgia thing, I emotion that successful 10 years’ time, I’m going to look done seasons 1 and 2 of airdrops. Right now, successful play two, it is truthful early, but I’m going to beryllium capable to look backmost connected each these things, and it’ll beryllium similar a monthly papers of either my beingness oregon the crypto abstraction oregon immoderate it is that I’ve drawn for the remainder of time.”

From an aboriginal greeting gym league to Sotheby’s

OSF has hundreds of creation ideas successful notes but loves the spontaneous quality that creation tin bring retired of him, similar the portion helium did titled “Carnaby Street,” which ended up selling astatine Sotheby’s for $75,600 successful December 2022.

“The origins of “Carnaby Street” is simply a large illustration of however things often hap successful the infinitesimal for me. I rocked up to a Barry’s footwear campy people and turned up excessively early. It was astir 5 am, and I was conscionable sitting extracurricular Soho successful London, which is usually highly busy. It was dead. There was nary 1 there. Sunrise was approaching, and determination were each these purple lights, and I retrieve thinking, I person to gully this now,” says OSF.

“Carnaby Street” by OSF. (Sotheby’s)

“I had astir an hr to kill, truthful I pulled retired my iPad and sat down connected this seat successful my moving gear, drafting this happening portion radical were coming done collecting the bins and stuff. That “Carnaby Street” portion lone would person worked successful that mounting due to the fact that I was really conscionable drafting it successful the moment.”

“The world is, though, occasions similar that are fewer and acold between. They tin beryllium magical pieces erstwhile it happens, but often determination are blocks successful the creator process.”

Notable income to date

Lova Park” sold for 82.888 ETH ($267,800 equivalent connected the day of sale) connected April 10, 2022. (SuperRare)
Professional degen 4” sold for 62 ETH ($113,000 equivalent connected the day of sale) connected May 27, 2023. (SuperRare)
Morning commute” sold for 35 ETH ($133,900 equivalent connected the day of sale) connected April 10, 2022. (SuperRare)

Rapid occurrence Q&A

Influences: 

“I truly similar Alpha Centauri Kid. I deliberation the crushed wherefore I truly similar him is due to the fact that I deliberation helium is idiosyncratic who conscionable puts retired creation based connected his ain idiosyncratic feelings oregon emotions oregon immoderate he’s going done without truly caring astir what anyone other volition think.” 

I spot a portion of his, and it conscionable goes deep. He does things connected his ain presumption and his ain rules. He’s conscionable like, ‘I’m conscionable creating worldly that I privation to create, and present it is connected my terms, and if you privation to bargain it, you tin bargain it. If not, past not.’”

“I besides similar the mode helium gamifies things and makes radical consciousness a spot uneasy sometimes. I deliberation it’s brilliant. He’s decidedly a monolithic inspiration. I emotion his stuff, but conscionable the mode that helium goes astir conducting his art, I deliberation it’s amazing.” 

Which blistery NFT creator should we beryllium paying attraction to? 

“I deliberation die with the astir likes is amazing. I don’t cognize if he’s inactive upcoming oregon not due to the fact that he’s been connected the timeline rather a lot. But that feline is incredible. He is simply a show artist, and radical haven’t seen his show creation yet due to the fact that immoderate of the worldly is successful existent life. It’s conscionable incredible.” 

“He’s a writer arsenic well. He writes amazingly, and helium conscionable captures this taxable of a memetic that nary 1 other does. His worldly is antithetic from immoderate different artist. You could say, present are the animated artists, present are each the glitch artists, present are the neo-precision artists oregon whatever, but there’s nary 1 similar dice with the astir likes.” 

“His worldly is conscionable truthful successful your look and crass; I deliberation it’s brilliant, and honestly, I truly deliberation helium is going to large big places. He’s rather a well-known creator now, but successful a year’s time, I deliberation helium could beryllium up determination with the biggest radical successful the space.”

Favorite NFTs successful your wallet that are not your own

I americium my ain suffering” by ACK, and “Retention pond baptism” by dice with the astir likes.

“I americium my ain suffering” by ACK. (OpenSea)

What bash you perceive to erstwhile creating art: 

“I person a truly weird and wide sensation successful music. It mightiness beryllium Taylor Swift 1 day. It mightiness beryllium similar Creed the different day. It’s conscionable truly random based connected what I consciousness similar listening to. It could beryllium arsenic random arsenic soft covers of fashionable songs oregon reggae covers of fashionable songs. It’s conscionable the astir random stuff. It’s astir apt a testament to however scatty I americium successful general.”

Links: 

X: https://twitter.com/osf_rekt
Website: https://www.osf.art/

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Greg Oakford

Greg Oakford

Greg Oakford is the co-founder of NFT Fest Australia. A erstwhile selling and communications specializer successful the sports world, Greg present focuses his clip connected moving events, creating contented and consulting successful web3. He is an avid NFT collector and hosts a play podcast covering each things NFTs.

Follow the writer @GregOakford

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