If there’s ever been an artist suited for the digital renaissance of putting art on the blockchain, it would be Matt Kane. Kane is a traditional artist who transitioned into digital art by writing his own software and pushing boundaries impossible in the physical art world. He is most known for his collection “Gazers,” which launched in December 2021 and is considered by many to be an original among generative artists. Recently, he released his collection “Anons,” which aims to understand identity through art and immortalize true anons from history.
Kane’s journey to becoming a digital artist started with his exploration of different artistic mediums. He spent a significant portion of his career as a software developer, but he was always experimental with various artistic mediums, including physical canvas. However, the limitations of the physical art world made him question whether digital art could remove many of the barriers to better his vision for creating art.
“In my 20s and 30s, I was really trying to find the right medium for my voice. I experimented with canvas and fabric because I was interested in patterns. But I realized it’s not the medium that matters—it’s my vision. It’s how I get my vision and my mind out into the world,” says Kane. “Within that realization, I knew I had to learn to code because there are so many physical limitations to traditional art. Code allows us to manifest our visions without the restrictions of our physical bodies and time. It has become the perfect medium for me.”
Kane first heard about NFTs a week before CryptoPunks launched in June 2017 through a Quora article. The concept of digital art provenance via NFTs intrigued him, and he saw it as an opportunity to sell his digital work and transmit ownership of the artwork through the blockchain. However, it wasn’t until May 2019 that Kane minted his first NFT, titled “M87 Black Hole Deconstruction,” on SuperRare.
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“I watched the space develop just before Punks and looked on. I was Googling blockchain galleries, and there were none. That was the paradigm I was in at the time. I thought I needed to find a gallery to represent me on the blockchain. Now I’m very much about self-representation and cutting out the middleman, but back then, I was still in that paradigm,” Kane explains. “In 2018, I watched platforms like Dada, SuperRare, and KnownOrigin emerge. I continued to watch for another six to twelve months and then decided to take the leap.”
However, Kane’s journey to digital artist stardom was not without its challenges. In 2013, he experienced a personal tragedy when a close friend took her own life. Devastated by the loss, Kane found himself contending with his own suicidal thoughts. It was during this dark period that Kane began using coding as a distraction and a way to express himself safely.
“It was math, and it was distracting my brain. I couldn’t think about emotions or how depressed I was. It was like I needed to figure out how to use sine and cosine to make this brush. It was really about building a tool of expression for the future when it would be safe to express myself again,” recalls Kane.
While Kane acknowledges the bittersweet nature of his success as a digital artist, he recognizes that his personal journey brought him to where he is today. He believes that his art marks time and hopes that his creations resonate with viewers on a deep level.
One of his most notable collections, “Gazers,” draws inspiration from the caveman days and the lunar calendar. It consists of 1,000 unique pieces that algorithmically sync with moon phases, creating a connection between the blockchain and humanity’s timeless lineage in art.
“People on Twitter were talking about how we’re in the caveman days of NFTs. What struck me about that was the connection to our caveman ancestors recording phase calendars on antler bones. They used these calendars to understand the best times for hunting mammoths and other activities,” explains Kane.
The Gazers collection serves as a celebration of change, perception, collective goals in the crypto community, and a love for color theory, astronomy, and generative art. Each Gazer has its own set of rules that determine the colors of the moon and sky, creating a dynamic and ever-changing visual experience.
Despite being in the midst of an NFT bear market, Gazers has seen success in secondary sales. It has already generated over 8,800 ETH on platforms like OpenSea and continues to maintain a floor price of 12.6 ETH.
Matt Kane’s journey as a digital artist has been shaped by his personal experiences and artistic exploration. Through his use of code and his unique artistic style, he has carved a path for himself in the digital art world. As the NFT space continues to evolve, Kane’s ability to push boundaries and create innovative artwork will undoubtedly have a lasting impact.
