PIECES OF ME

In March of 2021 the NFT world was full of hype, uncertainty, excitement and wonder. It seemed to be the dawning of a new era for artists, but one which was being drowned by mania-inducing bro spaces that felt more like a Tony Robbins seminar than a conversation about art. It was these spaces that inspired me to create a work that was absolutely vulnerable, from the deepest part of my heart and mind. I wanted to cut through the noise and create a work that spoke to the source of the NFT conversation.

THE PROJECT:

I have taken one self-portrait photograph and divided it into multiple components (280 pieces) to sell individually as NFTs. By purchasing an NFT, the collector is getting one piece of a larger image. They are also buying one piece of the artist. As collectors start to purchase and own different parts of the artist, the idea of ownership of an artwork unravels. Collectors have long sought to own artwork by artists to own a little piece of them. By owning the artwork they feel closer to the artist and develop a close bond. Artists are always giving away pieces of themselves.

I will release one NFT at a time on Opensea as each piece of me is purchased. It is more than likely that no one buyer will own all of the NFTs. To prevent one person from owning all of me, the NFTs will be released one at a time. There are a total of 280 NFTs.

I am interested in the breaking down of an image into smaller pieces, as if broken down into pixels and I have explored this concept in past projects. Breaking one artwork into many smaller parts to sell individually explores  the trend towards co-buying artworks and the implications of co-ownership in future decision-making. Collectors will co-own Pieces Of Me with other collectors. 

Questions arise: How will it be displayed? Will collectors work together in re-joining the artwork? How can an artist sell herself as an NFT? There are implications of the artist selling her soul for money, or for art’s sake. Has the artist broken herself into pieces for the art, or has the art broken her to pieces and she’s just selling what is already broken?

Another element of ownership in that I am a middle aged, large woman with a history of dieting and eating disorders. As the photo is a full frontal nude photo, I am taking ownership of my body. I own my age. I own my fatness. I own every graying hair. I own my stories. I own my life. And yet, a collector can own a piece of me.

Many of the NFTs appear to be blank. This is because the photograph was taken on a white background in the artist’s studio, and a large part of the floor also shows. These ‘blank’ NFTs will unlock a short story from my past. See examples below.

All NFTs subject to this copyright contract.