NFMe
Introduction
NFMe is a series of photos inspired by the gluttonous volume of images sold online as NFTs. Through this set, I reflect on the digital future of identity and how people create and monetize their online personas. Each image in the set is different from the others so no two are exactly alike. This mirrors the mass-generated nature of many NFT collections that claim “uniqueness.”
Process and Inspiration
For this project, I did a large amount of research into NFT creation, especially in understanding the systematic layering of images. Initially, 320 combinations were generated, but I refined the series to 80 to ensure that each image corresponded to a unique background color. The backgrounds are specifically a reference to the CryptoPunks NFT series. CryptoPunks is one of the most successful and famous examples of NFTs. The series uses color-coding to indicate an image’s status within the market where blue represents completed sales, green for wrapped NFTs made ready for trading, purple for NFTs with active bids, and red for listings. As of now, the lowest-priced CryptoPunk is valued at $74,603.94 USD, with total sales of the series exceeding $3.04 billion USD.
Critique of NFT Culture
Beyond the technical process, NFMe critiques the financialization of digital identity. The NFT market has been filled with market manipulation, artificial scarcity, and money laundering. The market favors early adopters and wealthy investors while leaving many with devalued assets. The extreme fluctuations in NFT prices expose the instability of this digital economy which often prioritizes profit over all else.
This sequence of images was generated using a computer script that randomly selected the order in which they were displayed. This randomization was especially important because I wanted it to feel similar to how OpenSea, the world’s largest NFT digital marketplace, displays their NFT collections.
Conclusion
This project deliberately avoids minting, rejecting the cycle of mass production, resale, and pollution that defines NFT culture. Instead, NFMe serves as a reflection on the commodification of self-image in the digital age and questions the ethics of profiting off of artificially generated uniqueness.