An artists signature whether that is their own unique
style or how they write their name has long helped
(at least in theory) to give assurance to collectors
of the authenticity of the artworks they are buying.
But, these signatures hold with them some trepidation
as they can and have been forged throughout history.
There have even been some famous or perhaps better
said imfamous forgeries as well as forgers.
https://www.thecollector.com/famous-forgers-in-art/
of well known artists both in styles and signatures
over the centuries. So much so that there are
specialists whom are paid vast amounts of money to
certify a work as authentic.
https://artrepreneur.com/journal/authenticating-art/
However, these specialists have gotten it wrong on
occasion(some think many times). The forgeries are a
real issue, one that the traditional art market does
not seem to want to really admit to the extent of the
issue or their inability to fix the issue.
https://variety.com/2021/film/reviews/made-you-look-review-barry-avrich-1234913471/
Now for a system which is estimated to have a total
market to be worth around 67 billion dollars,
and have these persistant concerns for those buying
would seem to be of huge concern. But, there is
little collectors can do apart from trying to
become as savy and knowledgeable personally to
stop this train...or could there be another way?
Enter the blockchain. Cryptoart is a growing
market and is doing
some incredible things for artists. Trustless-onchain
royalty payments being a huge advancement, which has
been long ignored by the art galleries and the
industry as a whole. But the technology is not just
helping the artist through royalties and creating a
global market which can now explore artists, it is
also empowering the collector.
Conlan (https://twitter.com/conlan), one of the
founders of Async wrote a really important article
on hashing and how it solves secondary resale trust.
Find it here: https://beta.cent.co/conlan/+lx3wsh
Conlan’s article points to an important innovation
that Cryptoart has brought to the art market.
Wallet signatures. With blockchain technologies
data hounds are finding it easier and easier to
create compiled information as tracking info is
now readily available for anyone who wants to investigate.
A site which is tapping into this newfound treasure
trove of data to help artists and collectors
both is RightClick
This is the power behind the chain and has been
used by such websites as Filtered.art which is allowing
artists to compile all their minted works into one site
which also gives customized filters for the artists to
sort their works, not just by platforms but styles and
types of art. Cryptoart.io is a site which compiles top
sales in the cryptoart space along with a valuation of
each artists work based on current sales records.
All from the data openly available on the ethereum chain.
This data is readily available because artists are
signing their work. Not in the classic sense but in
the digital sense. When an artist uses their wallet
to sign a work as they put it on the ethereum chain
they are creating a traceable record which when used
properly creates an unforgeable record.
https://www.codementor.io/@yosriady/signing-and-verifying-ethereum-signatures-vhe8ro3h6
As more and more collectors and new artists come
into the Cryptoart space the technology should be
highlighted and shared so that both the artist and
the collector understand the power of this new
trustless system of authentication.
Considering the forgery issue which the traditional
art market has long been unable to solve the importance
of this new technology cannot be overstated.
When you take something as important as authentication
and you decentralize and automate it you take the power
of third parties and give it back to the artist
and the collector.
Now, when the technology is used an artist and
collectors can point to the signature and as Conlan
pointed out the hash as proof of authenticity of
which cannot be forged. Data and authentication
secured by technology giving all parties involved
the peace of mind that the data doesn’t lie and thus the
artwork is indeed authentic.
So for you new artists coming into the space, decide
on the wallet you want to use and educate yourselves on
what method the platform you want to tokenize on uses.
Not all platforms support artists signing their minted
work with THEIR wallet. Some have a hybrid and some
don't even let you decide on if you want to sign with
your wallet or the platforms.
Understanding the basics of what you are doing and the
power of a trustless and decentralized authenitcated
work sets the stage for a new paradigm in artist and
collector relations, but both need to know what is
happening so they can properly value and engage with
this new technology.
If you are a new collector educate yourself of
wallet signature and hash, understand what the different
platforms offer and how to pass on ownership to the next
collector after you.
Always remember. . .
to sign your work
