Most Influential Artist: Dave Krugman

The photographer captured his portrait of Erick Calderon at a Bright Moments NFT art event in Mexico City.

AccessTimeIconDec 5, 2022 at 1:43 p.m. UTC
Updated Sep 28, 2023 at 2:22 p.m. UTC
AccessTimeIconDec 5, 2022 at 1:43 p.m. UTC
Updated Sep 28, 2023 at 2:22 p.m. UTC
10 Years of Decentralizing the Future
May 29-31, 2024 - Austin, TexasThe biggest and most established global hub for everything crypto, blockchain and Web3.Register Now

Photographer Dave Krugman’s first minted non-fungible token (NFT) has a rich analog history. It’s a high-resolution film scan that the artist shot on his grandfather’s old Hasselblad 503CX, a variation of the camera used to shoot the Apollo moon landings.

“There is a long legacy of photography in my family – my father and grandfather both were photographers as hobbyists,” Krugman says. “Since I consider the art we mint to blockchain the legacy of our creative careers, it felt right to lead with [that] work.”

Krugman still describes his early photography NFTs as the “keystone” of his blockchain art ecosystem, which is filled with close-ups of raindrops on pavement, haunting cityscapes, and arresting car portraits. He just got to spend time with the subject of his “Most Influential” portrait, Art Blocks founder and CEO Erick Calderon, at NFT art events in both Texas and Mexico, seizing the opportunity to photograph someone he considers a great artistic influence.

"Erick Calderon, AKA Snow Fro" (Dave Krugman/CoinDesk)
"Erick Calderon, AKA Snow Fro" (Dave Krugman/CoinDesk)

“His leadership in generative art has had a profound impact on me,” Krugman says of Calderon. “I view photography as a study of the generative nature of the universe. The laws of physics are the source code, the photographers freeze instances of it unfolding.”

How and when did you first learn about NFTs?

I first learned about NFTs when my friend J. N. Silva brought them up to me in spring 2020. At first, it went over my head. But as people were forced into increasingly digital spaces due to Covid lockdowns, it dawned on me that much of our social signaling is happening in digital spaces. This technology could catch on as a way to enable digital objecthood. If so, markets would form, especially around art, since so much of our consumption of art is happening in online communities.

What were some of the artistic decisions you made when creating your “Most Influential” portrait of Erick Calderon?

When I make a portrait of someone, I'm capturing the person in a specific context and the relationship I've formed with them. To photograph Erick at Bright Moments in CDMX when his work was just minted and after spending the prior week with him in Marfa for his Art Blocks open house – everything just aligned perfectly to immortalize this moment in time.

I don't typically plan deeply when making portraits like these – I simply seek to capture someone's true energy in an environment where they feel at home. I think, together, we achieved that here.

What about Calderon's work in the crypto/blockchain industry most inspires you?

Erick Calderon, or Snow Fro, is my biggest inspiration on the artist side of this space. This was someone who saw the future way before others did, acted on his convictions, and changed the world. But more importantly, his humility, support of others, genuine excitement, and boundless enthusiasm is most inspiring to me. Through Erick, I've been introduced to an astounding community of artists, and it’s changed my perspective forever.

Where do you see yourself in the NFT art world moving forward?

NFTs are just a technology. It’s the tool that lets us have digital objects. What we do with those objects is literally limitless. The best use cases of the technology haven't even been dreamed of yet. We are at the beginning of a vast world being born in the digital substrate that our social spaces exist in.

My main goal with this tech is to find ways that artists can sustain their creative careers, gain leverage, and make less compromises with their time and craft. It's the artists that make the world a beautiful place to be, physically and digitally. This space is building a bridge between these two worlds in fascinating ways.

Disclosure

Please note that our privacy policy, terms of use, cookies, and do not sell my personal information has been updated.

CoinDesk is an award-winning media outlet that covers the cryptocurrency industry. Its journalists abide by a strict set of editorial policies. In November 2023, CoinDesk was acquired by the Bullish group, owner of Bullish, a regulated, digital assets exchange. The Bullish group is majority-owned by Block.one; both companies have interests in a variety of blockchain and digital asset businesses and significant holdings of digital assets, including bitcoin. CoinDesk operates as an independent subsidiary with an editorial committee to protect journalistic independence. CoinDesk employees, including journalists, may receive options in the Bullish group as part of their compensation.

Jessica  Klein

Jessica Klein is a freelance journalist whose work has appeared in The Atlantic, Fortune, The New York Times, and other publications. She is currently a contributing reporter at The Fuller Project, a nonprofit newsroom dedicated to reporting on issues that affect women.


Learn more about Consensus 2024, CoinDesk's longest-running and most influential event that brings together all sides of crypto, blockchain and Web3. Head to consensus.coindesk.com to register and buy your pass now.