Photograph by Mia Rankin
James Ettelson is not your stereotypical minter of non-fungible tokens. The painter is best known for creating tangible work that you can purchase with regular dollars and hang in your home. But his vast canvasses, which burst with colour and aliveness, are often etched with social commentary. And, when it comes to elements of modern life that are ripe for commenting on, the evolution of digital assets as art is pretty up there. It’s why Ettelson’s first drop of NFTs, titled Wallet Talk, also contain winks to NFT culture—after being minted on the blockchain, each painting was set on fire, which takes the whole ‘one-off’ concept to new heights.