…the journey began with a series of rabbit holes

Today we stand, or sit slumped on the covid couch with phone gripped between hands, at the precipice of a seismic global, social and economic u-turn… over the next 20 years, those of us holding bitcoin are going to be riding on a tsunami of technological change.

Those of us who are creating/developing things are allowed to have fun with it. We’ve got front row seats to the best interactive movie ever.

I feel like I’ve been a bitcoiner all my life. I have never had blind faith in our governments, nor the way that our society is run… and it is this sense of social justice that is the real motivation.

Ideas can not be killed – the idea that we can live in a peaceful decentralised world that is run on free open source software (developed and improved by the wisdom of the crowd) makes absolute sense to me. Politicians and two-party politics are replaced with Liquid Democracy. This is a no-brainer, and we have the capability to do this today

Rabbit Hole 1 – The Internet

The first rabbit hole I fell down was in the mid 90’s, early internet and easy exposure to alternative media. I guess this is where it all fell apart for governments, when people were able to communicate globally at will.

To pick a single major trigger is easy… Zeitgeist the movie… if you haven’t watched this documentary, do it! It’s the most inspiring piece of film I have ever seen. It spells out in no uncertain terms just how corrupt our societies have become, and where that corruption began. It sparked my drive to learn about money, and how it affects global economics and our daily lives.

I think the Zeitgeist Movie also spurred the Occupy Movement, I very much felt revolution was in the air.

Rabbit Hole 2 – Money, Gold, Silver

I then fell down the gold, money and economics rabbit hole.

This is where I followed, watched and read everything I could in the alternative media. The Dollar Vigilante, Mike Maloney – Hidden Secrets of Money, SilverDoctors, and Max and Stacey Keiser to name but a few.

Rabbit hole 3 – Bitcoin

In amongst all this, I fell down my third rabbit hole, Bitcoin.

I found video tutorials by Charles Hodgkinson and our darling Andreas (you’ve got to love that guy), and a documentary called the Rise and Rise of Bitcoin, which starred the likes of Erik Voorhees and Trace Meyer (yes I know he’s had a recent fall from grace). These guys and so many more I found totally inspiring and educational.

This coincided with a massive life change for me, where I was sick and tired of my 25 year long career in digital marketing and mobile app development. I won’t dress it up, I had a mid life crisis.

Fuelled by social justice, societal change, and now a bitcoin obsession, I was naturally drawn to the art… I wanted to buy t-shirts that said “fuck you, psychopaths!” but instead I found Lucho Poletti , Phneep , Cypherpunk Now and Cryptograffiti.

Thank fuck I saw these guys. They inspired me to be more intelligent with my work, instead of just screaming “Fuck the Fucking Fuckers”. However, I do still think every crypto artist of any worth should do a FTFF’kers piece. ;o)

And so I fell down the crypto art rabbit hole…

Rabbit hole 4 – Crypto Art

I bought a laser cutter and started designing art and craft that promoted the things I believed in and am passionate about.

You know that saying: “Be the change you wish to see in the world”? I truly believe in it - thoughts become things.

Well, what an experience… from meeting up in the Metaverse to meeting up at Bitcoin conferences. From issuing your own social money to nifties (non fungible tokens). From physical art auctions to renting out apartments in a digital building built on virtual land. The crypto art world is a cornucopia of cataclysmic creative climaxes and silly dramas. Yes, its a decentralised soap opera sometimes.

BUT ALAS… not a single fucking banana was ever taped to a wall!

So here I am, Chiefmonkey, somewhere near the very beginning of my journey as a full time crypto artist. Let me show you a few select pieces I’ve created so far.

The Satoshi Series

The Satoshi Series records certain moments in the history of bitcoin… currently it has a few missing spots but it will continue to grow with time… the series can be seen in full here.

Gingko Crypto

For me it all began with Gingko Crypto. It was the first thing I ever made that was termed as art.

I was basically wanting to capture the sheer amount of potential and hope that was on the horizon. The leaves represent change, the change that can be seen coming over the mountain range. The mountain range itself is the 2017 bitcoin bull run. The onlooker is Satoshi watching his work unfurl.

The Cypherpunk Series

This is the series where I allow myself to scream. I vent my frustrations, and give voice to my political and humanitarian side. Privacy is a major theme here.

It is also an endless series that I will continue to add to.

Truth Will Out

We kid ourselves that we live in a free world here in the west. It turns out that’s a complete lie.

Truth Will Out shows what happens to you when you expose the corruption of the elite. It also highlights the courageous contributions to humanity that Edward Snowden, Julian Assange and Chelsea Manning have selflessly given us to their own detriment.

Sousveillance

It’s a new word for some… sur, meaning “above”, and sous, meaning “below”. Sousveillance is my depiction of how we now have in our hands the ability to turn the tables on those who oversee our daily lives.

It’s my interpretation of the future, where we have transparency in society. Where we have privacy, and they do not have secrecy. They are there to serve us.

Crypto Craft

Backgamoon

I like to dabble in a bit of Backgammon.

This is Backgamoon because we’re going to the moon, and it takes time. We need some onboard entertainment.

Crypto Art as a Limited Resource

My work sits somewhere between traditional painting and sculpture. An oil painter can make one original piece, but then print off a thousand copies. I however, can make my original piece exactly the same a thousand times… but I don’t.

I’ve a tonne of things to do: automatons, collaborations, new directions… I have too many ideas and not enough time!

This actually causes me stress. How do I move forward with new ideas, when I have to keep going backwards to make another piece I’ve already made before?

I’m trying to find a balance between exploring the narrative of bitcoin, and pushing my art form into new frontiers. While also trying to get as many people as possible to own a piece of my work.

Originally in the Satoshi series, everything I made was limited to 10. Then for the Cypherpunk series I made only 5 of each piece. Now as I return to the Satoshi series, I will be making just 3.

I hope by making fewer pieces I will be able to move forward much faster, and make a greater variety of work.

I hope you all enjoy my work. I certainly love making it!