LIKE TEARS IN RAIN

4 min readApr 7, 2021

An observation on NFTs and their connection to the human condition.

By, J. Scuderi

Once again, the rising tide of new technology caresses the shore of complaisance. In just the past few months, the way in which digital art is being perceived has been diametrically transformed through mass media in an attempt to explain the implementation of Web 3.0, blockchain technology, the DeFi revolution, and decentralization through the lens of high-profile sales of crypto-art, more commonly referred to as NFTs.

The NFT marketplace has proved to be somewhat of a justification for artists, designers, musicians, and more as a way of proving ownership of their creations as a stake in the ground on various blockchains, most notably, the ETHEREUM platform.

Presently, the crypto-art space utilizing NFT smart contracts may be considered a new frontier in how we recognize and categorize the rare specificity of creation and dissemination of that information. This movement has already been coined the new renaissance by participants from many fields of industry. The whole scenario may also sound like the newest fad to bubble up in the long recorded history of fads but, no matter the description or title or tag, it is indeed another revolutionary invention of our own self-expression of existence — a machine of our creation for creation.

From a wider perspective, the onset of NFT awareness peaked when a new digital era was born as the global population migrated online due to the Coronavirus outbreak. The ironic premise of a random Science Fiction novel comes to mind. However, what may be the most comforting concession about the genre, is its openness to possibility and predictability; time travel, thought transference, biological and technological advancement, and of course, viral outbreaks.

As the old saying goes, art imitates life. Even while peering through a grimy dystopian lens, the possibilities are endless regarding evolutionary societal changes — stories, pictures and, moving images reflecting how a species thinks and feels and how invention can extend existence or destroy it. After peeling the fantastical flesh away, we’re usually left with the core reality of fruit — the binding singularity throughout the visionary tales and colorful depictions are simply about the human condition.

“I’ve seen things you people wouldn’t believe. Attack ships on fire off the shoulder of Orion. I watched C-beams glitter in the dark near the Tannhäuser Gate. All those moments will be lost in time, like tears in rain.”

- Roy Batty, by Rutger Hauer

While there are many debates to be had about NFT technology regarding subjects ranging from environmental impact to legalities of ownership, speaking from a personal perspective, I’ve had a mostly positive experience transitioning from being called a digital artist, to an NFT creator.

Furthermore, the type of visualizations I produce mainly focus on the underlying relationship between society and technology. For example, the images sprinkled throughout this article are from the FACE THE MACHINE series — a collection depicting biomechanical worship for the betterment of human existence through the integration of technological utility. The cyberpunk and neo-futurism aesthetic fit comfortably within the idealism of a subject like decentralization like a glove. Like any new technology that has come before, how we choose to utilize our personal interactions with it is just that — a choice.

As blockchain technology matures and is integrated into or replaces antiquated systems around the world, it’s comforting to know that most people will be introduced to it through art.

As a species, we constantly find new ways to express ourselves through various mediums and means. And while the idea of expression is not new, existing since the first smile, the first tear, the first kiss, and caress, technology has been a residing factor in the realization of recording and in some ways, emulating our understanding of those sympathetic moments.