A NEW LIMITED EDITION PRINT RELEASE BY TAYLOR SCHULTEK WITH UNIQUE HAND-PAINTED EMBELLISHMENTS, AUGMENTED REALITY FEATURES, AND AN ACCOMPANYING NFT.
HELLO WORLD!
I've been learning about 3d modeling, augmented reality, QR codes and NFTs for a little over a year now and I've decided to pull all of these interests together to make something new and unique. Bridging the gap between physical and digital experiences by overlaying a second plane of information atop traditional artworks, brings about a new world of interplay between media that I'm really excited about. This project is an experiment with weaving digital mediums into my artwork to add another dimension and start engaging with a variety of technology, while considering the faults of past developments.
What I've put together is 20 kits of unique collectibles. At the heart of the project is the print edition itself. The print is a 22" x 32.5" giclée on Hahnemuhle Photo Rag Ultra Smooth 305 gsm paper. Printed by Andre Ribuoli, the master printer at Ribuoli Digital and former master printer at Pace Editions/Pamplemousse Press. It is the highest quality print and I couldn't be happier with how they came out. Within the image is a dynamic QR code that links you to me, it creates an ongoing form of communication that I can update at any time. Atop that, sits hand-painted embellishments of unique graffiti which make no two prints alike. Additionally, an augmented reality overlay adds a digital layer of animation. Accompanying the print, the collector will receive a complimentary NFT of the AR animation, an encased physical certificate of authenticity, and a small stamped thank you card.
Below you will find a link to activate the AR feature through the Artivive app, details of the individual prints, and an FAQ section.
Thanks for having a look ;)
-Taylor
Download the Artivive App below to view the AR experience:
THE EDITION
AR + NFT
The print features an augmented reality overlay provided through the Artivive app, which works for both iOS and Android. It functions on the print and even the certificate of authenticity.
Both the augmented reality and non-fungible token display an animated version of the painting, that I made myself.
The NFT is made available through Rarible, and is minted on the Tezos blockchain. Tezos is a proof-of-stake network, so it is an environmentally friendly blockchain. The NFT's, as well as a higher quality animation can be viewed here.
EXTRAS
FAQ
What will come in the package with my purchase?
You will receive:
+One unique limited edition, hand embellished, Hydra print on 305gsm Hahnemuehl Photo Rag Ultra Smooth paper.
+One encased, signed and sealed certificate of authenticity. Printed on the same Hahnemuehl paper.
+One hand stamped thank you card with a written password and contact info to collect your NFT.
+One Hydra NFT of the augmented reality animation
What are the specifics of the print?
The print was produced by master printer, Andre Ribuoli, of Ribuoli Digital. They are a giclée print on Hahnemuhle 305 gsm Photo Rag Ultra Smooth paper, with an image size of 20" x 30" inches and a total size of 22" x 32.5" inches. The works are a limited edition of 20 with 2 artist's proofs. Each print has hand painted acrylic embellishments in the form of unique graffiti. No two prints are alike.
What are the specifics of the NFT?
Your purchase comes with a non-fungible token of the augmented reality animation. The NFT is hosted on the Tezos blockchain, and will be made available through Rarible's platform. There are 25 NFTs in total, 21 for the prints and painting, and 4 for artist and printer's proofs. If you are interested in purchasing an NFT, they can only be obtained by purchasing this print, the painting or through the secondary market. The minted NFT's can be viewed here.
File type: Mp4
Duration: 10s
Dimensions: 1600px x 2400px
Framerate: 30fps
Size: 44.7 mb
Tools used: Blender, Photoshop
How will I receive my NFT?
After your purchase, you will need to contact the artist. On the included thank you card is contact information along with a unique password for verifying your purchase. Taylor will guide you through setting up a Tezos wallet if necessary, and afterward transfer your NFT to that wallet.
Do you offer global shipping? Is shipping included?
We do offer global shipping. Shipping fees are not included in the sale price.
Will the augmented reality experience last forever?
TLDR: To be completely honest, I'm not certain. I can say that the AR experience will be available through Artivive for one year at the very least. After which, I will either continue with Artivive, find a new AR partner, or release new content accessible through the QR code within the image. I'm currently considering migrating to Adobe Aero as a more archival, but less user friendly alternative. This would require sending a file to each collector, that would be opened with Adobe's Aero app.
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To explain further, my original vision for the AR was to use webAR, which can display the animation in AR using only your phone's web browser instead of an app. Web3 has enabled a ton of cool features for standard mobile browsers, and I had explored some of the open source AR frameworks. The major benefit would be, that I could host the animation and AR framework on my own server, giving you collectors the most archival AR setup I can imagine. However, the open source frameworks are completely garbage for image tracking. And I mean awful. The animation wobbles all over. Unfortunately, the webAR services that offer good tracking aren't geared towards artists, and their service packages don't make sense for artist purposes. So in order to produce a very high quality AR experience I had to use an app, and Artivive works great right out of the box. But it's new and you have to pay their service based on the number of times your artworks get viewed. So if it becomes a huge cost to keep maintaining it, or for some reason the provider goes out of business, I'll simply provide some other form of content as compensation, or find a new provider. One alternative may be Adobe Aero, which requires me to send you a file that can be loaded using their app. I'm actively exploring solutions, with the hope of continuing with this as a medium in the future. The QR code will inform you of any new updates, should changes be made.
Additionally, I will provide you with the animation video file if you request it. If the opensource webAR frameworks evolve, I will certainly update the Hydra AR experience and transfer everything to self hosted servers, in which case the AR experience will remain indefinitely.
Do I have to claim my NFT?
You are not required to claim your NFT should you not be interested, or are averse to cryptocurrency/NFTs. However, any unclaimed or unwanted NFTs will be retained by the artist and may be sold in future. Please inform me of your plans though, should you choose to not claim it.
Anyone needing assistance setting up a Tezos wallet can reach out to the contact info on the back of the thank you card, and I will do my best to help you through the process. It's surprisingly easy and straightforward.
