Carty Sewill is a traditional artist turned NFT creator with more than a decade of experience in online content creation. As the founder of ART101, Carty has minted 40,000 free NFTs across 13 original series.
In the meantime, he has been working full-time to support other creators on OpenSea, experimenting with everything from generative publications to AR and on-chain art, and his portfolio is an eclectic mix of historical references and original works.
To celebrate the “Get Based” campaign featuring the creators of Base, we’re releasing a commemorative poster that reimagines “Endless Summer,” a painting that entered the public domain after being published in 1966 and has proven itself to be as synonymous with mainstream American surf culture as OpenSea and Base are to NFTs. Click here to view the poster:
opensea.io/collection/basedsummer/overview
Opensea: Can you tell us a little bit about your artistic style and the main themes you explore in your artwork?
Carty: Simply put, my art style is a fusion of my favorite artists Henri Matisse’s Fauvism and Andy Warhol’s Pop aesthetic, and the themes I explore range from art history to personal insights to Pop culture.
Opensea: Can you tell us about your creative process when developing an NFT series or work?
Carty: My NFT work mostly aligns with my personal interests, particularly art history and other random esoteric topics, I usually just grab something of interest, a current obsession, or a new insight and stick with it.
Opensea: Can you talk about any unique challenges or opportunities you encounter when creating art, especially in the digital realm of NFTs?
Carty: I experiment with various mediums within generative art, from vector art to generative AR NFTs and publications, and the intersection of code and art offers unique creative opportunities in contrast to my traditional art background.
Opensea: What inspired you to create on Base? How do you think Base’s features will benefit your artistic expression?
Carty: I was introduced to Base through the We Heart the Art competition, which encouraged me to try out Hyperchain. Base’s low transaction fees allow creators and collectors to try it out without much financial risk, thus lowering the barrier to entry. For an almost free minter like me, it’s the best of both worlds. I can launch something and see what happens without placing too much financial burden on potential collectors.
Opensea: How does blockchain technology influence or change the way you create art?
Carty: Before the emergence of NFTs, I preferred the tactility of traditional art. NFTs changed my perspective and made digital art feel "holdable". The NFT community's love for generative art has also brought new aesthetic opportunities. I no longer need to paint on a piece of wood and strive to find the best color/content combination. Instead, I can explore multiple possibilities simultaneously in hundreds or thousands of works.
Opensea: How do you plan to engage with your audience through NFTs on OpenSea? Are there interactive elements or community-driven aspects to your work?
Carty: Many of my collections are interactive, including generative zines and AR NFTs. For example, ART101 engages collectors through education, exploring art history in the context of NFTs, and examining how NFTs parallel and extend art history. In other works, such as Unaboomer, I try to explore interactivity by allowing users to destroy each other's NFTs. I'm just having fun, sharing my interests, and trying new things. If you want to talk about the store, please join the ART101 Discord.
Opensea: What future developments in the NFT space excite you most, and how do you plan to incorporate these developments into your future projects?
Carty: I'm excited to have on-chain games on Base. I've already made a game on mainnet and plan to release it on Base in the future. In addition, it's possible to create true on-chain generative art using vectors without having to pay mainnet prices. With Base/Optimism trading becoming easier and cheaper, and new minting methods like Frames emerging, there's a lot to explore. I'm also having a lot of fun in the Ordinals space.
Opensea: What advice would you give to artists who are just entering the NFT space and are considering launching their first digital collectible?
Carty: Don’t take it too seriously, build an audience, offer free casting, be genuine, have fun, and see where it leads!
Opensea: Where do you think digital art and NFTs will go in the next five years? What contribution do you hope to make to this future?
Carty: Developers are increasingly dominating the space. In five years, I foresee a balance between art and code. Hopefully, I can keep up. The possibilities are endless. As adoption increases and fees decrease, content will expand far beyond static images. My goal is to contribute by staying adaptable and innovative.
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