An Interview with Nas Bogado – when music photography meets the NFT future, launching DIY Crypto Punk featuring American Teeth

Latinx-Trans photographer, Nas Bogado has made their NFT debut with the release of an enticing NFT photography series, DIY Crypto Punk. Capturing “unique beings and environment inspired by technology,” the first set of the series features musician American Teeth.

Born and raised in Los Angeles, Nas Bogado is known for their vibrant work with music artists such as Meg Myers, Royal & The Serpent, PHEM and many more. A creative entreprenuer who has worked in the music industry for several years, Nas Bogado connects with music artists to create meaningful and impactful art; from album artwork and logo designs, to photography and music videos — Bogado is a force in all facets of creative strategy and direction.

As Bogado takes a dive into NFTs, we were able to chat with the artist about this new and exciting digital world taking place on the block chain.

Grimy Goods (GG): How did you get into photography / creative direction?

Nas Bogado (NB): I’m not too sure how to answer this, because I feel it naturally progressed with my personal life experience. Being an only child really fueled the fire with my imagination, lol.

GG: Tell me about your first shoot.

NB: My first real shoot was actually a romantic relationship where my gf at the time was my muse for years.

GG: What inspired your leap into NFT creations?

NB: I like the idea of cementing digital art. The ability to trace a body of work to its rightful owner is the future vs. the potential of losing it inside the limitless ‘World Wide Web’… later to be found on a pinterest board without any credit or source, lol.

GG: In simple words, for those of us that don’t speak NFT, how would you describe an NFT?

NB: A unique code attached to digital or real-world assets – that’s secure.

We have entered a very digital economy so this is a very useful way to start connecting the dots between the two worlds we’re in.

Example – When NAPSTER first came out, millions of teenagers (including myself) were illegally downloading music CONSTANTLY for free — this ultimately impacted/hurt artists and labels directly. The industry tanked and was forced to take a new turn, welcoming digital distributions (Spotify, Apple Music,etc). Now, we have blockchains in place to trace owners with digital rights protection built in — NFTS, a more direct system, in favor of creators, less middle-men. I really feel this is going to be one of the biggest game-changers for the music industry.

NB: What are your tools of choice when creating an NFT?

NB: Currently, I have my camera, a pencil & pen and my handy-dandy programs — I mainly use Photoshop. I will be releasing my first NFTS through Foundation.app.

GG: Which artists inspire you?

NB: The artists I work with play a big role in my life. S/O Meg Myers, American Teeth, Buzz, Royal & The Serpent, Phem, Colyer & many more for trusting me and allowing me to channel your lil worlds.

Another inspiring area for me is film (which I plan to move into this year) – Very big on Gasper Noe, David Lynch, Takeshi Kaneshiro, George Lucas.

Movies – Doom Generation, Lost Highways, Requiem For A Dream, LOVE, Donnie Darko, Trainspotting, Lost Boys, Fallen Angels, Prometheus, Star Wars, THX 1138 and many many more – You can find some of these influences in some of my work.

Also, I listen to SO MUCH MUSIC artists like Burial, Joy Division, Washed Out, The Cure, Bauhaus, Drama, Jadu Heart — the list goes on, I have a very eclectic taste, lol. Big on the 80s.

GG: Do you think NFTs will be here for the long run?

NB: I do. There’s many tweaks that still need to be put into place especially when it comes to environmental impact. Just like anything that’s born, it still has a huge development period that comes with it’s own set of growing pains.

GG: What advice do you have for artists seeking to get into the world of NFTs?

NB: Do the research! 🙂 It’s still such a playful environment and there are many ways to go about releasing – from platforms, mediums, etc.

Nas Bogado’s four-piece NFT series with American Teeth is available via Foundation. With more art in the works, they’re “excited to step into film and hoping to potentially put out a short.” Stay tuned to Nas Bogado’s space on Foundation or Instagram for the latest updates.

Art Credits:

Artist/Musician
American Teeth

Creative Direction / Photographer
Nas Bogado

Makeup
Fara Dene

Art Dept
Ash Davis

Studio/Location
WeThem.US