Art Provocateur Gallery (APG) is excited to announce its partnership with Artory, a leading art registry and secure database for artworks and objects, that utilizes blockchain technology for the art market.

What is blockchain technology?

Blockchain technology is a digital database that exists on multiple computers at the same time. A chain starts with the addition of new records of information or blocks. Each block created has a unique timestamp and then links to any previous block, which then forms the chain. Then through cryptography, the writing, and solving of codes, the blocks are linked together. By using cryptography, which provides secrecy and integrity to data, both authentication and anonymity of communications are guaranteed. This is the same type of code used in cryptocurrency or digital assets such as bitcoin.

Blockchain in the art market

Blockchain in the art market helps broaden possibilities. Galleries can verify artworks with issued registration records and unique cryptographic signatures. Furthermore, blockchain technology in the art market creates public reports of provenance and provides a safe digital infrastructure.

Blockchain registered art powered by Artory Blockchain registration, offered by Artory certifies artworks with a sixty-four character alpha-numeric unique identifier. This identifier called a hash, is then registered to the blockchain. When someone buys an artwork through APG, they now own the digital certificate, the hash, for the artwork. Furthermore, their names will appear anonymously on the certificate of sale. When the work changes ownership, the new owner is then digitally registered, and the provenance tracked. By keeping track of the provenance, the value of an artwork can increase.

The access to encrypted blockchain technology offered by Artory is greatly beneficial to the art world. Using blockchain not only ensures the protection of art but also increases the prosperity and pleasure for those who buy, own, or sell art. By using blockchain technology, trusted art and cultural institutions and other experts such as galleries, auction houses, and museums can securely register artworks. They can keep a record of what sales, exhibits, any appraisals, or even catalog inspections done on behalf of their patrons and clients and provide them with reliable certificates.

Blockchain technology protects both artworks and institutions. By partnering with Artory, Art Provocateur Gallery can engage with verified collectors and have exclusive rights to connect with them confidently. Not only that, but Artory allows institutions to be a voice of authority and education in art. Furthermore, some of the advantages of using blockchain in the art world include provenance tracking, increased value over time, theft prevention, and avoiding illegal duplication or production of fakes.

APG blockchain via Artory

Art Provocateur Gallery is now offering blockchain-secured digital certificates of registration for APG represented artists and artwork. This means that all artwork sold is registered to the blockchain, giving it a digital certificate of registration, digitally signed by the artist. When an artist signs the digital certificate, they are approving the sale and verifying the authenticity of the artwork. Additionally, Artory provides a digitally signed and blockchain-secured Certificate of Registration for buyers accessible only through the private and decrypted Collector’s Vault.

Untitled by Alina LebedevaWith Art Provocateur Gallery now registering artwork to the blockchain through Artory, APG shares the benefits and services with the artists they represent and collector’s base. Not only that, but APG’s access to Artory’s public registry offers transparency and credibility. Any APG purchased artwork registered via Artory has its provenance freely available on the registry for all registered users to see. Additionally, buyers remain completely anonymous, but can still use their certificate as proof of ownership. Furthermore, registered artworks resold at auction or between collectors have their provenance tracked while still maintaining buyer anonymity. 

Benefits for living artists

Though primarily serving as a public registry, Artory’s services also greatly benefit living artists. Through the secure database, artists can claim ownership of their work and reduce forgery incidents with certificates of authenticity. A blockchain-secured digital certificate can serve as an artist’s signature when marked/printed on the artwork. Blockchain technology in the art market can also ensure that an artwork has the correct documentation in perpetuity. It is also the primary step to establishing a secure and legitimate provenance trail from the moment a work leaves an artist’s studio or foundation. Another benefit includes giving the artists the ease of tracking any future sales and simplifying royalty payments.

Artists registered through verified partner institutions such as APG have access to benefits such as faster approval of sales, digital signature for works, and increased value over time. Artists’ inventories, sales, and productions registered to Artory through APG are managed by the gallery itself. Additionally, if APG is responsible for producing limited edition prints, the gallery takes care of printing or embossing each work with the digital certificate number (hash) that is registered to the blockchain.

Benefits for collectors

Another party benefited by APG’s and Artory’s partnership is the collectors of fine erotic art. The services offered by Artory allows collectors to register their artworks and receive digital signatures vetted by certified art institutions. Therefore, collectors from all over the world can confidently be part of the art community and have access to enhanced knowledge. Additionally, collectors have access to the registered provenance and object information uploaded to Artory’s public ledger. Advocating for a commitment to privacy and confidentiality.

Artory’s partnership with Art Provocateur Gallery ensures that any sensitive information of an art sale is secured to the blockchain. Furthermore, Artory’s teams in New York, Berlin, and Bangkok establish the registry as a neutral and trusted resource for the useful purpose of blockchain technology in the art market.

Erotic photographers are a rare breed. They are able to capture the beauty and emotion in tantalizing fine art photographs. Our online erotic art gallery features some of the best erotic photographers from around the globe. Today, we take a look at 10 of America’s best erotic photographers, established and rising stars:

10. Devinn Pierre

Born in Houston Texas, Devinn Pierre is a talented artist. Devinn’s photography focuses on beauty and freedom. Though his nude stills are unique, this artists’ style captures a 70s era retro feel.

Although having a longstanding passion for photography, Devinn is just making headway in the burgeoning erotic photography scene. His photography background includes street-style art and short films, before moving into erotic art. He is already making headway with features in online magazines including Nakid, S&S Mothership, and C-Heads Magazine.

In addition to a passion for the lens, Devinn Pierre is a musician. You can find Devinn’s DJ tracks on Apple Music and Soundcloud.

Devinn shoots on 35mm, medium format, and polaroids. See more of Devinn Pierre’s work in our erotic art gallery.

9. FASFOTO

FASFOTO is an erotic photographer based in Baltimore, Mayland. His work focuses on figure, portraiture, and the female body.

Although another relative newcomer on the erotic art scene, FASFOTO began earning attention quickly. His work has been featured in DEKAN Magazine and he works with a number of talented models.

Intent on capturing and contrasting beauty and shape, his work often features scenic and dynamic backdrops. FASFOTO’s work with models also creates expressive and emotive scenes that offer compelling storytelling.

For more, explore our gallery of erotic photography by FASFOTO.

8. Sasha S

Sasha S, known as nimblephotons on social media, is a San Francisco-based photographer. His work is mostly local, shooting fine art nudes and erotic photographs that feature SF Bay Area landscapes.

Sasha S produces emotive imagery in both color and black & white. Much of his work features sculptural photo prints. He also captures silhouettes and vibrant candid photos as well.

For our full collection of nimblephotons erotic photographs, view our art gallery.

7. Craig Colvin

Another California artist on the list, Crag Colvin is an award-winning erotic photographer from San Jose. His works have been featured in magazines and galleries all around the world.

Colvin’s photography focuses on the form of the human body and he uses the body to capture and compliment the shapes and curves found in nature. Much of Craig Colvin’s photography features scenic nature shots paired with the nude female form.

In addition to scenic photographs, Craig also makes use of geometric backgrounds for sharp contrasts against the body’s natural curves.

Colvin isn’t just a student of his craft, he’s also a teacher – teaching people around the world in workshops and online courses. Discover more of Craig Colvin’s photography in our gallery.

6. Ben Horton

Although based in LA, Ben Horton has made his name by traveling all over the world. Formerly working in the fashion industry, Ben moved into the worlds of fine art and exploration. A born adventurer and climber, his works feature images from views others can’t get to.

 

In addition to erotic fine art, Ben Horton shoots for National Geographic and his appreciation of scenic beauty filters into his dynamic and emotive imagery.

A born storyteller, Ben’s work is provocative and tantalizing. Discover more erotic photography by Ben Horton in our online art gallery.

5. Perry Gallagher

Perry Gallagher is a photographer of fine art nudes and erotic imagery. His work focuses on feminine beauty. Stylistically, he uses available light rather than studio lighting to create intimate, unique imagery.

Gallagher’s work has been featured in magazines, exhibitions, and galleries all around the world. He works with many different styles of fetish photography and has a range of BDSM photography, costume, boudoir, and foot fetish art prints.

An accomplished photographer with worldwide renown, you can explore more of erotic photography prints by Perry Gallagher in our online gallery.

4. Nai Sirrom

Nai Sirrom is a truly unique creative mind in fine art erotic photography. His work ranges from tantalizing to downright bizarre. He can deliver strong introspective work through simple minimalistic imagery.

Sirrom’s imagery is not limited to minimalist photography. He also makes use of highly stylized photography for powerful storytelling. Sirrom makes use of both black and white photography and colorful, vibrant images.

Beyond photography, he also produces erotic fine art through the mediums of mixed media and digital art. Discover and shop Nai Sirrom’s limited edition art prints online in our erotic art gallery.

3. Niel Galen

Self-described as “outrageous and cheeky”, Niel Galen brings a sense of whimsy to erotic photography. His work displays a playful side of capturing the beauty and sensuousness of the female form. Highly conceptual, his work toys with shadows and light.

Galen’s work is full of contrast. With a sense of liberation coming through in his BDSM fetish photography pieces and his sculptural photographs capturing movement and dance.

Discover more thematic, sensuous and playful erotic fine art by Niel Galen in our online art gallery.

2. Craig Morey

Another award-winning erotic photographer featured in the Art Provocateur Gallery, Craig Morey has a long history in the industry. He was a contract photographer for Penthouse International during their peak in the 80s and 90s. Morey has also been featured in books and publications all over the world.

Currently, Morey specializes in portraiture and artistic nude photography. He is best known for his black and white erotic studio nudes but also experiments with color and scenic photography. In fetish photography, Morey is making waves with his evocative bondage art prints. His minimalistic bondage photography is emotive and tells a story all it’s own through shadow and light styling.

Discover BDSM and erotic photography by Craig Morey in our online gallery.

1. Aranka Israni

Currently residing in New York, erotic photographer Aranka Israni is one of the few East-coast representatives on this list. Her exhibitions date back to 2000, predating her post-secondary fine arts education. Since then, her work has been on display around the world and has been featured in publications like La Provence and Vie Magazine.

With her artistic background including live video artistry, Israni’s photography captures movement and the transition between moments. She uses her camera to capture the emotional truth that the human form conveys. In her silhouette photography, she displays the duality of opposites in humanity, with a specific focus on the tension between masculinity and femininity.

Discover and shop limited edition prints of sculptural and erotic photography by Aranka Israni.

Shop Limited Edition Erotic Photography Online

Art Provocateur Gallery is the industry leader in shopping for limited edition erotic art. Our roster of artists consists of the best-established artist and rising stars in the industry. All prints come with the best printing quality and options. Discover leading erotica in limited editions and original art. Browse our online erotic art gallery for more.

For emerging artists, social media platforms are becoming a necessity for building their name and their following. Instagram is an especially valuable platform for sharing art, connecting with fans, and promotion.

There has never been so much opportunity for artists to reach their audience, especially for niche genres. However, there are a number of pitfalls and challenges that come along with using social media for self-promotion. We take a look at some of the pros and cons of social media for artists.

Pros

Democratization of Art

The democratization of art comes down to making art more accessible. This mindset is often tied back to the French Revolution, which resulted in a democratization of culture in France. This branched out into the idea of sharing art with the people.

It’s an important concept in the art world, turning art from a leisure of the elite to something embraced by the people. It helped to revolutionize art in new and interesting ways.

Today, social media is allowing for the democratization of art at a scale and speed we have never seen before.

Artists are not only able to better reach the people but they can more specifically connect to people interested in their specific niche. Through the use of hashtags, sharing, mentions, and collaborative work, artists can find like-minded audiences all around the world.

It’s not just the artists who benefit. Instagram gives regular people the opportunity to keep up with artists and view their latest work at the tip of their fingers. It’s easier than ever for people to appreciate, experience, and connect with art.

Widespread Distribution

The use of social media allows for widespread distribution without affecting or devaluing the art. Artists can share images of their art around the world without affecting the number of prints. That allows them to maximize promotion, even if selling limited edition art prints.

The artist is now able to share their art with anyone, anywhere in the world – all they need is an internet connection. This especially valuable for more niche genres, like erotic nude art.

There are a lot of people around the world looking for erotic art prints, but the communities are small in many places. That can limit their access and exposure to the art they’re looking for. Through social media, erotic artists can reach their niche audience more effectively.

Grow & Connect With Fanbase

One of the great aspects of artists using social media is that it’s a two-way conversation. Artists have a direct line of conversation with their audience. They get the opportunity to find out what resonates with people, what they want more of, and what they’re hoping to see next.

Social Media can even help determine the best places for them to set up galleries by seeing where their audience is. Their audience can further help by sharing their posts, growing the artists’ reach and visibility.

Another popular audience growth technique artists are using on social media is cross-promotion. Through collaboration, sharing, or mentioning each others’ work, artists share exposure with each others’ fanbases.

Cons

Banning Accounts

For many creatives, especially erotic artists, social media can be tumultuous due to seemingly arbitrary rules. Instagram is especially notorious for this. Artist will sometimes receive a ban as a result of the content of their art.

The problem is, there’s no clear indication of what will cause a ban. Sometimes the platform deems nude art as perfectly fine, other times an artist receives a ban for art that is too suggestive (even without nudity). The rules guiding this are inconsistent, and artists are at the mercy of Instagram’s whims.

This is more than just a concern for censorship. When an artist receives a ban there is often no warning, and they can lose their entire following. While they can set up a new account, they have all the hard work of rebuilding their following. All with the possibility of losing it all again.

Competition

Another big challenge is that with social media being so accessible and providing so much opportunity is that there is a lot of competition. There’s a lot of noise out there, and the louder it gets, the harder it is to be heard.

On social media, artists aren’t just competing with other artists, they compete with every other account. They need to be found in a sea of memes, celebrities, CrossFit videos, heavily-filtered food pictures and so on.

Having good content and regular posting isn’t enough. Artists need to devise and pursue follower strategies to grow their account. There are loads of strategies ranging from buying followers to bots that schedule mass following and commenting strategies. Artists have to test out different techniques to discover what works best for their specific audience.

Limited Distribution Options

When artists share their art through an online art gallery they can offer better distribution options. The gallery can offer superior print quality, framing, shipping options, and service. Many artists on social media are left to their own devices.

This can mean they need to manage the printing, handling, shipping, and fulfillment themselves. A time-consuming process many artists find tedious and unfulfilling. Their alternative is often using web services that fulfill the printing and shipping for them. Unfortunately, many of these services result in lower profits for the artists and a lower quality product.

Many social media platforms limit what the artist can share. While Instagram allows video and images alike, it only allows a couple of display formats for images. This may not align with the shape and style the artist would prefer their art shown as. Artists need to work within the parameters of the platform. They can also only leave one link that sits on their profile. So fans can’t buy individual art pieces by clicking on the image.

Follow Art Provocateur Gallery On Instagram

While there are some challenges in using social media platforms like Instagram, it’s hard to deny the overwhelmingly positive impact they’ve had on the art community. The juice is worth the squeeze for any artist looking to grow their audience or connect with their fanbase.

You can follow us on Instagram @art.provocateur for our erotic art gallery’s latest prints, photos, sculptures, and paintings. Artists looking to sell art online can submit for an assessment to see if your work is the right fit for our gallery.

Where to Find Erotic Art

Today, there is no shortage of ways to discover art. Galleries, shows, and social media provide easy access for long time collectors or first-time buyers. Erotic art, however, has remained more elusive. Art Provocateur Gallery is the premier online gallery for erotic art.