LIFE BEYOND FIRST CLASS
ARTS & COLLECTIBLES
SURREAL NFT ART
Symbolizing the story of excess and exotics, celebrity photographer Markus Klinko’s first collection of NFT completely sells out.
I’ll Sleep When I’m Dead:
The photo was taken from the top of the Empire State Building in New York City. A print was subsequently made and a glass paperweight accidentally was placed on top of the print. The resulting image became the NFT.
Klinko spent his early years training to become a classical harp soloist. After studying in Paris at the renowned Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique, he signed a recording contract with EMI Classics, traveled the world as a soloist, performing with symphony orchestras, and even received a Grand Prix du Disque. A hand injury in 1994 forced Klinko to leave his career. “I decided to become a fashion photographer,” he recalls. “Despite the fact that I’ve never taken a single photographer and that my only experience with photography was to be the subject of promotional shoots for my own music career!’
Within a few years, the self-taught photographer was in high demand. His portfolio includes legendary album covers from David Bowie’s Heathen, Beyonce’s Dangerously in Love, and Mariah Carey’s The Emancipation of Mimi, to name a few. Iconic brands LVMH, Nike, Pepsi, Lancôme, and L’Oréal Paris, have commissioned Klink to create various ad campaigns. After twenty years of strictly focusing on commission work, he began exhibiting his work in galleries and museums worldwide.
Joint Venture:
The photo was taken in Los Angeles in 2018. It was part of Markus’ personal research into macro photography
“During 2020, I was also getting numerous requests to create NFTs, but initially wasn’t ready for that step,” Klinko reflects. “However, earlier this year, I had an idea that fascinated me: I had recently discovered the ancient printing techniques involving platinum, a process that dates to the 19th century.”
The debut NFT collection includes four works. I sleep when I’m dead is a memory of Klinko’s countless all-nighters in the post-production studio when urgent deadlines kept him up. Joint Venture and Make Me Feel Good are meant to wrap the viewer into a relaxing atmosphere, where time stands still, floating in a dream state. Finally, The Face of Greed, photographed initially as part of an experimental make-up series, showcases what happens when materialism takes over. Klink declares, “the soul melts away!”
The Face Of Greed:
The photo was taken in Los Angeles in 2018. It was part of an exploration of experimental makeup.
“I was particularly excited about this drop, which I call Are You Ready For Your Close Up?,” describes Klinko. “It gave me the opportunity to create animated work situated right on the cuff between traditional photography and video. I feel very comfortable in such a hybrid world! With my background as a classical concert harpist and recording artist, having switched to become a fashion and celebrity photographer over 25 years ago, I am
Make Me Feel Good:
The image of the syringe was taken in New York City in 2005. It was part of a series illustrating the suffering that can be caused by plastic surgery
The Are You Ready For Your Close Up? collection was unveiled with the Bowie Platinum Edition as Klinko wanted to present collectors with extreme opposites. He concludes, “On one hand, the most discerning of my collectors can now own a work truly timeless, as the platinum process guarantees a 1000-year lasting quality! On the other side, NFTs are the most current and technically modern way to present art. I love this contrast and will continue to create work at opposite spectrums!”