"I am fascinated by art that evolves - it’s a constant reminder that change is inevitable."

CryptoPlantDr is a Crypto Enthusiast and true NFT OG who started collecting back in 2017 with the CryptoKitties project. He has collected more than 4000 NFTs, with 65 OG:CR and 2 LIOMs among them. He’s picked the Top-5 works from his NFT collection for us and discussed his approach to crypto art in general.

Top 5 favorite works from my collection:

❶ Gazers #827 by Matt Kane, 2021

Gazers #827 is my absolute favorite from my collection. There is a huge amount of complexity in this artwork and even some secrets that have not been revealed yet! It is living art that mirrors the phases of the moon in real time. Many aspects evolve after each new moon, so one will never see the same image twice and the art will continue to evolve for thousands of years. It also celebrates different events such as its Origin Moon, New Years Eve, April Fools Day, and the birthdays of Stephen Hawking and Claude Monet.

❷ Quentin by Guile Twardowski + CryptoKitties, 2022

Who would I be if I didn’t have a CryptoKitty as one of my  favorites!  After all, this project is the reason I got into NFTs. This particular CryptoKitty (Quentin) was actually designed in 2022 for CryptoKitties 5th Anniversary and I was also lucky enough to breed the first Quentin, out of the 811 Quentins that currently exist. The artwork of Quentin is a mash-up of multiple year 1 fancies and special editions. Together, the #1 tag and its year 1 CryptoKitty references gives this a top spot in my collection, if not for the nostalgia alone.

❸ OG:Crystal #5979 by Michael Joo + Danil Krivoruchko, 2021

I have 65 OG:Crystals. They hold a top place in my heart as they were the project that brought back the fun in NFTs during what I call “PFP hysteria”. They evolved when passed between wallets and took on new growths that were generatively created based on aspects of each ETH wallet. These generative aspects gave me a sense of co-creation as my ETH transaction history was shaping how my crystals looked. OG:Crystal #5979 is my favorite, as I really appreciate the simplicity of the near white “bright” crystal trait with the singular flare of vibrant colors from the Meebits trait.

❹ Etch #529 by Matt Kane + Deca + PlantDr (me), 2022

Etch is a very new project where the minters of the NFT use a web-based design software (developed by Matt Kane & Deca) that creates generative layered images (such as above) that can be fine tuned and iterated over and over to find a design that connects with the minter. In addition, the minter must attach text to these Etchs. The image changes overtime, but the words can never be altered. This particular Etch was created in reference to my Gazer #124, which will be gifted to my daughter and has a special trait called “reflect” which will unlock in 4,608 moons (approx year 2394). When the reflect trait activates, all previous moons of that Gazer will be unlocked and viewable again. Now after Etch #529, each year I will create a new Etch for that year and etch memories I have had with my daughter. When passed, from parent to child, (if this journey is continued) then by the year 2394 the owner will have Gazer #124 and 372 different Etches with memories of a parent/child journey in reference to a particular moon (GLN). The current owner can then gaze upon previous moons and have immutable memories to reflect on journeys between ancestors.

❺ BURNER #62 by Crashblossom, 2022

BURNERs are also a recent project that caught my attention and made their way into one of my top 5 favorites, again, due to the fact that it is a living artwork. Each BURNER has a generative base image and up to 1+ billion potential states. The different states are dynamic and are layered on top of the base image in conjunction with the Ethereum network gas prices. With each new block, the states change (based on the gas prices) so the artwork is never complete, as there is always a new state variant.

When and why I started collecting NFT art

I got into NFTs at the end of 2017. What initially drew me to NFTs was one of the first articles about CryptoKitties. The mechanism of the CryptoKitties breeding system was what really intrigued me and I started to see the future potential of what NFTs could really be. I was studying genomics at the time, starting to learn some programming, and was mining ETH, so it just felt like the right thing to do.

About my NFT art collection

Even though I have >4,000 NFTs, most of these come from CryptoKitty breeding. My ultimate goal is to continue finding novel styles of art, particularly those that are dynamic. I will continue to create my Etch + Gazer (described above) to have a  collection to pass onto future generations. Currently, my art collection is just kept in my wallet, but I do have an Oncyber gallery that exhibits the 3D models of many of my OG:Crystals. I am also going to look more into Deca to start to curate my collection. In the future, I cannot wait to have 8k digital wall displays to display my Gazers and other dynamic NFTs.

My best sale

My best purchases have been my Gazers, which I have bought for 2, 6, and 8 ETH. Although these are unrealized gains at the moment, the current floor price for the Gazer collection is 35 ETH. My biggest sale was CryptoPunk #5385 for 22 ETH during the run up of 2021. However, I have also sold two different CryptoKitties for 20 ETH each (#1 Atlas and #1 Purrity). It only cost me 0.016 ETH to breed both of these CryptoKitties.

Direct relationships with artists and collectors

Having created relationships with the creators of the NFTs in my collection has made me cherish their work even more. I also believe that it is even more important to form a bond with the other collectors, as having multiple collectors all sharing their experiences, visions, and ideals about the same pieces of artwork really helps to nurture a deeper connection to the art.

What I particularly appreciate in NFT art

To me, the thing that I appreciate most in  digital NFT art  is the commitment to drive the space forward and create very novel works. Personally, I am fascinated by the creation of art that evolves, that’s living or forever changing. Coming from an evolutionary scientific background and as a follower of Buddhist philosophy, this type of art just hits home and is a constant reminder that change is inevitable.

My Life in Our Minds NFTs

I have 2 LIOMs in my collection. My LIOM #237 is my favorite, lately it obtained the colors that represent my alma mater from which I received my PhD.