Exploring NFT Art On Tezos (Part 13) – MegaCity

An Introduction To The MegaCity Interview

Gazing into the expansive stretches of a burgeoning futuristic metropolis, a common variety house cat perches serenely on the edge of the ordered chaos which seems to stretch out into infinity.

Humankind’s long time feline companion seems to be perfectly at ease in this futuristic landscape as though it was bird watching in the windowsill of a traditional suburban home on a lazy Sunday afternoon.

On more than one occasion, I’ve found myself drifting off into the awe-inspiring futuristic Megacity universe created by Richard Falla.

Perhaps contemplating my place in such a vast and complex world or conjuring the perspective of the cat who seems perfectly content as it calmly observes the future from its preferred perch.

The true magic of this series arises from the juxtaposition of the magnificently animated massive expanse of a fictional futuristic Mega City, with the composed, Zen-like feline, calmly and quietly observing its surroundings. Interested, but not overwhelmed or particularly impressed. An all-knowing aloofness that is so common in these mysterious beings.

Cat lovers can attest to the majestic, wise and enigmatic qualities that seem inherent to the species. Humans have long been fascinated with these unique feline qualities going as far back as the ancient Egyptians and no doubt stretching far beyond our recorded history.

It seems reasonable to imagine that cats and humans will continue to share this interspecies symbiotic relationship well into the future as we expand our horizons into the great unknown. 

I’ve often wondered what inspired the creation of the MegaCity NFT series by Richard Falla which I’ve so thoroughly enjoyed. I was happy when he agreed to talk about his project so that I could better understand the inspiration and plan for the series.

It is with great pleasure that Richard Falla joins us virtually to discuss his Megacity series in our 13 installment of the XTZ News Series Exploring NFT Art on Tezos.

Thank you so much for taking the time to discuss your work!

I’ve been hooked on your Megacity NFT series since I first encountered it. You’ve probably seen me comment on your Twitter feed about my fascination with the cat calmly observing the frenzied activity of the Megacity of the future.

Animated loops showing flying car highways with all sorts of beautiful futuristic cityscape scenery contrasts so sharply with the cat perched displaying a Zen-like aloofness that is such a poignant, perplexing and charming feline trait. It’s as if they are saying “I’ve seen it all before, I enjoy watching but I’m not particularly impressed!”

Please tell me a bit about yourself and your art.

Thanks! I’m glad you like them! My name is Richard Falla, I go by FallaArt on Twitter (other links). I’m a professional 3D animator from New Zealand.

My NFT art is about living in cities and the feeling of being a tiny part of an impossibly large machine. This inspires me to show life through the lens of the residents of my fictional Megacity showing the world through the lens of the city cats!

What initially attracted you to create NFTs on Tezos? 

The attraction of creating NFT’s with a more environmentally friendly crypto and low minting fees was really interesting. Also a lot of big named artists at the time were experimenting with Tezos as a platform which allows people to purchase their art at a far more reasonable price than other platforms.

What do you like most about creating NFTs on Tezos?

I really like the community that is built around it. I’ve met a bunch of really amazing creators and collectors. Also the ease of creating and minting NFTs means once I have an artwork ready the process of creating and sharing my art is really easy.

Do you have any upcoming projects that you would like to tell us about?

I’m currently starting a new series which is using shape language to explore more abstract art created by framing the MegaCity in different ways than I have already shown. I’m also looking into creating a collectable series based on my art but that is a bit more in the future.

How do you envision the evolution of NFTs?

For myself, I’ve seen how hard it is to get non-tech people to grasp the idea of digital art. Digital art has been around for decades and has never really been seen as a legitimate art form. I think once non Crypto people are able to see the real value of crypto and big industries start purchasing and producing NFTs it will elevate NFTs to being regarded as a real artform.