In the Middle Ages, due to high illiteracy rates, paintings often served as the main medium of communication. Today, media communicates through monitor screens and their pixels. Pixels are rectangular dots created by hardware that combine to form text or images. Currently, the pixel is the smallest unit of media communication. Cryptopunks, NFTs created by Canadian software developers Matt Hall and John Watkinson in 2017, are images composed of rough-resolution pixels. Although their value has increased due to their historical significance, ‘Cryptopunk #7523’ from the series was sold for $11,754,000 at Sotheby’s auction on June 10, 2021, because it conveyed rarity and history through its rough pixelation. This NFT, which utilizes square pixels as a tool, conveys a similar concept to Lego blocks, which are meant to be constructed with blocks. In media, messages are created, distributed, and valued based on the nature of the expression tool. The tool is the message. - Joseph’s “just my th...
As a classical composer, Beethoven was the first to assign the work number 'Op.' to his works. Music scholars numbered the works of other famous classical composers after they had passed away. Beethoven believed that his work would be passed on to future generations, and he made it his responsibility to do so. Therefore, uncharacterized works were not given an 'Op.', leaving him with fewer works than other composers. This attitude influenced other composers and made them responsible for their creations. Since then, of course, the number of works by composers has decreased. The responsibility of one person can affect a generation and beyond. - Joseph's "just my thoughts"