Emily Ratajkowski is reclaiming her image (and the right to earn from it), by selling a photo of herself posing in front of a work by Richard Prince.
Back in September last year, Emily Ratajkowski shared with the world the story of an artist who appropriated one of her shared photos and sold a canvas print of it for $90,000.
Related | Disaster Girl Meme NFT Sells For $500,000
To get back at him, the model/actress has announced the launch of an NFT of an image of herself posing in front of that exact print. Apart from the obvious – wanting to take control of her image, Ratajkowski also wants to raise awareness about the unfair treatment of women in art.
The digital terrain should be a place where women can share their likeness as they choose, controlling the usage of their image and receiving whatever potential capital attached. Instead, the internet has more frequently served as a space where others exploit and distribute image
— Emily Ratajkowski (@emrata) April 23, 2021
As Ratajkowski wrote on Instagram, “the digital terrain should be a place where women can share their likeness as they choose, controlling the usage of their image and receiving whatever potential capital attached. Instead, the internet has more frequently served as a space where others exploit and distribute images of women’s bodies without their consent and for another’s profit.“
Back in 2014, Ratajkowski discovered an enlarged print of one of her Instagram photos hanging in the Gagosian Gallery, on Madison Avenue. Artist Richard Prince had printed the image on a large canvas and was selling it for $90,000.
Prince hadn’t even asked for permission to use the image and Ratajkowski ended up paying $81,000 to get the canvas. She expressed her frustration about having to spend the money, commenting that she could have just scrolled through her Instagram if she wanted to look at it.
The NFT she is now auctioning off at Christie’s from May 14 – Buying Myself Back: A Model for Redistribution – is a photo of her standing in front of Prince’s image, thus taking it back, and making a statement about ownership in art – and about the misuse of women’s image for the benefit of male artists.
“With the advent of blockchain technology and the availability of the non-fungible token (NFT) as a viable digital medium, Ratajkowski boldly reclaims her image, and the commercial properties therein, by employing the NFT as a tradeable metaphor for that which has no physical embodiment,” reads the Lot Essay on the auction page.
“In carving its presence on the immutable, universal Ethereum blockchain ledger, the NFT facilitates Ratajkowski’s message in a way that breaks new ground for feminist art history and practice.”
As it is a custom with NFT auctions, Ratajkowski will also make a cut from the profit of future sales.
You might also like
More from Tech
What Happens In One Minute On The Internet, 2021 Edition
Did you know? Each minute, 208 rooms are created on Clubhouse, 240K photos are uploaded on Facebook, and Amazon shoppers spend $283k!
WPP And Snap Announce Augmented Reality Partnership
WPP and Snap have announced an AR collaboration to deliver state-of-the-art marketing and commerce solutions for brands.
Amazon Unveils A Billie Eilish Echo Studio Smart Speaker
Amazon is releasing a Billie Eilish-themed version of its Echo Studio, which comes with a six-month Amazon Music Unlimited subscription.
You Can Now Use An Android Phone As A Google TV Remote
Google is now allowing all phones and tablets running Android 4.3 or higher to be used as remote controls for …
Bubblehouse Launches First Social, Eco-Friendly, And Accessible NFT Marketplace
Bubblehouse has announced the first and only marketplace that makes NFTs social, accessible, and eco-friendly.
Captiv8 Expands Shopify Integration To Make Social Commerce More Accessible
Influencer marketing platform Captiv8 is expanding its partnership with Spotify to allow brands to manage branded shoppable content at scale.
Tiger Woods Drops 10,000 NFTs On Tom Brady’s ‘Autograph’ Platform
Tiger Woods is partnering with sports collectibles company Upper Deck to release his first collection of 10,000 NFTs.
NFT Fantasy Soccer Platform Secures $680M Funding Led By SoftBank
NFT fantasy soccer platform, Sorare, has raised $680 million as part of a Series B funding led by SoftBank’s Vision …
Miami Votes To Accept Nearly $5M In MiamiCoin Earnings
In 30 days, MiamiCoin generated $5 million for Miami's public funds. The city's mayor is celebrating the prospect of maybe …
