Trash Art Is (So) Back

Rarible is hosting 6 consecutive drops from the OG NFT art movement’s finest.

Author

Stepan Nilov
November 27, 2023

Gm,

Back in 2020, months before the historic NFT run, there was nothing but a few creators experimenting with the technology. Then, “the Trash Art Movement” was sparked by a hint of censorship.

United by their love for the NFT technology, avant-garde and artistic freedom, these creators started one of the most important events in the history of NFT art, pushing the space forward. Their main sources of inspiration? In a true dadaistic spirit, it was trash cans.

We’re proud to host the Trash Art Renaissance festival featuring 6 OG creators: ROBNESS, Jay Delay, Barbara Tosti, Ferris Bullish, KAMI and OoakosiMo.

From November 27 to December 1, explore the rarible.com homepage to discover the best of Trash Art.

How Trash Art came to be

ROBNESS, the artist who ignited the movement, was one of the earlier experimental artists in the then-almost empty NFT space. Minting digital art in whatever shape or form wasn’t nearly as popular back then. But however futuristic it seemed, ROBNESS’ work faced the same questions art has encountered since the beginning of time.

What is art?

Minted on January 23, 2020, ROBNESS’ polemic artwork “64 Gallon Toter” was exploring exactly that question. The NFT is based on an animated GIF of a trash bin image ROBNESS found online. Although he didn’t know at the time, that image was copyrighted. As a result, the artist was soon banned from SuperRare, the marketplace where he had originally listed the NFT.

Fellow creators felt that this was a direct attack on their artistic freedom—and started what now appears to be the first NFT art rebellion. Flagging the 64 Gallon Toter as their symbol of protest, they started to mint thousands of trash bin-inspired NFTs across Web3.

As the movement escalated and the NFT community sided with artists, it became the hottest topic on Crypto Twitter, and the bins were featured everywhere from crypto news outlets headlines to the metaverse.

Although not as frequently, trash art is still minted to this day - still never in more than 5 minutes - as the community still resists any censoring policies.

ROBNESS’ 64 Gallon Toter made headlines again in early 2022 after it was sold for $252,000.

We at Rarible were lucky enough to witness some of the brightest and most daring artists of the early days of Web3, and host some of their work. And now, we’re hosting the Trash Art Renaissance!

Trash Art Renaissance: 6 Pieces

We’re bringing some of the OG trash art creators for a week of consecutive drops, starting November 27.  

ROBNESS - November 27

(Animated)

DIFFERENT TONALITIES OF REFUSE THROUGH THE AGES.

  • Chain: Polygon

  • Price: 6.9 MATIC

  • Royalty price: 10%

Creator of the Trash Art movement, ROBNESS has a long career of questioning the limit of art in Web3. The artist has also burnt a CryptoPunk for art, has artwork on the Centre Pompidou, and is widely admired in the digital art circle.

JayDelay - November 28

(Animated)

Two Minute Meditation on "DIGITAL TRASH"

  • Chain: Polygon

  • Price: 6.9 MATIC

  • Royalty price: 10%

Co-founder of the TRASH ART and SPAM ART movements, Jay Delay brought his punk spirit to the CryptoArt scene. He’s been experimenting with AI and decentralized curation and distribution through his work on the SPAM Wallet, The RATS (Rapid Art Token Swap) contract, and the SPAM Comics.

Barbara Tosti - November 29

hard days need strong-attitude artists that break the rules, anyway, what other way to play? 

  • Chain: Polygon

  • Price: 6.9 MATIC

  • Royalty price: 10%

Part of the creation of the Trash Art movement, Barbara Tosti is one of the most referenced women in crypto art, an art language enthusiast and experimenter. 

FerrisBullish - November 30

(Animated)

"None of your trash art is any better than image spam." - J1mmy.eth

  • Chain: Polygon

  • Price: 6.9 MATIC

  • Royalty price: 10%

Ferris Bullish is one of the early 2020 trash artists. Exploring and resignifying memes and spam in the digital art culture, he is a visual artist and self-proclaimed NFT Maximalist disrupting late capitalism.

KAMI - December 1

damn alot has happened in these long short years. it was all fun and games until there was fire coming out of the toters head.

  • Chain: Polygon

  • Price: 6.9 MATIC

  • Royalty price: 10%

Exploring pixel art and photomanipulation, KAMI is a lifetime artist who disrupted the NFT art world from 2019 onwards.

OoakasiM - December 2

Dive headfirst into the punk poetry, where Trash Art meets rebellion, and every pixel screams in a cosmic revolt. An Open Edition by OoakosiMo part of the TRASH ART RENAISSANCE.

  • Chain: Polygon

  • Price: 6.9 MATIC

  • Royalty price: 10%

Better known as OoakosiMo, Mohini Ochangco is a co-founder of the Trash Art and Spam Art movements. She brings along her encounters with the Philippine punk scene and experimental sound artists while advocating for freedom of expression in the digital age.

How to join the movement

Don’t miss the chance to be a part of NFT history. Head over to the Latest Drops at Rarible and bookmark the art you like best.